Nowadays people are spending upwards of $10,000 on a total bathroom remodel. Homeowners are opting for more spacious and ornate bathrooms complete with natural stone floors and multiple showerheads. But, if your budget can't quite handle the expense of a jetted tub or marble shower, there are plenty of options that provide heightened style without a heightened credit card bill.

The best place to start is with paint. Adding a splash of color can do wonders for your bathroom. Start by changing the color of your walls to a light and airy hue. The best options are blues, light purples and neutral colors, all of which convey a calming and soothing feel that is perfect for feeling relaxed in your bathroom. Another option for a quick upgrade that adds color is to change the faucets and fixtures. Adding a splash of class or style can quickly change the entire look and feel of your bathroom. A hot trend right now is brushed brass fixtures, which convey a rich and classy feel that complements neutral colors. Other popular options are faucets that buck the standard look with a unique layout or design.

The primary area of focus in today's lavish bathrooms is the shower. If you prefer to have a bath tub, there are three general types to choose from: standard drop-in tubs, free-standing tubs or walk-in tubs. Many homeowners are opting for air-jet tubs with provide therapeutic and massaging effects while also allowing homeowners to use bath salts or bubbles. If you prefer the shower only layout, the possibilities are endless. Today's showers are virtually human carwashes with the ability to install multiple shower heads with a variety of sprays and angles.
If these options are not for you, try going with a few simple upgrades. Adding a high window near the top of your bath or shower can allow natural light to enter the area, which opens everything up and you feel less like you're crawling into a cave to take a shower. In addition, consider regrouting your current tub and tile. This simple task can go a long way in eliminating any dingy appearances that have accumulated over several years of use. Another option is the installation of a prefabricated tub or shower surround, which can replace or be installed over top of your existing shower depending on the model and type chosen. Finally, consider adding a luxurious shower head, such as a rain-like or massaging shower head for a extra touch.

The final element that distinguishes a luxurious bathroom from a standard bathroom is the lighting and flooring. Lighting, while often overlooked, can be an excellent way to control the feel of your bathroom. A good idea is to install a diverse set of lighting such as overhead can lights near the vanity area and indirect ambient lighting that is ideal for low-key and relaxing baths.
Flooring is also a popular upgrade with natural stone and tile being especially popular in lavish bathrooms. Since these types of flooring can be cold, many homeowners opt to install sub-floor heating systems that warm floors with heated water. A more economical choice is to use low-voltage electric mats, which are smaller in size yet provide just enough of a warm area to stand while getting ready each morning.

In addition to these remodeling ideas, top the bathroom off with accessories that accentuate the look and feel of your bathroom. If you're looking for an elegant appeal, small yet stately glass containers with a stainless steel top to store cotton balls and Q-tips are popular accents. If you looking for a warm and low key feel, a popular choice is baskets to store lotions and towels. Finally, top it off with new drawer pulls or towel rods to match the updated look and to carry the theme throughout your bathroom.


Ki works as a realtor in the Austin real estate market. He developed a search of houses in the Austin MLS on his website. His site also has general information on Austin real estate and Austin condos.

Are your pictures too high? Too low? Are there extra nail holes behind those family pictures on your wall from when you tried to “eyeball” it?

If you don’t have the faintest idea how high a picture should be hung on the wall, or know anything about grouping pictures or designing an arrangement, don’t despair-- there is hope.

Hanging a picture sounds easy enough, but the reality is there are many elements to this deceptively simple process that can make it frustratingly difficult and leave you with a ridiculous number of holes in your wall from failed attempts. Luckily, there are a few tips that can help you avoid butchering your wall and almost guarantee your pictures will be sitting pretty.

First, remember that the center of a picture should be at eye-level. This applies to a grouping of pictures, too, only using the center of the combined collaborative instead of the individual piece. Because height can vary dramatically from person to person, the default measurement is approximately 66 inches from the floor to the center of the object. There are exceptions to this rule, of course. For instance, if you are hanging a particularly large painting or mirror, 66 inches isn’t always spatially correct. Adjust accordingly and with great prejudice. Remember, too much “eyeballing” can lead to too many holes.

Another good rule is to use two picture hooks with picture hanging wire on the back of your frame. This prevents shifting and tilting, so you won’t have to be forever straightening your pictures. It also provides extra support for heavy objects. To determine where to place your hangers, measure and find the center of your picture. From this point, measure equal distance to a point that’s about half to two-thirds the length of the picture. You will need to remember how far these hooks are placed apart from the center when finally driving the nail, so make sure you write it down or commit it to memory.

Now, the moment of truth: hammering the nails (or drilling the screws, which may be a better option for really heavy objects. Using wall anchors with screws to hang your art will definitely keep things where they’re supposed to be.) When deciding how high to hang your picture, don’t forget to measure it first and find its center. You will need to measure from this point vertically to the wire and add x number of inches to 66 to allow for this space. Mark on the wall lightly with a pencil 66 inches from the floor where you want the center of the picture to be. From there, you will use a level to mark two more places the distance from the center to the picture hooks (you wrote it down, remember?). This is where you want to put your nails. After you hammer them in, it’s just a matter of hanging you picture!

If you have more than one picture of the same size and need to repeat this process, it is easy to hang them together symmetrically. If you have multiple pictures of varying size, sketching out a composition before trying to hang them is a good idea. It can help to visualize the smaller pictures as pieces of a larger whole

Ki helps people investigating the Austin real estate market. You can start your search by using his site to search the Austin MLS along with researching current market trends on his Austin real estate blog.

Many people consider home renovating to be an inside affair, but there are also many exterior renovations that can help beautify a home and encourage spending more time outdoors. Like interior renovations, with the proper planning, and research, fixing up the exterior of a home and its surroundings can be accomplished by the do-it-yourselfer while also saving money.

If a major renovation, such as replacing siding or roofing, is not urgent, taking the time to search for the best deal is advisable. Putting up siding, and replacing a roof might be best left to a professional contractor, unless the homeowner has some prior experience. One great way to get experience, and help out someone in need at the same time, is to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers can ask to learn a certain skill, and gain valuable experience. Also, try stopping by the Habitat Re-store to find deals on a variety of home improvement items for the interior and exterior. A good way to spruce up the home’s exterior, without contractor skills, is to apply a new coat of paint- just remember to prep the surface first with a good wash, or by sanding off old paint.

Improving a home’s lawn can do wonders for its appearance and curb appeal. Though some signs of improvement can be seen within a few months, know that the lawn may have to go through a couple growing seasons to see vast improvements. First remove thatch from the yard. Thatch is the dead layer of turf grass between the soil and the green grass. This is done by mowing the grass and raking out the thatch. If it is really thick, you may want to rent a power rake. Remove weeds with a hoe, and treat serious areas with weed killer. Eventually, the grass with grow thick enough to choke out the weeds. If there are unlevel areas in the yard, fill them with topsoil and compost, and rake until it’s level. Add new grass where necessary, either with grass seed or new sod. Fertilizing the lawn four times a year will help in grow strong and stay healthy.

Installing plants and trees can add new color and texture to a yard, and can also be used as a natural screen or fence to block out any undesirable views. Shrubs generally come in 1, 2, 3 , 5, 7, and 15 gallon sizes, with trees coming in the 7 and 15 gallon sizes. Trees larger than 15 gallons should be installed by a professional, and will usually involve heavy duty equipment. Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball, while keeping the depth of the hole the same as the height of the root ball. Loosen the roots, and place the plant or tree in the hole, and fill the hole halfway, then water it. Fill up the rest of the hole, and add mulch around the plant to preserve moisture and keep weeds from growing.

To create a nice outdoor area for entertaining, making a patio out of pavers is a good task for the do-it-yourselfer, and more pleasing to the eye than a professionally poured concrete slab. First, remove grass from the area which is easily achieved by renting a sod cutter from a home improvement store. Level out the area, and define the patio’s perimeters with plastic edging or treated wood. Spread about 2 inches worth of coarse sand inside the form, and lay down the pavers snuggly against each other. Once all the pavers are in place, spread sand across the top of the patio, and work it into the spaces between the pavers with a broom, and the new patio is complete.

After a nice renovation to a home’s exterior and its surroundings, coming home will be a pleasure before the front door is ever opened.

Ki runs a website dedicated to Austin real estate. His site has a mls Austin search along with information on current mortgage interest rates.

One of the most popular areas of a house to renovate is the bathroom. There are many different ways to renovate a bathroom, from small surface changes to completely gutting the room. With some forethought and elbow grease, there are renovating techniques the do-it-yourselfer can accomplish, while saving money at the same time.

The first rule in any renovation is to start with a budget, and stick to it. After a budget is set, one must decide on how serious of a project the renovation will be. Surface alterations can be done fairly quickly and cheaply, while rearranging the layout of the bathroom, such as moving the toilet to a new location, will be more labor intensive, and require a contractor to move plumbing lines. A complete tear out is the most difficult, as well as money and time consuming, but is sometimes necessary if several years of moisture has begun to rot the bathroom’s wooden framework.

Hopefully moisture hasn’t penetrated the bathroom’s joists and studs, but it’s quite possible that drywall will have to be replaced. Today there is moisture resistant drywall called greenboard. If a wall is being replaced inside of the shower, a cement backerboard must be used that moisture cannot penetrate.

Many bathroom renovations revolve around the shower or tub. For the do-it-yourselfer, installing a prefabricated shower enclosure or tub is possible. The other option is a tiled shower or tub, which involves building a frame from scratch, and is best left to a professional carpenter. Though prefab showers were once fairly basic, today there are a variety of styles, colors and textures from which to choose. The units can come in one solid piece, to minimize assembly, and also panels if the complete unit can’t fit through the bathroom door (which is the case with many older homes).

There are a wide variety of flooring options for bathrooms, but steer clear of wood floors which will warp from the humidity. Ceramic tiles are the most popular choice for bathroom flooring, as it’s completely waterproof when sealed properly. There are also almost limitless combinations of shapes, sizes and colors combinations of tiles and grout that will fit all tastes. All floors must be level before laying down tile, which can be easily achieved by mixing a self leveling compound that is then spread across the floor, evening out any inconsistencies.

A new sink or vanity can spruce up a bathroom as well. There are many popular styles, such as wall mounted sinks, pedestal sinks, and vessel sinks that are fairly easy to install. It’s often possible to use the current sink piping to reconnect to an updated sink which can drastically change a bathroom’s appearance.

Some of the most effective updating can also be the easiest to do. Changing all the hardware, such as drawer pulls, faucet handles, and shower heads, can make a great impact, especially when they are all pulled together with the same materials, such as stainless steel, bronze, or brushed nickel. The cheapest home improvement choice of them all- paint- can also give a bathroom a new feel. Ditching a bland, frameless mirror for a new, large one with a funky frame is also an easy fix.

Sometimes the cost of new bathroom features is the priciest part of a renovation, but looking beyond big box stores can save cash. The local craigslist may have a treasure being thrown out by another remodeler with a different taste. Ebay can work the same way. Buying discontinued tiles is another good money saving technique, but remember to pick up extras to replace damaged tiles in the future.

Most remodeling techniques can be learned, but a contractor may be necessary to deal with new electrical or plumbing lines- it will be worth the money for it to be done correctly, and they will follow building codes properly. Getting referrals from trustworthy friends is always advisable when looking for a good and efficient contractor.

Ki is real estate agent in Austin. He runs a website which provides a free search of the Austin MLS along with information on Austin real estate. His site also provides users with a free mortgage calculator to estimate monthly payments.

Several homes, especially centrally located homes, have hardwood flooring. A pristine hardwood floor is beautiful, but to restore one back to its original 60 year old elegance, the floor will need to be refinished.

Refinishing hardwood floors can be a challenging job for the do-it-yourselfer, but with some preparation and research, it can be done without the help of a professional.

Many older homes have gone through fads, and one that became a norm was wall to wall carpeting. If wood floors hide under a carpet, it will have to be removed. After all furniture has been removed, pull up carpeting and its tack strip, making sure to remove nails and staples that will hinder sanding performance later.

Sanding floors during the refinishing process creates a lot of sawdust. Prep the area by taping off doors and cabinets, and opening windows. Covering areas with damp sheets helps trap the sawdust.

After the area around the floor is completely prepped, use a drum sander to sand the floor. They can be rented at most home improvement stores. The purpose of the sanding is to cut the floor and remove the old finish. Start with a coarse grit sandpaper, such as a 20 or 36 grit paper, and move up to 60 and 100 grit. The lighter grit sandpaper is used to remove the scratch marks made by the heavier grit paper.

A drum sander can be daunting on its first use. They are loud and powerful, so wear ear plugs, eye protection, and a dust mask. A common first-timers mistake is gouging the floor, which is a hard problem to fix, and easier to prevent. Start by tilting the sander back before turning it on, and slowly lowering it to the floor. Find a good test area that may be covered by a rug or furniture, and move the machine back and forth, without keeping it in one spot, as doing so can damage the floor in a few seconds. Move the sander in the same direction as the grain of the wood floor. When the machine becomes difficult to maneuver, it’s time to move to a lighter grit paper. Edges of the floor can be hard to sand with the large drum sander, so either renting an edge sander, or doing these areas by hand, is recommended.

After the old finish has been removed, and the floors smoothed with the sander, the room must be vacuumed. It's advisable to vacuum and dust the floors, walls, light switches, and every area that can be reached. Let the dust settle, and vacuum again to insure no dust will end up in the new finish. Running a tack cloth (also available at home improvement stores) along the floor after it’s been vacuumed is also advisable.

It's now time to apply a stain to the wood, unless the natural color of the wood is preferred. If possible, test the stain on your floor, as color charts may be helpful, but not always accurate depending on the wood of your floor, and how it takes the stain. Apply the stain in a circular motion with cloth rags. Spread the stain as evenly as possible to keep the color consistent.

The final step to refinishing a floor is applying the finish. There are oil and water based finishes. Though oil finishes are less expensive, the water based dry quicker, finish clear, and do not have the solvent odor that oil based finishes contain. Make sure to not shake the finish, as it will create bubbles that will end up on the floor. Slowly stir it, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to plan the final application finishing in a doorway, and after a few coats, the floor refinishing is complete.

Escapeso Austin Texas Real Estate is a small realty company in Austin. Their website has a search of the Austin MLS along with up to date commentary on their blog about Austin real estate.