Renovations that make sense

By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — In the heady days before the housing and banking collapse, buyers often placed bids on home over the asking prices, letting owners recoup more than 100 percent of the cost of renovations. 
    However, in today’s more sober atmosphere it’s a lot safer to be selective and bring your house up to the neighborhood norm rather than having the most expensive house on the block according to Walter Molony, spokesperson for the National Association of Realtors.
    So, before tapping into your equity to convert an existing home into a “McMansion” that could end up out of character with the rest of the neighborhood, experts say a few well considered renovations may be what’s called for when selling or staying put in your home.
Pick your renovation battles  
    Historical safe bets like kitchen and bathroom renovations, says Moloney, are not giving the high payback they used to afford homeowners. But, in Aroostook County with its large number of older homes that have not been updated, Diane Hires, a realtor with REMAX, says “it’s very important if you are selling.” She does concede that an owner may not get a high payback on a bathroom or kitchen renovation, but it can influence the sale. “Even men like to cook and want a nice kitchen. It’s not just women.”
    Contractor Rick Michaud, owner of Cottage and Home Maintenance, says if you just have to have that high-end $150 kitchen faucet, save in other areas and don’t go overboard. “You can cutback in other areas like cabinets and flooring. You have to shop around and find your deals.”
    Hires, Michaud and Molony all agree that getting rid of clutter inside and improving the house’s curb appeal are important if you really want to tackle an improvement project. It may not sound like a renovation, per se, but it can perk up your own personal enjoyment. Siding, exterior paint and nice landscaping may be the way to go if your house’s exterior is a little shabby. Michaud says he does a lot of repairs because homeowners let things get too neglected – particularly roofs.
The enemies – water, ice, lead, asbestos
    Severe weather takes its toll on roofs especially, in northern Maine. Michaud says it’s important to keep ice and snow buildup on the roof to a minimum since melting snow under the ice leads to water buildup and rot. “This year I’ve had a lot of roof and rot repair because leaky roofs rotted all the boards inside the house.” Hires says owners may not recoup the expense of a new roof, but buyers like to know they won’t have to pay for one. And, she adds one of the most important things buyers are looking for is a dry basement. Correcting any leaks, water problems or cracks in the foundation that allow water to seep into a basement should be high on your priority list. Michaud says many foundation problems can be corrected if owners make timely repairs.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
GETTING WIRED — Brian Nightingale, a licensed electrician, is well known around Aroostook County for his expertise. Here he is re-wiring an older home in Houlton during a complete renovation. Nightingale replaced all of the home’s outdated electrical fixtures with new ones and expanded the circuit breaker box to accommodate new appliances and extra outlets.
    Many older homes have lead-based paint and asbestos. Because of toxicity, contractors like Michaud have to be certified in asbestos removal. Although a homeowner can remove asbestos from a home, it may be best left to the experts. Michaud says he has to suit up with full body gear, a respirator and gloves when removing asbestos shingles which many older homes have. He adds that he can only remove or disturb two square feet at one time. More than that requires a professional abatement company. And lead is assumed to be in houses painted before 1978.
Inside keep it simple
    Things like replacing fuse boxes with circuit breakers, installing railings for stairs, updating windows and adding insulation are good renovation projects according to Hires. And, for safety’s sake as well as insurance purposes, homeowners should make sure oil- and wood-fired appliances don’t vent through the same flue. In addition to being a fire hazard, an insurer may not offer coverage for a buyer until the situation is corrected. If a house is destroyed by fire, an insurer may not pay if only one flue is used to vent two heat sources.
    Another easy fix that’s relatively inexpensive — paint. Michaud says if your are painting, renovating, scraping or doing demolition, keep the dust down so it doesn’t spread throughout the house. Spraying with water, putting up plastic sheeting to block off other areas of the house and vacuuming can help you survive the dust and debris of a renovation.
    Contact Cottage and Home Maintenance at 521-7458 or 532-4246; Diane Hires at 521-0800 or 694-4037.