The housing market in the US is still rather sluggish but, according to a new report issued by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at the venerable Harvard University, home remodeling is set to make a big comeback in 2011 after a three-year slump.
The report predicts average growth of 9.1 percent for the first quarter of 2011, 12.1 percent for the second quarter and 8% for the year as a whole. The report's authors expect that in 2011 homeowners will spend close to $300 billion (yes, billion) on home remodeling projects.
One area of particular growth that the report identifies that is already making an impact is green home improvements. The share of home improvement contractors that reported they had recently worked on remodeling projects that qualified for federal tax energy credits has jumped significantly from 40% to 60%. The projects were smaller scale ones replacement doors and windows, insulation upgrades but that home improvement is getting greener every day does not seem to be in doubt.
This is all of course great news for the nation's remodeling contractors but, if you are a homeowner who has been sitting on the fence about a certain remodeling project for a while, now is probably the time to swing into action. The availability of the best contractors in your area and any deals they might have been prepared to offer during the downturn may be shrinking soon so the time to act is now.
You have been reading design blogs and perusing those glossy home magazines for just as long.
However you have no idea what any of the things that have appealed to you would look like in your own home. You would like to have at least a rough idea of what to tell the home remodeler when you go for that first consult.
Internet behemoth Google can help. Not just by being the search engine via which you find all the remodeling tidbits you've been reading but by providing you with a free software program that can help even the least computer literate people in the world create a mock up of their home and begin to envision what a finished home remodeling project might look like.
Google Sketchup takes about two minutes to download and install and is relatively easy to learn, especially since Google has been kind enough to post a great many tips and tricks as well as step by step instructional videos. It can be used to create 2D plans or 3D models and you can easily import jpeg photos taken around your home of those features you are interested in incorporating into your plans.
A paid version of the software Google Sketchup Pro is often used by interior designers, remodeling contractors and architects themselves and offers more complex features but is not really suitable for homeowner use. All you really need is a way to begin to visualize what a remodeling project might look like and have a visual to share with your remodeling professional. And for that, Google Sketchup is perfect.
