Paperwork shuffle

One important thing to keep in mind when shopping for mortgage quotes is to ask the bank if the mortgage is through their institution, or if they are selling it to another bank. For example, we decided to go with a local bank for our mortgage because we figured it would be easier to deal with. Imagine our surprise when we discovered the bank had sold our mortgage to Washington Mutual. It didn't make much difference to us at the time, but now that we are dealing with a large insurance claim that involves the mortgage company, I really wish we could deal with it locally.

Apparently, when the claim is over five thousand dollars, the check is made payable to the mortgage company as well as the homeowners. The mortgage then deposits the money into a restricted account and will only release half of the funds until the homeowners send in a bunch of paperwork to prove they are actually having the house fixed. Once the work is completed to their approval, they release the rest of the money to the homeowners so they can pay for the work.

So we are busy juggling through paperwork, while work is being done and the contractors (understandably) want to be paid for their work. Then a couple of days ago, Washington Mutual was bought out by JP Morgan Chase. Oh, great. So now we are worried that this will slow things down even more and it will take longer to see the money.

You get what you pay for - not always

There are certain things that I believe fall into the "you get what you pay for" category, and others that are purely status symbols. For instance, I think paying more for high end tools is a good idea. If you are working on a project and the tool is inadequate, the project ends up costing more because of ruined materials, so you should just spend the extra money on a better tool to begin with.

Other items, such as designer home accessories seem a bit excessive to me. Spending $375 on top of the line Moen faucets, that look every bit as stylish as the $85 version seems pointless. Unless you actually tell everyone who enters your bathroom that the faucet cost that much, they would never guess. I would save the money there and spend it on nicer accessories like light fixtures, artwork, or mirrors that people would actually notice.

One small kitchen addition

My husband built a spice rack out of some of the kitchen cabinets that we removed when we moved into our house. He cut off the back to make it shallow and added small shelves inside. We hung it on the wall last night I love it! All the spices fit inside (alphabetized, of course) and there is even room for some of our vitamins and medications on the top shelf. It looks great and I am happy to see my husband taking a positive interest in the house again after encountering many problems with previous home improvement projects due to unorthodox building techniques used by previous owners.

We even involved our kids in the project. My three year old son helped me change the cabinet pulls, and our daughter helped us find the studs in the wall and make sure the cabinet was straight and level. We are very pleased with the outcome and it makes the kitchen feel more complete.

Change is in the air

My husband and I have been working on changing the layout of our furniture pieces, in order to make our home more "visitor" friendly. Currently, we only have one loveseat and an over sized leather chair in the living room. We already moved the furniture around in the living room so that the flow of traffic to the master bedroom and bathroom goes around the grouping, rather than through it.

We are also planning to move the kitchen bar into the kitchen about four feet, and moving the eating area into the kitchen with a built-in bench seat on the back of the bar. Where we currently have the dining room, we would like to put an electric fireplace, with a couple of chairs to sit in front of the fire. The over sized leather chair will go nicely there, so we bought a new sofa for the living room to go with the loveseat in front of the entertainment center.

Since we have small children, we couldn't pick something fancy like custom Kravet fabrics. Instead, we opted for micro-suede because of its durability and ease of cleaning. Our loveseat is also micro-suede and I am constantly amazed at how easy it is to clean. In fact, only two weeks after we bought it, my son (who was about 18 months at the time) found a ball-point pen and drew all over it before anyone realized what he was doing. I was so upset and thought for sure it was ruined. Much to my surprise, all the pen marks came off with only a damp rag! I've been sold on micro-suede ever since. Micro-suede has more bonuses also, like the inexpensive price and wonderfully soft and comfortable feel.

Buy direct to save big

I found an online store that takes the idea of warehouse shopping to the internet. The site is called directbuy charges a membership fee to join, which lets members purchase merchandise at factory-direct prices that normally only retailers enjoy. This could save the average shopper up to 43% in the home furnishing department alone. Direct Buy is an online home design center and carries products for all aspects of home finishing, redecorating and remodeling.

Direct Buy offers a free trial visitor's pass for a peek into the members-only showroom and for more information. Give them a try if you want to save money decorating your home by cutting out the middle man.

If we bought each other gifts...

My husband and I stopped exchanging gifts for Christmas and birthdays a long time ago. We are of the belief that if we are in need of something during the year, we just buy it then, rather than ask for it for Christmas. But sometimes, I hear my husband say things that he would like, but doesn't feel justified spending the money on it.

For instance, I know he would like an air hammer, and I noticed an online store that carries Ingersoll Rand air tools, including air hammers, drills, screwdrivers, and other useful tools. Maybe before he starts his next home improvement project, we'll visit the website and see if there is anything we need at that time.

Are those real?

Since Eureka Springs is located in a mountainous, heavily wooded area, many homeowners like to keep their home and yard decorations natural to blend in with the environment. As such, there are lots of natural wood furniture stores and artists who do very well in this field. Our town is also famous for all the limestone used throughout the town's architecture. Aside from all the limestone buildings, there are miles and miles of limestone retaining walls, as well as limestone sidewalks throughout the historic district.

Many newer homes have stone accents as well, although they are not always the real thing. Thanks to manufacturers like the Artificial Rocks Factory, it is easier than ever to get the look of real stone without the high cost or major heavy weights. Fake stone is much easier to work with and it is so realistic, no one will know the difference.

Some popular choices in stone decorating ideas are fake rock address plaques and welcome plaques. Molded from real 1,000 pound boulders and made from construction grade cast stone with a hollow interior. So the final product looks just like the real boulder, only hollow inside and weighing only about 50 pounds. Since they are so light, you may be wondering about possible theft. Not to worry, each rock is equipped with an anti-theft metal eyebolt cast inside with directions for its use shipped with the product.

The regular price is $299, but for a limited time all rock address markers and welcome plaques are $199 plus $50 for shipping and handling. The rocks with welcome plaques are in stock, ship immediately, and can be ordered as late as December 13th for Christmas gifts. Since the address plaques must be custom made for each order, they are delivered in 15-20 days, so in order to be delivered in time for Christmas, these must be ordered before November 29th.

Artistic heat source

One of the things we are really missing in our house is a fireplace. Not so much for the heat, but for the ambiance a fireplace brings to a space. I found a really neat new idea in the realm of home fireplaces and fire pits called fire glass.

It is essentially the use of pieces of glass instead of logs in gas fireplaces and outdoor fire pits. Check out the gallery at their website for some very unique ideas for traditional gas fireplaces, and for some totally outrageous ideas for artistic outdoor fire tables. The different colors of glass are used to create an image that the fire permeates through, creating a centerpiece like no other.

On the home front

We keep going back and forth between wanting to make home improvements, and wanting to save our money for future endeavors. My thoughts are: if we make our current home more to our liking, we will want to stay in this house longer and will strive to make it happen. Plus, any improvements we make will only add to the value of the house, which is good for resale value as well.

All that said, we still like to find the best deals on home improvement projects. I found a great sale on quoizel lighting for anyone who is interested. You can save up to 70% off their regular prices for wall sconces, bathroom lighting, chandeliers, and lanterns.

Our biggest plans for future home improvement projects include adding a stone facade to the front of the house for better curb appeal, and of course hardwood floors which are a long term dream for the main level of the house including the kitchen, dining room, and living room.

Necessary home update

A couple of days ago, our water heater just started leaking with no warning. It had been working just fine up until then, and just decided to quit on us and flood my daughter's room. See, one downfall of Eureka Springs is the lack of building codes up until just about five years ago (or so I've heard). So in addition to several other oddities about the way our house was built, the water heater was installed inside a bedroom closet, with no drain, and on the carpet.

So we've spent the last two days with fans under the carpet, which we pulled up from the corner and raised up to dry from underneath. We called our insurance agent to see if repairs would be covered under our home-owner's policy, but of course they have so many clauses and exclusions that render most homeowners helpless in their situation. In any case, I recommend reading your homeowner's policy, life insurance policy, mortgage life insurance policy, or any other insurance you may carry to make sure the coverage is adequate.

Our situation ended up fine this time, due to some research on our part on dealing with wet carpet and preventing mold. We ordered a new name brand hot water heater from a well known store and they came and installed it the next day. But now I will be worried about anything else happening and if it will be covered by insurance or not.

Quick home project

I've posted before about some of our more difficult home improvement experiences, but now I want to talk about a very simple one that makes a big impact. We switched out our old cabinet hardware with new brushed nickel handles to match our new light fixtures.

This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to change the look of a kitchen or bathroom, not to mention the cheapest home improvement project we've encountered.

Basement window options

When we are ready to update the window coverings in the basement of our house, we will shop online for sure. The choices are so varied and the prices are less than what you would expect for custom sizes and materials.

One option for our basement that I am considering is wood venetian blinds. They are not as expensive as wide wooden blinds, but they hold up better than the aluminum blinds we have now and have a more cohesive look that matches the trim in our house. I was thinking of something like this:

Ongoing home improvements

One thing I really wish we could replace is our mini blinds. While they serve their purpose of blocking light and providing privacy, they lack any sense of beauty and style. They are out-dated and they are so hard to keep clean. I have put up curtains on most windows so that when the blinds are pulled up all the way, you can't see them at all. Since we live in the woods and the neighboring houses are a good distance away, we feel comfortable during the day with the blinds fully open. We only close them at night.

I would like to eventually replace all the mini-blinds with wood or faux wood blinds in white, to match our house's trim. I just entered a giveaway for one set of wood blinds, and it would be so great if I am chosen. New blinds aren't in our budget right now, so to get some for free would be truly amazing! Wish me luck and I'll let you know what happens.

Outdoor improvements

As I have mentioned before, we have a list of all the home improvements we would like to make as we can afford them. In addition to the interior work, we also have improvements we would love for the exterior of our home as well. The biggest item would be the stone facade. We want to cover the lower three feet of our house with a stone veneer to give it a more "earthy" and cabin feel. Several houses in our neighborhood have done this and it looks great. Also, we want to freshen it up with a new paint color - currently, it is a peachy beige which is not very attractive.

Some smaller items would be a nifty address plaque, door knocker, and kick plate for the front door in satin nickel to match the other fixtures we have already updated. I found a website that has all these things, plus Mailboxes, personalized address planters, outdoor clocks, thermometers, and much more. I could definitely spend way too much money at a site like that!

Landscapers with a personal touch

We have been reading several books and taking notes in preparation for a small garden in our side yard. I wish we could hire a professional to do our Landscape Design, but we just can't afford it right now. Maybe in a few years we will tackle the tough parts in our backyard, and we will definitely need help because of the sloped terrain.

One great landscape designer I found online is SLDA. They believe your landscape is "extended living space for expanded living." SLDA has a three stepping-stone process to ensure you will love your landscaping for years to come. The first step is a 2-3 hour walk of your property and an interview. They want to get to know you and your family's habits and what you expect from your yard. They strive to design landscaping that fits your family, not just the property. The second step is the designing. They use CAD and computer sketches to view the ideas on the computer, before even picking up a shovel. You can review and make changes as needed before the contractors begin working. The third step is implementation. You will get daily updates on the progress by a company representative, or you can log-in to the "client work in progress" section of their website to see progress notes and pictures of your yard for yourself.

From the very start, to the smallest details, to the completion - your landscape designer should have your complete satisfaction as their goal. SLDA meets this requirement and will even follow up with you for a long time afterwards to ensure that you are still happy with your landscaping and how it is maturing.

Roller shades - not just for kids anymore

I remember as a kid, I had one of those white roller shades that you pull down to close and are kind of tricky to open. They work like the maps teachers have on the wall in school. Anyway, upon perusing the web for interesting and cost-effective window coverings, I have found that Roller Blinds have come a long way.

They are now offered in a wide variety of colors, fabrics, and patterns. Think suede, leather, and linen. No, these are not the 1980's variety at all! I was impressed with all the looks you can create with these new roller shades. You can even add trimming for extra style. Since they take up hardly any room and have the most minimal "stack back" area when open, they won't interfere with any other window treatments you have.

Even though you may consider them as only a room darkening option to go along with your drapes, these simple, low maintenance shades look just fine on their own. They create a bold, modern, clean look that would improve upon the mini blinds many of us have currently on our windows that need desperately to be replaced.

Home improvement projects all around

Since the weather has warmed up a bit, we have been tackling all those home improvement projects we planned on doing last fall but never got around to before the cold hit. We had already purchased the materials and they were just taking up space in the garage. So we've been doing little things here and there as we have time, nothing major yet. Mainly it's stuff that has to be done before the damage is so bad that a professional must be called.

For example, we had a dented air duct coming from the unit outside. So the rain water would pool on the metal and it was slowly rusting away. So rather than wait until it rusted through and we would lose heat, my husband constructed a little roof to go over the ducts to channel the water away and thus prevent any future rust.

Another problem we had was with the local squirrel population trying to eat our house. I know it sounds funny, but I'm not kidding. They use siding material to build their nests, so they will chew pieces off the side of the house and use it for bedding. We had about three of these munched up areas around the house, so we patched it with an outdoor patching vinyl.

Next up? Probably refinishing the kitchen cabinets, since that is inexpensive and labor intensive. So we will get the satisfaction of doing a lot of work on the house, but don't have to spend a lot of money.

Time for some home updates

Now that spring is here, it is time to start doing some much needed work on our house. Ever since the first time we looked at the house when it was still for sale, we knew it needed new floor coverings. The carpet is fifteen years old (and it shows) and the vinyl floor in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room is stained, scratched, and even torn in places. It's kind of embarrassing that we haven't updated the floors yet, but it is quite an undertaking financially.

We definitely want to install hardwood flooring in the kitchen, dining room, and living room on the main level. In the master bedroom, the lower level bedrooms and family room we will get new carpet. For the two bathrooms and laundry room, we are still debating the options. Tile is nice, but depending on what type of stone you pick, it stays very cold (which feels nice in the summer, but is torture in the winter!)

Other options include ceramic tiles, travertine tiles, glass tiles, or marble tiles. For information on all the different options, I look at websites like Floorzbuzz. One thing I really like is they have all the prices listed for every item they carry, so you can easily make cost comparisons. They have images of each tile and you can order a free sample to see what it looks like in your home. Floorzbuzz offers many different options for kitchen tile, bathroom tile, and even simple accent tiles.

Their specialty is Accents Glass Tiles, a manufacturer of glass design applications since 1982. Glass tiles add depth of field and luminosity, making any area seem brighter and more spacious. They appear to "glow from within". Now that sounds like something I could use in my bathroom! You can vary the sizes of the tiles and make a pattern of shapes for visual effect like this:

Lighting improvements

An interesting thing happened when we decided to upgrade our outdoor lighting fixtures. We purchased the ones we liked and were excited to see the change it would make in the "curb appeal" of our home. Then we got a big surprise when we removed one of the lights on the front of the garage, to the side of the door. It doesn't have any electrical wiring in the wall there! The light fixture that was there before was just for decoration, complete with a light bulb and everything. We could not believe it.

So now, if we want a light there, we will have to wire it and put an electrical box, a new switch, and who knows what else. Fun.

In the meantime, we are planning to update the kitchen lights. Hopefully we won't find any surprises there, but you never know... I did find a great website with all kinds of indoor and outdoor lights. Their selection is much larger than what you typically find in home improvement stores, and the prices are comparable. Since we live about an hour away from any home improvement stores, any amount we would pay for shipping would still probably be less than the cost of the gas to drive that far.

Home Diary

Going along with my previous post about remodeling historic houses, I came across a blog which details the steps that one couple is taking to remodel their 1916 Craftsman Bungalow. This blog is very interesting to me since we are planning to do some work to our house as well. While our house is not old, we have some big plans for making it more interesting by adding architectural details.

His blog also has bar graphs along the left side tracking their progress with the house on a "per room" basis. This is a really neat way to see the work you've done. In a show of dedication to the Craftsman style, the blogger actually developed a Craftsman Font based on the lettering used by the early 20th century Craftsman furniture designer Gustav Stickley. He has a link from the blog where you can purchase the font set for your own use.

Here are a couple of photos showing the front of his house: