(Savannah, GA)- Fix broken cabinets. Resurface or replace worn out floors. Add color to stark, white walls. Some easy fixes can renew interest in a home you've lived in for years.
"What we've seen is people, instead of moving, they're spending a little bit more money on the upkeep of their property," said Mike Vidan, owner of All American Pressure Cleaning.
Whether it's pressure cleaning the exterior of a home to make it bright or gutting a kitchen to install everything new, there are homeowners who would rather make their existing home more livable than put it up for sale in a slumping housing market.
"10 to 15 years old," said Robin Odom referring to the average age of the kitchen cabinets his company is hired to fix or resurface. "For resale value, the kitchen is the heart of the home," continued Odom, owner of Cabinet Refacing U.S.A.
Older homes can benefit from getting more than a face-lift. Kitchens updated with products featured at the Savannah Kitchen and Bath exhibit during the 2009 Low Country Living Home and Garden Show could give any chef or foodie renewed interest in their own kitchen.
The Savannah-based company took top honors for having the show's "Best Home Improvement Display." A Fisher & Paykel, 36-inch glass and gas combination cooktop probably helped their cause. "It's one-of-a-kind, offering the functionality of glass and the performance of gas," said Andy Ellithorpe of Fisher & Paykel. Cooking food on the cooktop is simple. Press a button, allow the burners on the smooth surface to rise about an inch, place the pot or pan on the burner, and ignite a flame. Generally, people who know about cooking, enjoy using gas over electric stoves.
More than sixty percent of visitors to TheCoastalSource.com who participated in a web poll indicated they dine out less these days. The more time people spend at home, the more critical they may become of areas they think need improving.
In bathrooms with pre-fabricated, fiberglass showers, the floors may become scuffed and stained over time. These shower types are installed before the sheet rock goes in. While pre-fabricated showers are not so costly to replace, tearing the shell from the wall is a messy and arduous process.
"Convert that nasty old shower to a teak floor shower," said Doug Austin, owner of TeakWorks4U. Austin's company sends a representative to the customer's home and measures the shower stall floor. Back at the company's Savannah factory on West Bay Street, a teak floor is custom-made to fit the stall. "Without any tools, any mess, or any fuss," described Austin of the installation process of the custom-made shower liner.
If the components of a house do not need changing, maybe the furniture or the accessories do. Residents of Coastal Georgia and the Low Country have the nation's best furniture store within easy driving distance. This month, the Accessories Resource Team (A.R.T.), a trade association representing the decorative accessory industry gave the honors to Savannah's 24e. "It's the academy awards of our industry and we were fortunate enough to not only be nominated, but we actually won number one furniture retailer in the nation," said Ruel Joyner, owner of 24e.
Watch the current episode of "Designing with Jessica" to see the products listed above.
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