Brian Ripp ~ Your Bay Area & Fremont Real Estate & Financial Agent

You don’t have to tear up your bathroom to make decorating changes.  Redecorating your bathroom can be a simple weekend project that will leave you with some extra money and a new sense of style. 

• Replace mirrors:  It’s amazing how different a bathroom can look with a new mirror.  If your medicine cabinet is out-dated, consider replacing it with something simple, like a wood framed mirror or a beveled mirror.
• Still have those pea-green walls?  Painting the walls another color can drastically change the mood of your bathroom.  Try watery blues or greens to give it a spa look.  If you hesitate to use too much color, stick with neutral colors with names like: oyster, almond, or biscuit. 
• Change your faucet.  A new shape or finish can make a drastic improvement you’ll enjoy every day.  You may want to get new hardware for your other fixtures as well.  Today, mixing metal is perfectly acceptable as a design statement. 
• You might benefit from a new countertop if your vanity is still in good condition. Granite or marble will give it a great new look.

Home improvement spending is projected to reach a cyclical bottom in the first quarter of this year and steadily increase throughout the year, according to the latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Home improvement spending is projected to ease from the current rate of 12.0 percent to 3.1 percent in the third quarter.

Kermit Baker, director at the Joint Center for Housing Studies says several remodeling industry fundamentals are beginning to turn positive. “Sales of existing homes are on the rise and home price declines are moderating in most markets across the country,” Baker says. “Financing costs are also favorable, although credit availability remains tight for many households.”

from: CRS Member Connect e-mail update