Here are some nice, quick videos for you if might need to tackle any of the following projects:

• Fix a leaky toilet
• Repair drywall holes
• Adjust cabinet doors
• Open a stuck window
• Stop a leaking faucet
• Silence door squeaks
• Turn off the main water line

These are all good things to know and as homeowners we always have projects we can work on.  Click here for all the videos.

The smartest features to build into your garage addition are plenty of simple storage solutions, a basic work surface, and room to move around.

Layout and design

Roof: Most garage roofs are held up by standard trusses. They’re economical–about $88 each in a length that spans a two-car garage–but their design blocks the storage space you’d otherwise have in the attic. For just $25 more per truss, a total upgrade of about $350, you can switch to storage trusses, which are open in the middle. Or, for an upgrade of about $1,000, you can get attic trusses, which allow for a boxed-in upstairs that’s easy to outfit with shelves or even use as a bonus room.

Doors: Some garage plans provide for only the main car door and, in attached garages, a door into the house. You’ll be happier if you put in a standard door to your yard as well, so you can retrieve a rake without opening the overhead door. A basic pre-hung steel door costs around $140; add $40 for one with a window.

Windows: Try to include windows, which make the exterior more appealing and bring in natural light. That’s something you’ll appreciate, especially if you’re planning to use part of the garage as a workshop. Generously sized vinyl windows with insulated glass start at around $120.

Floor space: If you have room, build the garage wide enough to allow 4 or 5 feet of space between the car and the walls, which gives you clearance to open the doors plus plenty of easily accessed storage. Adding 2 feet to the width significantly increases usable space but may not add dramatically to the cost.

Storage solutions

The main feature that turns a midrange garage into a upscale version is the addition of a modular storage system, with upper and lower cabinets and a work surface. According to the Cost vs. Value Report, while such systems add substantially to the bottom line, they don’t necessarily boost return.

If you want to keep costs more in line with value, you can achieve the practical advantages of the upscale garage at a lower cost by providing simple storage solutions, such as shelves that rest on brackets screwed to studs. Or, if you build your garage with walls 12 or 13 feet high, you can use a few two-by-fours and sheets of 3/4-inch plywood to build a platform about 6 feet high over part of your parking area to store sports gear, holiday decorations, and other bulky things.

Workspace

If you want a small home workshop on the back wall, a simple 2-foot-deep countertop (standard kitchen depth) makes a good workbench, especially if you add a vise. For storage, recycle used kitchen cabinets, found through online listings or stores that sell used building materials. Or you can simply use the under-counter space to roll in boxes or bins on casters. You can also mount heavy tools on rollout stands.

Power and lighting

You’ll need to run electricity to your new garage. If the garage is detached, that probably means adding a 100-amp breaker on the house’s main panel, a trench to carry conduit to the garage, and a new sub-panel there. You’ll need circuits for outlets, interior and exterior lights, and an automatic door opener. You might want motion or daylight sensors for outside lights and a three-way switch for overhead fixtures so you can turn them on and off at different doors.

For general lighting, use energy-efficient fluorescent tubes; fixtures with 4-foot bulbs and plastic covers cost about $55 each. You need at least one over each car bay. For bright light throughout a two-car garage, use nine fixtures spaced evenly in three rows.

Walls and floors

To meet fire code with an attached garage, you’ll need to install 5/8-inch-thick drywall on the wall shared with the house, and a fire-rated door. Installing drywall in the rest of the garage is optional. Finished walls and floors are part of what elevates a midrange project to an upscale one, but they don’t cost as much as some of the other upgrades, such as a modular storage system.

Figure about $1.20 per square foot to install drywall, including taping and finishing; double that if you also want the walls primed and painted. If you want a finished look on the concrete floor, options include an epoxy coating (about $150 per car bay if you do the job yourself) or garage floor tiles. Those made of a rubber-polypropylene mix, such as Diamondtrax (about $4 per square foot), ease strain on your legs and feet, while tiles with small perforations, like the ones made by Tylon (about $2.50 per square foot), allow mud and water to drain through.

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  Do-It-Yourself Home Security: Windows May Leave You Vulnerable

  Protecting your home from break-ins starts with a do-it-yourself home security check to indicate whether your windows are an open invitation to criminals. Read
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  Do-It-Yourself Home Security Check: Doors are First Line of Defense

  Protect against break-ins with a security check that shows where the entrances to your house—your doors—are vulnerable. Read
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  Home Security Check

  The first step toward protecting your home from break-ins is to conduct a home security check that will show where your property is most vulnerable. Read

Even today, we’re seeing some mortgage lenders in the Milwaukee and Green Bay area offer a 30 year fixed rate with no points at 4.125%!

With rates so incredibly low and housing prices 30% off their peak – there’s never been a better time to buy.  For the best mortgage rates in your area – check out bankrate.com.

One of our premier partners in the Milwaukee & Green Bay real estate market is Zillow.com.  Their researchers just completed a study that shows that homes that have a minimum of 15 photos receive 3 times as much exposure than those with 1 picture.

Even in the Wisconsin market – everyday we see listings, even million dollar homes with just one picture.  Unbelievable that their real estate company would do so little to help get their home sold.

Always remember – 90% of ALL BUYERS look at a house online before deciding whether or not they want to see the house in person.  If your house is marketed in every possible way online you’ll get more showings – that’s the bottomline for you!

Here are some more tips from our partners at Zillow.com that we have always been following for our clients to give them every advantage in the Milwaukee & Green Bay marketplace for selling their home:  Click Here – Milwaukee & Green Bay Tips

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  Preventing Ice Dams

  During the colder months, preventing ice dams should be a primary concern. Here’s how to protect your home from damage. Read

In today’s world, the internet is everything when selling a home.  In 2010, it’s amazing to see these agents that want a 6% commission to sell a home and they won’t take the time or make the investment to really showcase a home with the proper amount or quality of photos.

At Homegate – we pride ourselves on our photography and virtual tours. All of our listings are showcase listings on Realtor.com and premier listings on Zillow.com – What does this mean for a home seller? It means a home seller will have up to 25 premium photos on these and many other sites as well as an interactive virtual tour.  All of our photos are taken with professional photographic equipment including a premium wide-angle lens so we can capture the whole room in a single image with the crispness and quality every home should have.

Case in point – There’s quite the estate home in Milwaukee for sale right now.  At $5.5 Million – you’d think they’d have a few more pictures.  When I tried to take a look – all I could find is 4 pictures.  I wouldn’t be too happy if I was a home seller and agreed to sign over a commission check of $330,000 when consumers looking at homes will only see 4 pictures.

Here’s the listing:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/800-West-Bradley-Road_Village-Of-River-Hills_WI_53217_M82284-82224

We bring this up because we found a great article as to exactly how and why having good, professional photos can not only help get your home sold in a tough market – but also get you a better offer too.  Thanks to the Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Real Estate for the following article:

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/in-real-estate-a-picture-is-worth-1000-or-more.html

With lots of space at approximately 3,000 square feet – the Milwaukee area home in Wauwatosa has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths – great cathedral ceilings with skylights and auto blinds.  A great location.  If you’re a Milwaukee realtor – bring your buyers – they’ll want to see this one.  See more on this great Milwaukee area home in Wauwatosa at:  http://www.homegatedirect.com/address.php?property_ID=162

You may have seen this unique looking code on a Homegate Direct sign in front of one of our properties for sale recently. This code is a revolutionary new way to engage home buyers as they drive or walk by your property.

What is it? It’s called a QR code and we’re proud to be Wisconsin’s first real estate company to utilize this technology on every one of our listings.

What does it do? It provides instant information to prospective home buyers on the details of your property. With their mobile phone, they’ll be able to instantly obtain information on your property such as price, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, property description, and even pictures – all in an instant.

How does it work? Anyone with a mobile smartphone such as an iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc. can simply take a picture of the code or use a QR reader app and the prospective homebuyer will automatically be presented with full information about your property for sale.

Why do I need this? You need every advantage to engage consumers to show them why your property is better than that other one down the street. Providing instant information to consumers will help separate your property and can help get your property sold faster.

How much does it cost? Nothing! We include this for free for ALL of our listings.