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A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE Making your projeet pay off If youtre like many homeowners, you've probably got a long liet of things you'd like to do to improve your home. Maybe it's a big projeci: such as remodelling the kitehen, landscaping or even installing a pool. Perhaps its a simpler venture such as painting or laying new carpets. In any case, one thing we ail wonder le if renovating will be worth the outlay in time, money and added stress. Ini a nutshell, will there ha a reasonable return In the lnvestment, eoonomically and in terms of enjoyment of the hous? .Yourfist order of business should be to figure out exactly why you want to renovate. Je it to make your home botter looking, more flinctonal, or le it to*increase its value. If you've got pressing needs, such as; a new furnace or botter insulation, these should ha attended to before ail els». There's no point in adding snug new carpets if your house le cold and drafty In the wlner. If your home le in good ropair and free of major defect' thon you can decide whether you wvant to undertake cosmetic changes or go wlth more practical improvemnents. As for adding worth te youri property, many people makee the mistake of tikn i While pools, decks and patios m can he a source of onjoyment ni for you and your famly,, you c( may run the risk of not fully rocouping your outlay when you Bell. Often you may be botter off considering a more functional projeet. There are no guarantees when it coznes te realizmng a profit on your renovation investment. If your goal is slmply te increase the value of your home, the only mothod that works le te find out what le most desirable te the buying public. You- can also maximize your cha 'nces of making the right decision hy consulting a real estate professional. Realters can tell you whlch renovations ar popular and could lead te increased value. Cosmetic. renovations are expremely popular and usually the most affordable. Many horneowners are foregoing more expensive projects in, favour of thinge such as interior painting, updated decor and new floore and carpets. Exterior painting and siding, as well as new windows and doors are also high on the liet. Bocause potontial buyers,1 like home owners, are drawn 1 te attractive homes, znoney 1 epenýt beautifying your1 property can also serve te increase its value. Functional improvements such as Itchen and s bathroom. renovations are t also among the mosi: llkely te t, add value. P'inishedÈ basemonts are a good choice, cl especially for those with p~ children. Energy-efficjent e: ratures are much sought n, these days, and mosi: huyers will inquire about your In rionthly heating and air Rl Donditioning cos.« The primary reasor homeowners cite whe deciding te renovate are 1 make their homes mor attractive, to add value an as par: of regula maintenance. But survey have shown that cosmeti and functional renovation have the besi: chance c increasing value. It appear that a new kitchen o hardwood. floor offers mon, appeal'te the average homq buyer than a pool. This, o course, assumes your home ii alreaâdy woll-maintained. Landscaping falîs into E separate category. Because you cen opt for either modesi improvements or a total transformation, your decielon is more complicated. Modest landscaping, euch as a new gardon or walkway, will oertainly make your home more' sellahie, but more extensive work can ha very oxpensive and flot al huyers will have the same taste as you do. Pools and -docks are anyhody's guese. To the right; buyer, they are oxtremely persuasive items. But some buyere will consider a pool a [iability, limiting the potential market for your home. Recent statistics have shown a growing trend oadrenovation of al tpes among homeowners. Mfore and m'ore people are choosing te upgrade existing properties and this 'je xpected te continue in the tear future. This article je provided by àcl realgors and the Ontario ?éal Estate Association 2REA). A FLORAL design, randomnly applied topped with fantasy clouds.' scudding to the walls in this child's room, is across the sky overhead. Photo by Para Paints, KidSjUSt.love.- colou There's one thing that the psychologists agree about and that le that young children love, and -are stimulated by, hright primary colours - the warm rather than the cool. "One of the very best -and mnosi: practical ways te introduoe colour inte a child's life fr-om day one, le with paintet says Wendy Burton, directer of marketing for Para Paints. It cen hea applied on, the walls, oeiing, furniture, even the floors,, in a variety of finishes. And it ie as easy as a, b, c te repaint in another echeme as the child grows and hie or her tastes change.", When a child firet sees and The.Best Kept secretInTow Nearly everyday a customer cornes into our local Clean-it Centre and discovers the answer to what we're sure is the best kept secret in town. They qui ckly discover that they can buy the same commercial cleaning products that professional custodians use, but that's not the secret. They find that the reason the pro's use these high grade products is because they work better than household cleaners, but that's flot the secret. They're often astounded at the dramatic savings they can realize by buying their cleaning products from a wholesaler, but that's fot the secret. So what's the best kept secret in town? Simply tum t he ad over to discover...- bone of contention, althougËh Bomne theorles have It' that babies as young as four, monthe respond te and are etimulated by colour. Red and 'yellow are the colours eaid to, ho besi: seen bybabies. And red continues te, cause em otional response during pe-cho pyars. Later more -subtie and eophliticated. 'tenes are preferred; the red, foirls1, manifestingitsefjnto shades of pinso r purples. Boys "are eaxd te, prefer blue and thon red at thie stage. 1,Juet as with adults, the environment je having a strong infiuence on children's tastes as well, and the. popularity of teal (a strong, corne from the ide, perhape hocause it's a combin ation of the green land and blue sky and* water. Because children from about'age five on hav e vory dofinite ideas about colour and how thoy -react te it (alffioug some of these may ho ehort-lived fade), it's hast tel' et themhave some input inte ' seecting a' ec'heme for their bedroomei. If they want a colour ' that' le to outrageous, it cân stili ho lncorporated. as an accentý colour te keep them happy. Dont forget coilinge -- they, are a focal pointforhbahies in cribs and even aIder childron;' and they are happy ,if they CE'NITCNTRE4 500 Hopkins St., Whitby 666-1224 rç'~"~. C)qnd et# ol uedo ejaeja Jmsuv AUDIO I VIDEO Bands Serving BrandsDurham On Premnises Since 1973 *Written Guarantee * iow cry-nrates *Factory Trained ehian *VCR *Carprder,*Jjl>j.1 *Stereo *CDPloyer*Cassette*CordbssPhone, *Arnpfilrs *WQfl(flmn *Car Stereo VCR SPECIAL * re. cleanlng * Expires D«c 31196 Custone Electromotive 1150 Champlain Court Whltby 668-6429. 9