value to you or value when you put your house on the market? it depends on the project. yes, a well maintained driveway and tidy yard will *help* sell a property. elaborate/hard to maintain landscaping won't. many people actually will think 'wow that will take forever/cost a fortune to keep looking like that.' i think more people want easy care as their first priority, and wont pay any extra for an overdone yard. so these days, i'd go all minimalist for resale value. small grass area with automatic sprinklers in areas where expected rainfall will support it, more stone mulch and low water plants in areas that are dry. ticks are a problem and mosquitos as well, so a wildflower border needs to have a defined edge with grass/stone before sitting areas. the nice night lighting no one will ever see when you are selling your house unless its the sort that has its photos taken at night with all the lights on. we've just overhauled our pool area at our vacation home; our theory there is that we want the house to be at all times 100% ready to put up for sale when the day comes that its not fun to own any more. so that $25K won't improve the value of the home, it will keep the home saleable. and we'll get to enjoy it til then.

Thanks Susan. I would love to get feedback here from the Houzz community on butterfly roof construction. I know that flashing the valley will be critical to say the least. Whoever does the roof has to have 1. Skill 3. Architectural specs to follow 2. Guaranteed work. How do they hold up in a climate such as yours which is sub-tropical? It's a big project so you will need to be confident in the outcome. [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/can-you-please-tell-me-how-the-water-drains-from-the-valley-of-this-butterfly-roof-dsvw-vd~423763?n=2[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/can-you-please-tell-me-how-the-water-drains-from-the-valley-of-this-butterfly-roof-dsvw-vd~423763?n=2) And here is a box gutter diagram to check out. I would research the heck out of construction techniques so as to be as informed as possible so that you are able to have a better dialog with the roofer when the time comes http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/box-gutter.html

Hello, I am hoping to get some ideas for reconfiguring the lay out for my 1950’s home I’ve purchased if anyone can help please? I am single, live alone and it will be my ‘forever’ home and has great views of the Tauranga harbour which I want to make the most of, of course :) Any ideas for one or all requirements are gratefully accepted thanks! They are as follows: 1. A new ensuite and walk in robe off the side of the front bedroom beside the lounge as I want that to be my bedroom with a view. There is sufficient room to build along the outside of that side of the house toward the boundary; the ensuite to face the view please. Perhaps change the entrance door to that bedroom off the hall way somehow? 2. Reconfigure a new kitchen; the existing one is quite skinny and there is really only room for one person between the bench and the return bench. No room to build out from that side of the house, but the deck is huge. I have considered building out over the deck but assume it would involve a lot of $ as would require engineers reports etc. The deck is a solid (old) concrete roof over what is now a block basement which used to be the old garage. 3. To somehow join the existing garage up to the house so I have internal entry from that. In the ‘joining’ space somewhere is where I envisage the front entry way with some storage cupboards etc as the house has almost no storage. The existing garage is an old tin one and needs to be replaced. It is also raised higher than the house level and there is as retaining wall between the garage and the house. Ideally I’d like to dig it all out and make it one level but that will be dictated by finances. However, I've been unable to work out how to join them if they are different levels - aesthetically wise. There would have to be steps down (which I don't really want if I’m getting old here…) so how would the roof line look right? 4. Reconfigure/Remove the existing toilet and/or bathroom as presently the main door into the house comes inbetween these and I don't want the entrance right beside the toilet - eek! The existing bathroom is also the laundry. My thoughts were to move them in to either bedroom 2 or 3, and extend to get another bedroom somehow, or, put them at the back of the new addition joining the garage to the house somehow? 5. The lounge and dining room have alcoves built in that serve no real purpose; both the dining and lounge could be larger if possible. I want to put my couch along the wall which backs on to the dining room so I can look at the view while watching TV etc. I’m not overly keen on open plan so thought I could build a wall there and move the entrance to the dining closer to the hall end of the lounge? 6. To retain 3 bedrooms, one to be used as an office. I am very grateful for any ideas anyone could put forward - many thanks in advance :) Unfortunately the website will not allow me to upload photos so I will have to contact them to see what is going on - sorry!

Add colour . Please add colour haha . Just a thought though , instead of paint ( its a bit hard for me to visualise everything from your description -- I am a visual person ) how about maybe those translucent blue looking tiles ( yes , I know , extra cost ) , you may even 'frame' them in the white tiles to tie in with the shower , or possibly do the blue instead of the white , or even do the shower in them , and have the rest your 'white' walls . And when I say about those tiles , you can get them in square or subway or even long skinny ones , or even long and skinny but with long skinny darker blue and brushed ali ones too -- in other words , have fun and add interest !