Jul 19, 2018 | News
Nothing makes a huge statement like a fresh coat of paint. It can take the ‘drab’ to ‘fab’ in a short amount of time.
Paint can change the entire feel of a room. It can brighten, darken or liven wherever it is coated!
Getting ready to sell your home? Consider paint as one of the best ways to prepare it for sale.
Things To Consider:
Color: Likely the hardest decision to make, and the one with the biggest impact. Deciding on the perfect color can take time. Get samples, test the colors and get input from friends and family. Remember that whatever you choose will likely be on your walls for years to come.
Sheen: Flat, Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Matte and Eggshell to name a few. Chose the right sheen for your needs. Research and talk with a professional to ensure you pick the perfect type.
Purpose: If you are painting for resale and not for your own personal pleasure, always go with neutral colors that are pleasing to the eye. Nobody wants to see bright, vivid colors when touring a home for sale. Neutral colors will help prospective buyers imagine themselves in that space and what they can do with it.
Professional or Do-It-Yourself: Do you have the time and motivation to paint yourself? Is the space you are painting easy to reach? Take into consideration ALL the aspects of what painting an area entails. High ceilings and hard to reach spaces will make the job difficult. Hiring professionals is the best route to take under those circumstances.
Cost: Paint itself is fairly cheap considering how much it can transform a space. The cost will of course be higher if professionals are hired to do the job, but in most cases the cost is worth every penny!
Historical buildings come with their own set of needs & rules when it comes to painting. If a building was built before 1978 it will need to be tested for lead paint. This is one of the main things to prepare for before painting a Historic Home. Also remember to keep the authentic history of the building with period-appropriate colors.
Now let’s get that painting started with a FREE QUOTE today!
Jun 20, 2018 | News
Today we are delving into another fast-growing trend in the construction business – Composite Decking.
Composite decking comes in many styles and colors and is highly durable, and needing little maintenance.
Manufactured to look like real wood, composite decking is made of a combination of plastic and wood fibers. It appeals to many for its beautiful look and the fact that no preservative chemicals are used during the making process.
Composite Decking Pros:
- Durability: Composite decking has a lengthy lifespan and holds-up to most hazardous conditions. No rotting, eroding or termite damage should occur. It also doesn’t fade or show wear from the elements and can stand up to expansion and contraction in changing temperatures.
- Warranty: Most reputable companies provide a 10-25yr guarantee for any structural damage or rotting under normal conditions.
- Many Color & Style Options: There are a wide variety of colors available and many different textures & natural wood-grain looks. Go for that natural look with a Teak or Walnut finish or use a stained finish for a more modern approach.
- Maintenance: Taking care of your new decking is as simple as giving it a good sweep of leaves and debris whenever it’s needed and a more thorough clean every 6 months or so with a mild detergent and brush. Power washing is not recommended as it can cause damage to composite decks. Unlike wooden decking, staining/sealing & waterproofing are not needed.
- Environmentally Friendly: Some companies use recycled materials, making composite decking appeal to those looking for a more environmentally friendly option.
Composite Decking Cons:
- Cost: Composite decking is significantly higher priced than wood, around 50% higher in fact.
- Look: Make sure to chose a high-end product that doesn’t look cheap/fake. Keep in mind that composite decking will never look completely like real wood.
- Safety: One safety concern to think about is that composite decking can be slippery when wet. Take this into consideration when picking a brand and style.
Apr 25, 2018 | News
Exploring Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Another fast-growing trend that is taking over the flooring industry and intensifying in popularity, is replacing old floors with the new and updated Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) or Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT).
Luxury vinyl flooring has come a long way since the days of regular laminate or vinyl. It’s durability and beautiful look have helped create the ever-growing hype over this amazing product.
Many new homes are being built with luxury vinyl already installed, and with its growing popularity, most renovators are leaning towards using LVP/LVT as a cost-efficient and durable alternative to real hardwoods.
What is Luxury Vinyl?
Luxury vinyl is an affordable realistic-looking flooring that is highly durable and water-proof (or highly water resistant). It’s easy to install and creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, for less than the cost of hardwood.
As the name implies, LVP looks like planks of real hardwood, while LVT look like a natural stone, or tile.
Luxury vinyl is constructed in layers and is much thicker than the typical glue-down variety of past. It’s usually around 8mm thick, with the top layer being vinyl, the middle a high-density core board and the last layer an attached back underlayment (e.g Cork) to provide cushioning.
Laying vinyl is much like laying laminate, in that it is clickable, separate pieces that are very easy to install and remove if needed.
Pros:
- Waterproof or highly water-resistant – a definite plus for kitchen and bathroom areas prone to flooding
- Amazingly realistic to real wood or tile/stone – most people cannot even tell the difference
- Feels comfortable on bare-feet – much like walking on real wood floors
- Can be installed on top of virtually any surface – no need to rip up existing flooring and move pre-installed cabinets, as long as it even and smooth
- Cost – generally less expensive than hardwood or tile
- Relatively easy to repair if damaged – pop the damaged plank out and replace with a new one
- Easy to clean with most all-purpose cleaners – no need for speciality/expensive cleaning solutions
Cons:
- Home value doesn’t increase as with hardwood floors – but it’s certainly preferable over replacing with laminate or cheap vinyl
- It can scratch – it is definitely more scratch-resistant than real hardwood floors, but can still scratch with heavier objects such as appliances
- May require a lot of floor prep if your floors are uneven – the shape of the floors will telegraph through, so some prep work will be needed if this is the case
P&R Property Consulting Group can assist from start to finish with improving your properties flooring. It can be preferable to have professionals install luxury vinyl over doing it yourself to ensure the work is done correctly, and quickly! Creating a new and unique space with updated flooring can really change the entire look of a home, and luxury vinyl is definitely a great choice!
Mar 21, 2018 | News
Thinking about going ‘tankless’ and wondering what the benefits might be? Tankless water heaters (also known as “demand-type” or “on-demand” water heaters) are rising in popularity for energy-conscious home and business owners – and for good reason!
Not only are they smaller than regular water-heaters, their main benefit is an unlimited supply of hot water (who doesn’t want to take a nice long HOT shower?).
The Pros:
- Energy efficient
- Compact size
- Endless supply of hot water
- Longevity
- Less chances of flooding
- Rebate/tax credit on your purchase
- Increase your home value
Energy Efficient: Tankless water heaters use much less energy over the course of a year. On average, you may be able to cut your water heating energy costs by 10-15%. This can end up adding to a savings of $100 or more a year!
Compact Size: Tankless units are mounted to the wall and take up far less space than the over-sized systems we are used to.
Unlimited Hot Water: One of the main selling points of the tankless system is its endless supply of hot water. Never running out of hot water, especially with a large family or lots of house guests, can be a life-saver!
Longevity: Tankless water heaters have a longer life-span, usually lasting for 20+ years instead of 10 years of a standard water heater.
Flooding: Flooding from traditional water heaters can be a major cause of home and/or business destruction. Tankless water heaters don’t store a large amount of water, therefore flooding issues aren’t a problem. This is especially crucial for multi-family communities, where flooding can cause severe damage to multiple homes and belongings.
Tax Rebate: According to Turbo-Tax, you can possibly receive up to a $300 tax credit on your purchase of a tankless water heater.
Home Value: Tankless systems appeal to new home buyers for all of the above reasons, therefore your home’s value can increase if it contains a tankless water heater.
The Cons:
- Upfront cost
- Flow-rate limit
- Venting requirements
Upfront Cost: The average cost of a tankless water heater plus installation can be around $3000. This price can fluctuate depending on what model you choose, and whether your home/business needs retrofitting for the new unit.
Flow-Rate Limit: Sometimes even the largest system cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households. For example; taking a long, hot shower and running the dishwasher at the same time can stretch a tankless system to its limit.
Venting Requirements: Tankless units have high-powered burners which require a dedicated, sealed vent system that must be installed professionally.
To summarize; adding a tankless water heater to your home or business is, in general, a great choice. From energy savings to endless supplies of hot-water, you can’t really go wrong when going ‘tankless’! If you are interested in having P&R quote or install your new Tankless Water Heating system – head over to our REQUEST A QUOTE page today!
Feb 27, 2018 | News
One of the newest and most cost-efficient trends is converting every light in your home or business to LED lightbulbs.
5 years ago, Energy Efficient bulbs were all the rage. They were mostly inexpensive, and boasted a longevity of 7+ years.
These days, consumers have realized that these “energy efficient” bulbs don’t last as long as they stated, and haven’t really made an impact on their electrical savings.
This is where LED bulbs come in. Making this small but beneficial change can really make an impact financially.
LEDs are extremely energy efficient and consume up to 90% less power than incandescent bulbs.
They also last for a much greater duration.
The expected lifetime of different lightbulbs:
| Incandescent Bulbs |
Between 750 & 2,000 Hours |
| Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs |
Between 6,000 & 10,000 Hours |
| LED Bulbs |
Between 20,000 & 50,000 Hours |
Pros:
- Dramatic decrease in power costs. Over time you’ll really start to see a huge savings.
- Maintenance and replacement costs are significantly lower, due to their amazingly long lifespan.
- New color options; instead of only the glaring bright white of past LEDs.
Cons:
- Definitely the upfront cost. Spending a large amount at first can seem daunting.
- Color limitations. Although LEDs do now have more color options, they often emit a more blueish, brighter light.
Picking the right LED bulb:
LED bulbs are measured in Lumens, unlike incandescent bulbs which use Watts. The higher the lumen range, the brighter the light. So for a brighter light, look for the higher lumens. For instance; to replace a 125 watt incandescent bulb, choose a LED with 2600 lumens.
Also take into consideration the type of bulb you need. LEDs can come in a wide variety of unfamiliar shapes.
Recently, one of our multi-family community partners made the change over to all LED lightbulbs. Camden Properties LLC assessed the upfront costs as well as the projected savings over a 5-year span, and decided to make the move. Now their residents are already seeing huge savings on their electricity bills!
Whether you are in the Multi-Family industry, Hotel Management or just a homeowner looking to save money, LED bulbs are the way to go!
