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ne Ontario home owner recently added a 300 squareâ€"foot, main floor ily room addition to his home. e cost? The return in terms of proved market value of the use? Just $7,000, according to a fessional residential real estate praiser. "Big ticket" renovation proâ€" ts don‘t always pay back dollar r dollar. In the case of the 0,000 addition, the value of the use is still determined by what e market will bear for a house ‘ its type, in its location. Real estate appraisers advise ntario‘s real estate appraisers assess the best renovation projects for return on the dollar at resale time * Heavy gauge steel « Rust resistant black epoxy finish _ ORNAMENTAL _ ORNAMENTAL UNIVERSAL _ ORNAMENTAL "T" HINGE THUMB LATCH _ GATE LATCH GATE PULL itchens and baths clean up in recent survey 1 Pair 8" (20 cm) NOMINAL SIZE x 4" x 8" x 10" x 6” that home improvement projects must be chosen carefully to mainâ€" tain competitiveness â€" not to 5.16 2. Bathroom’ renovatlo . 3. Interior painting and de or 4. Mainâ€"floor family room addmon 5. Finish {.basement 6. New heating syste 7. New windows and/or doors _ xA N . u7 We 6 C P 497 TOP TEN HOME RENOVATION PROJECTS 7.20 11.76 18.60 on 11.28 14 16 10.08 13.72 21.70 13.16 31.50 achieve luxury status which may result in minimal payback and could even price the house out of 11.52 15.68 24.80 T 0.0 8. Exterior pamtmg 9. GCentral air cond/tlonmg 10. Energy~efflcrent features 2. Bathroom renovation Knotty Cedar â€" Clear Cedar 1" x 8" 12" x 6" 082 Ain. ft. 068/\ Bevel Siding NOMINAL SIZE x 6 Knotty Pi 10.64 13.20 its own market Members of the Ontario Association â€" Appraisal Institute Ain. ft. Knotty Cedar â€" Clear Cedar 1"x4" 1" x 4" ofim.n lomfin 6.72 12 3. Mainâ€"floor family room addmon 4. Interior painting and decorv_ > 5. New heating system _ 6. New windows and/or doors . 7. Finished basement _ 8. Exterior painting _ 9. Addition of éparate hvmg umt REYNOLD MAIN LUMBER Ain. ft. of Canada were surveyed recently on their views of the home renoâ€" vation projects that offer top dolâ€" x 8‘ ancoven Flooring Tongue Groove Knotty Ping 1" x 4" Ain. The Appraisal Institute of Canada is the professional associâ€" ation for real estate appraisers. The Institute awards the CRA (Canadian Residential Appraiser) and AACI (Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute) designations to those members who have comâ€" pleted a rigorous program of eduâ€" cation and practical experience. "All that money, and no value to show for it," was the appraisâ€" er‘s comment. In Ottawa, one home owner did a topsyâ€"turvy renovation so that the kitchen, living and dining rooms were on the second floor while the bedrooms were on the ground floor. And in the Toronto area, one home owner actually damaged the house structurally with a renovation project which could not be finished. Unusual projects ranged from the bizarre to the downright danâ€" gerous, according to the appraisâ€" ers surveyed. The most unusual was the installation of an indoorâ€" outdoor pool connected by a small waterway complete with underwater viewing area! "Smart" projects tend to be aimed at upgrading and improvâ€" ing a home generally. A Kingston area appraiser described the renoâ€" vation of a narrow row house to expand living space and make for a brighter interior. The use of greenhouseâ€"type windows allowed for plenty of natural light, the appraiser said. other appraisers noted that masterâ€"bedâ€" room and bathroom suites tended to improve homes while adding value. The real estate appraisers were also asked which projects they had seen were the smartest in terms of value return, and which were the most unusual. "Payback can be severely curâ€" tailed if the quality just isn‘t there," a Toronto appraiser remarked. "Too many people try to do this themselves, and then they don‘t achieve any value later." Basement finishing was a renovation project that ranked in the top five of renovation projects with payback potential, but the appraisers cautioned people to do the job right, or skip it altogether. "Frankly not enough people ask about the mechanical sysâ€" tems," said one appraiser, "but buyers do look at heating costs. Today, vendors with either oil or electric heating are being penalâ€" ized at the time of sale." A new, preferably midâ€"effiâ€" ciency, gas furnace tells a prospective buyers that costs will be lower and that she or he won‘t have any problems with that aspect of the house for probably five years, the appraisal profesâ€" sionals said. Heating systems are another feature that the appraisers said is an important factor when a house is on the market. "Kitchen renovation can be expensive, but this room is scrutiâ€" nized closely by prospective buyâ€" ers. It‘s important to keep the renâ€" ovation costs in line with the price range of the house," a Toronto real estate developer explained. In rural areas, the kitchen is important for a different reason. It is common to enter the house through the kitchen, noted a Tillsonburg professional. The real estate appraisers said that kitchen renovations are a "must" in houses more than 20 years old and bathroom renovaâ€" tions in homes over 40 years in age, if home owners want their house to be competitive with othâ€" ers when they put it up for sale. Kitchen renovations took first place among appraisers in Ontario overall, with bathroom renovation and interior painting and decoratâ€" ing following closely in imporâ€" tance. "A kitchen renovation to improve appearance and function improves the competitive edge of a house relative to new construcâ€" tion," commented a Thunder Bay appraiser. "You want this room to look spacious, and good." lar value return on sale. M. Ken ROADHANDLER® Sears Guaranteed Home Improvements. Talkmmuymh\; Oakville Place 8429277