Virtual Home Improvement

With the Home Improvement Expo planned for this weekend at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, I thought it would be fitting to tie into the theme of things. I went out searching on the web for some websites devoted to home building and improvement.

First off, I though I would start locally. We have one contractor (that I know of) in the Northern Hills area that has a web site. Gerving Home Inspections is online at http://deadwood.net/gerving. Lynn Gerving has been well known in the area for doing excellent contract work for 30 years and recently he received his Inspection Certificate. Buyers, sellers, and builders can all benefit from Lynn's services.

For those just needing advice on how to accomplish home improvement tasks, there are a few websites that are a great help. Http://www.build.com is a great starting place to find just about any home improvement project from kitchens and bathrooms to wallpapering and painting. Most of you are probably familiar with the popular television programs "This Old House" and "Your New House". They are so fun to watch and now you can visit them online. "This Old House" is on the Internet at http://www.thisoldhouse.com. They actually have project houses archived so you can go back and read (at your own pace) the instructions to some of those "facelifts" they've performed. They also have a lot of helpful information for using the right tools, techniques, and even financial advice!

"Your New House" can be found at http://home.yournewhouse.com. Here you can find transcripts from previous television episodes as well as design plans for various projects including gazebos, playhouses, and picnic tables. They also have floor plans available for you "dream house". The floor plans are in a searchable database that categorizes homes based on square footage. Once you determine the size of home you are interested in, you can search by number of floors, bedrooms, baths, etc. If you find something you like, you can order blue prints from the developer.

Want more floor plans? Home Design Plus has the best website I have found for searching for plans. They can be found at http://designsplus.com. You can search for floor plans based on home design (traditional, country, cedar, etc.), designer (if you have one in mind), number of floors, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, etc. If you keep track of the design number you like, you can just enter it the next time you visit the site. Blue prints, study prints (to receive an estimate from your contractor), materials lists, and much more can be purchased online once you find what you are looking for. This site also has product lists, contractor lists, and classified ads!

So, whether you are planning your dream home, doing some home improvements, or just looking for the fun of it, these sites will surely keep you busy for awhile!