December 16th, 2009; Spice Up Your Kitchen!

House Whisperer Christine Mac Shane will show you some cheap and easy ways to spice up the kitchen area of your home.

Tips for Viewers!

• Christine mentioned the permit process and this is so important with the majority of remodels. We initially talked with Jerry Powers of the City of Chico Building Department (879-6700). He was very helpful and informative. We ended up pulling the permit from Alice at the Butte County Building Department (538-7601), because we found that the house was actually in the county. The permit only cost $124 and includes one inspection. We highly recommend checking with the appropriate building department before taking on even a minor remodel. This saves you headaches if you ever need to make a homeowners insurance claim and if you desire to sell your house in the future.

• Rob encouraged all of the program viewers to consult with a contractor before undertaking a project like our brick removal. With this project, there is bare drywall behind the brick that will require repair and texturing, the vinyl floor stops at the edge of the brick leaving an unfinished floor space to be repaired, and there is a plug that serviced the mantel that will need to be moved by an electrician. Had Christine not consulted us prior to the demolition, she could have been in for a budget surprise. Be sure to take Christine’s excellent advice and have a contractor look at your project before you start. We never charge a homeowner for this initial consultation.

• The big bank of cabinets and exhaust fan are going to the Habitat for Humanity Restore shop on Park Avenue. Think of this business as sort of a thrift store version of Home Depot. Their web site, ButteHabitat.org, is a good resource to understand the type of items they accept for resale. The rest of the items we removed from the kitchen will be recycled. Owen, at the Habitat shop is very helpful. He can be reached at 895-1271.