The Perfect House 2013

[Beatrix Gerke]

Infact, if you add a patio or deck to your home, you can expect to get back more than 100% of your investment (102% and 106%, respectively) according to the "Remodeling Impact Report" from the National Association of REALTORS.

Related: Decks Have One of the Highest Returns on Investment

You choose: Weekends spent scraping, caulking, and repainting siding; or weekends spent relaxing and enjoying yourself.

We thought so.

Your ally in your dreams of pleasurable days off is a low-maintenance exterior that maintains its good looks even in harsh climates. Two of the best options are low-cost vinyl siding and durable fiber-cement.

Replacing old siding with new vinyl siding yields an 75% return on your investment, while fiber-cement siding has a 83% return, according to the "Remodeling Impact Report" from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.

Pricier fiber-cement siding returns slightly less -- 79% -- but scores big when it comes to satisfaction. Homeowners polled for the "Report" gave their fiber-cement siding project a perfect Joy Score of 10 -- a rating based on those who said they were happy or satisfied with their remodeling, with 10 being the highest rating and 1 the lowest.

Related: Home Projects with the Highest Return on Investment

One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was The Perfect House. This is an elegant, charming memoir/travel diary by architect Withold Rybczynski chronicling his week spent living in the Villa Saraceno, built in the 1540s, and still standing tall, as well as his visits to ten Palladian villas in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy.

Which in my terms, for use as a rental, would mean a house with warm, considerate owners with sensibilities like yours, to greet you on arrival, and who in their manner are discreet, never overbearing and available for questions small and large.

The house must be historic, converted with sensitivity and sophistication into a restoration that balances the integrity of traditional elements, such as oak-beamed ceilings and vaulted terracotta ceilings, with modern comforts, including outstanding bathrooms and a private pool.

The garden must be a highlight, with flowering plants, fruit trees and/or vegetable and herb gardens. The pool must be set on its own terrace, with pergola or umbrellas for relaxing or dining. And everything must be so charming and enjoyable that you may find it hard to go sightseeing.

At the time, Pinterest was just taking foot in the online world. With every new Pin, my expectations for our home rose higher and higher while making me forget about little things like timelines or budget or spousal approval. (Whoops.)

This is the same thing I want for you, friend. Even if we never work together, I hope that you are able to let go of the myth of a perfect home and begin to create a meaningful space that truly helps you live more fully.

Everything you said here is so true, and it reminds me of how I felt when I moved into my house. I started enjoying it so much more when I learned these lessons! What you wrote about gratitude and comparison is especially true for me. Really, this is good advice for life in general:)

Me and my husband are ready to buy our first home! We are so excited! I thought the advice about not turning the legitimate needs into never-ending wants. I always want a perfect home with perfect decorations. My goal now is to be happy with whatever I get. But in the mean time, I do want to find the perfect home in the location I desire.

My small hands worked diligently with the Little Tikes Waffle Block set on the floor. I was building a house spacious enough for my large family, with a room for each of my ten siblings and one for my mother, a petite Hispanic woman from Honduras. I wanted my favorite colors, pink and purple, to outline the exterior of the house.

The next day we packed up all my belongings, including a bright orange slide for myself and my siblings to play with, and hopped in the car. I was ecstatic. I really liked my foster parents, but I missed my mom and my older sisters. In my mind we could play with our Barbie Dolls together. Maybe they would teach me how to braid my hair the way they did.

I know now my birth mother desperately wanted to save us from the difficulties we faced. She utilized every resource she had to try and fix our broken family. But the problems in our home were too systemic, too evolved, for one person to repair.

She was a woman facing multiple setbacks. Today she would be described as an individual at the epicenter of disadvantage in society because she had multiple sources of oppression. She was oppressed because of her sex, race, and social class as well as her mental disability. My mother was also a victim of domestic violence, married to multiple predators in her lifetime.

The difficult truth is that the outcomes for children in foster care are often poor . Many age out of the system with PTSD, an increased risk of drug addiction and dependence as my sister experienced. The statistics indicate more unpleasant realities about their inability to later form healthy adult relationships. It shows that they may partake in high risk behaviors such as illicit sex, criminal activity, and experience chronic health problems. Even suffer from psychiatric disorders.

Today my adoptive parents are an integral part of my life. They walked with me through numerous dark valleys as I sought healing from the past. I know now that I will forever grieve that pink and purple house. I lost my whole family.

She was rescued from abortion in 1990 and went on to spend nearly eight years in the Louisiana Foster Care System prior to her adoption at age 9. Read more about her story at SarahZagorski.com. Click here for her full biography.

Thank-you,

How thoughtful of Courtney. While my home might not be perfect it s our home filled with many memories both good ones and sad. It is almost empty now so we are in the midst of recreating the space we have.All the best to you Melissa on your new book, I really hope that it does well.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been reading your wonderful book and I saw this quote this morning. I read it to my husband and told him I would love to display it in our home. I tried to find it on line but I had no luck. Here you give it to us! Thank you again! God bless you!

Feeling the urge to have the meal perfectly hot and cooked at exactly the right time will make you less likely to host. For example, I never know when Baby J is going to have a blowout and totally put my meal plans on hold.

My mom was really good about including her guests in preparation and table-setting. I think it sets people more at ease to be included. When my hostess asks me to set plates on the table or grab the meat out of the oven for her, I feel like a part of the family.

What a great idea! Blog on sweet lady. We sure enjoy reading what you share and getting a glimpse into your life. I read the recent article on hospitality to little Anna and we both felt encouraged. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

At Perfect Little House Company, we know that the size of your home matters. For many, the perfect home is a small one. With this in mind, award-winning architect Peter Brachvogel, AIA, and partner Stella Carosso founded Perfect Little House Company on the notion that building your perfect home is not only possible, but affordable too.

With our wide variety of plans, you can find a design to reflect your tastes and dreams. If needed, we can help you express your personal style and individual needs by customizing a plan. No matter where you are in life, we have a home design for you.

Your dilemma with the high ceiling is one that we often face when there is a second floor overlook or balcony into a living room or great room. I can see that you have an appreciation for this problem already.

I hope this information is helpful to you. You might want to get yourself a copy of my best-seller, Designing Your Perfect House. It is chockfull of valuable tips and advice that will save you many times the cost of the book on your house building or remodeling project. You might also like The Well-Centered Home: Simple Steps to Increase Mindfulness, Self-Awareness, and Happiness Where You Live. It will show you how to make your home a happy place.

Disclaimer: This website is intended to express the views and opinions of the author and is neither written as, nor should be interpreted to be, professional advice regarding code compliance, safety issues, engineering, or financial issues. Readers are advised to retain locally licensed consultants, and to always consult local authorities, codes, covenants, and regulations before starting any construction project.

After living most of my adult life in cookie-cutter cluttered apartments, or shoebox-sized messy flats with no direct sunlight, I moved into my dream apartment two years ago. Finally, I thought, my life will be perfect.

Thankfully, this plan is not possible. It is what drives me, and the firm, to keep creating. We keep adjusting and refining and developing new ideas. We regularly work with homeowners, developers, builders, planners, and anyone that wants our help in all regions and markets of the country and abroad, but there is still no perfect plan for all.

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