Thursday, May 9th • 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Enjoy a fun-filled evening of wine tasting, decadent chocolates and shopping during Danville’s Spring Wine & Chocolate Stroll. Select businesses will stay open late to host some of our area’s finest wines, which will accompanied by gourmet chocolate samples, compliments of Danville Chocolates.

Stroll throughout downtown Danville and enjoy the sounds of Deborah Kuhl, Antonia Venezia and The Lost Cats throughout the evening. Be sure to stop in at your favorite stores to see their latest spring offerings.

Tickets are $25 each and can be redeemed for wine glasses at the corner of Hartz & Prospect Avenues from 5:30-7:00pm the night of the event.

Tickets are available at Cottage Jewel, 100 Prospect Avenue in downtown Danville or online. Tickets purchased online will be mailed upon payment completion.

Any remaining wine glasses will be available for sale from 5:30-7:30pm.

Please note: all alcohol must be consumed inside designated stores or approved patio areas.

Participating wineries include:
Auburn James • Chouinard Vineyard • Concannon Vineyard • Crooked Vine Winery
Cuda Ridge Wine • sEagle Ridge Vineyard • Elliston Vineyards • Fenestra Winery
Glennhawk Vineyards • McGrail Vineyards • Mitchell Katz Winery • Murrieta’s Well
Rodrigue Molyneaux • Schubros • Stony Ridge Winery • Wente Vineyards • White Crane Winer
Wood Family Vineyards

Sponsors:

Article & Photos: Courtesy of Discover Danville Association

Want to know more about this product? Click here to request more information about CoolDrawer from Fisher & Paykel Appliances .

Article & Photos: Courtesy of Residential Design + Build

Apply Polyurethane

For a clear gloss look, apply polyurethane with a paintbrush. Let dry completely.

Assemble the Headboard

Line up the five pieces of 2x6s facedown. Lay the 2x4s perpendicular to the 2x6s – place one in the middle and the other two about 2 feet away from the center on each side. The 2x4s should hang down below the headboard, these will be used to attach the headboard to the frame. Use 2-1/2” deck screws to attach the 2x4s to the 2x6s.

Attach Brackets to Bed Frame

Using 1-1/4″ screws, attach the corner brackets to the inner ends of the header and footer of the bed frame. Use a scrap piece of 2×6 to make sure the bracket is even and will line up correctly when the side pieces are fastened on.

Attach Headboard to Bed Frame

Bring all the pieces into the room. Mark and drill holes for mounting the headboard to the head piece of the bed frame. Attach the headboard to the frame using carriage bolts, hex nuts and lock washers.

Assemble Bed Frame

Attach side pieces of the bed frame to header and footer boards. Use 1-1/4” deck screws to screw through the corner brackets.

Article & Photos: Courtesy of DYI Network

Article & Photos: Courtesy of DYI Network

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Article & Photos: Courtesy of Residential Design + Build

October 25, 2012 RSS Feed Print

Will this renovation pay off? That’s the question on the mind of every homeowner who’s thinking about undertaking a project to bolster their home’s resale value. And in today’s tight housing market, the answer to that question may even determine whether the house will sell.

Fortunately for homeowners, a number of remodeling projects offer the potential for a high return on investment (ROI). According to Remodeling magazine’s annual cost vs. value report, some of the best renovations are those done on the exterior of the home—siding, window, and door replacements—because they immediately improve a home’s curb appeal. In other words, if the paint on your front door is peeling or the sidewalk is badly cracked, you’re not making a good first impression—and that can make prospective buyers question how much you’ve put into maintaining the home’s interior. Even simple fixes, like pulling weeds and trimming unkempt shrubbery, can make a home more inviting.

Beyond curb appeal, certain projects will provide higher returns than others. U.S. News asked real estate agents and home contractors for their recommendations:

Attic bedrooms. According to Remodeling, you’ll recoup 73 percent of your investment when turning the attic into a bedroom. However, this also ranks as one of the most expensive projects, averaging $50,148 nationally. But if you have the money, an attic bedroom is a desirable feature among homebuyers. “Any time you add additional square footage like that can have a very positive effect on the selling price,” says Paul Wyman, a real estate agent with Wyman Group in Kokomo, Ind.

Kitchens. Although a kitchen remodel returns only 66 percent, on average, Chris Dossman, a real estate agent with Century 21 Scheetz in Indianapolis, says kitchens are one of the first things homebuyers look at. “If you have a house that doesn’t have an updated kitchen but you have a remodeled attic, that’s not what people are looking for,” she says.

The cost of a major kitchen remodel varies widely depending on the region. Nonetheless, it’s important not to go overboard, as you don’t want to price your home out of the local market. For example, if you’re in a neighborhood where the average home value is $200,000 and you put in a $50,000 kitchen, you’re out-pricing your house.

A major kitchen redesign may not be a good decision if the space only requires a facelift. “You don’t have to completely gut your kitchen if it’s in good working shape,” says Adam Taffel, a real estate broker with Centre Realty Group in Newton, Mass. In many cases, less-drastic updates like refinishing surfaces, upgrading appliances, and installing new light fixtures will cut it.

But making the mistake of opting for a facelift when the space does, in fact, need a full-scale remodel will cost you. “You need to ask yourself questions like, ‘Are the cabinets structurally sound enough that if I spend a significant amount of money refacing them, are they going to just fall apart anyway?’” says Darius Baker, a contractor with D&J Kitchen & Baths, Inc. in Sacramento, Calif.

Baths. Investing in a bathroom remodel yields a 62 percent return, on average, but you’ve got to do it right. Many homebuyers are looking for a master bathroom with two sinks, custom showers, and great lighting. You’ll turn off buyers if you only put in the minimal amount of work. “A lot of folks, when they buy a home, don’t want to have put a lot of work into it,” says agent Wyman. “An outdated bathroom requires a lot of work.” Since bathrooms are especially prone to looking dated, pick neutral colors and finishings.

Also consider bumping out the size of a bathroom. Many buyers looking for a three-bedroom home want two full baths rather than one full and one half bath, says bath contractor Baker.

And sometimes less is more. “Giving it new paint, a new toilet, a new shower faucet, and a new [shower]head is probably the best bang for your buck. But that’s assuming the flooring is nice and the walls around the tub and shower are in good standing condition,” says contractor Dennis Gehman of Gehman Design Remodeling in Harleysville, Penn.

As you aim for the best ROI, don’t squander money with these renovations:

Home offices. A number of people work from home, but most don’t need a full-blown office. If you do convert a spare room to an office, opt for removable furniture rather than built-in cabinets. Built-in furniture gives the buyer fewer options with what they can do with the room, says Gehman. A home-office remodel recoups only 43 percent, on average.

Sunroom additions. You may recoup a fair amount if you live in a region where the sunroom can be used all four seasons, but in most cases, adding a sunroom will get you nowhere near a dollar-for-dollar return. Sunroom additions were among the lowest on Remodeling‘s list in terms of recouping costs—a paltry 46 percent. “We always try to get [buyers] their top three ‘must haves’ and a sunroom is rarely one of them,” says agent Dossman.

“I see almost no sunrooms going in right now,” says Daniel Steinkoler, president of Superior Home Services, Inc. in Washington, D.C. “More people these days are working within their existing footprint to improve their home.”

Remember: What’s popular now changes about every five years—contractors call this “stylistic depreciation”—so consider how much longer you plan to stay in the home before you do any major renovations.

Twitter: @danielbortz

Article & Photo: Courtesy of U.S.News Money

I had many fears at the beginning including: my limited resources since I am retired, disturbance of my neighbors on our shared gravel road, and the unknowns with demolishing an old house.

Very quickly these fears went away and the process became exciting and fun. I developed a strong trust in Gayler Construction. Everyone at Gayler was responsible for this, but their project manager, Paul Panepinto, stands out. He was a true pleasure to work with”.

The Town of Danville, The Danville Library and Sustainable Danville Area present the 3rd Annual Earth Day Event on Saturday, April 20th 12pm – 4pm on the Town Green in front of the Danville Library.  Fun for everyone in the family has been scheduled for the Village Theatre Arts Gallery, the Community Center and The Danville Library.

The Town of Danville Earth Day event is a free, fun and informative affair for residents and visitors of all ages interested in green building, sustainable landscape design, solar power and home energy efficient products, waste reduction and recycling, water conservation, hybrid and electrical vehicles and much more!

Pack your picnic or purchase lunch and snacks al fresco from La Boulange Bakery while enjoying music from local band, Other People’s Money.  Play with our Giant Earth Ball, visit with hybrid/electric car and electric bicycle owners and participate in popular hands-on activities at interactive booths, including:

• Get ready to experience nature with Peanuts…Naturally! Fun, creative environmental crafts and activity stations presented by the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

• Plant a seed to start your summer vegetable garden with The Bounty Garden and Urban Farmers.
• Explore the Wonderful World of Worms and Composting for Busy People.
• Make an Earth Day pledge to reduce, re-use or recycle. See how Every Choice Counts and helps the Earth Day Tree grow!  Everyone who adds a ‘leaf pledge’ will be entered into an hourly raffle to win a “Get Your Green On” reusable book bag.
• Afternoon speaker series will help you Green Your Home, Replace your Lawn with Drought Tolerant Plants and Enjoying Local, Organic Foods for a Healthy Planet.
• Be inspired at Story Time with special tales and eco-friendly ideas to celebrate the Earth all year.
• Measure your carbon footprint.
• Be dazzled by art from local students at the Earth Day Student Art Show in the Village Theatre Art Gallery.
• Discover if solar energy is right for your home?
• Try new veggies with Community Supported Agriculture – Full Belly Farms & Doorstep Farmers.

And the fun doesn’t stop there.  More Earth Day activities include a working model of how our water travels to Danville, meeting Mr. Funnelhead to learn how to recycle your oil, a scavenger hunt, giveaways, prizes and more!

Students from San Ramon Valley High School Environmental Club are hosting free bicycle parking for the event, so please consider two wheels or your feet as parking is limited for the event. Help us achieve the Town of Danville waste reduction and recycling goal by bringing a re-usable water bottle and using our recycling bins set up around the event for your convenience.