There may not seem to be an end to the winter in sight, but eventually the snow that covers much of the eastern US will melt and temperatures nationwide will warm. When the weather improves, where will your spring cleaning and home improvements lead you?

When spring arrives, home remodeling is a very common activity nationwide. After so many months of holding the weight of constant snow above your head, it may be time to show your roof a little TLC. If your roof is where you need to devote some time, money, and energy this spring, installing a cupola on your roof could be a valuable project - both for curb appeal and overall house value.

What is a cupola?

Cupolas - typically located on the tops of barns, sheds, gazebos, and homes - are small square or dome structures located on top of a building. The dome structures can often adorn churches or other old, classic buildings. In domestic settings, cupolas come in a variety of different shapes and sizes.

With so many people remodeling homes and investing in real estate (again), there is definitely a growing interest in finding affordable ways to upgrade the value of a house. Couple the renewed interest in real estate investing with on-going homeowner interest in incorporating classic design and architecture into a house, and cupolas are a great way to add something extra to a property that puts the whole neighborhood on notice.

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when shopping for and pricing a cupola to add to a roofing project. Here is a short list of things to keep in mind as you shop for one this spring.

- Weather-resistance. Obviously, the cupola is going to be exposed to all the elements in the region you live in. Making sure it is capable of surviving all the elements it will be exposed to is important. Most cupolas today are made of vinyl PVC board. Same rules apply to the roof of the cupola. Copper sheeting tends to hold up through anything.

- Window design. Almost every cupola on the market has some type of window. Decoration on the window obviously comes down to personal style, but complexity leads to lack of choices and increased costs. Vented windows allow wind to pass through cupolas easily and are warm weather friendly. Louvres admit air and also have slats that shed rain, which are better for four season regions.

- Roof pitch. Roofs come in a variety of angles, and cupolas must be designed to fit those angles. Make sure you know the pitch of your roof before buying a cupola. There are a wide variety of sources on the web for calculating roof pitch. Also, you should probably try to factor in at least a few inches of clearance.

- Cupola roof style. Crown moldings, copper bells, and concave roofs are common roof choices for a cupola. Most professional designers recommend choosing one that most closely matches the roof design of your home.

- Weathervanes. If you are buying a weathervane or finial to adorn the top of your cupola, make sure the cupola comes with an interior mount.

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Once upon a time, and not too long ago, your house might have been appreciating somewhere between 10% and 15% annually. Those were the days when you could pull a little equity out of your house and send a kid to college. Or, even better, finance a pretty great retirement. It seems like only yesterday when most Americans sat comfortably in their living rooms knowing that their home was a stable, sound investment.

Needless to say, times have changed. Property values have plummeted, and more and more homeowners find themselves faced with an upside-down mortgage – a loan with a balance that exceeds the value of the home.

But all’s not lost: with home values so low, it’s never been a better time to improve your property. When prices start to rise in the coming years, your home will be that much more valuable when you decide it’s time to move on. Think of your home as your investment portfolio; with prices low, now is the perfect time to add some gems to the mix, which will only increase your portfolio’s performance once the market surges again.

More is definitely not better for many people, a house is the single most expensive item they’ll ever purchase, and a remodel or improvement is, in and of itself, a smart way to protect the investment they’ve already made in their home. But exercise restraint with your plan. Very often, people who decide to undertake a major renovation of their home think more is better. Nothing could be further from the truth. Over-developing your property so that it no longer seems to fit in with the neighborhood profile is a huge – and avoidable – mistake. If your finished renovation makes your house look like a 19th-century Bavarian castle, and your neighborhood is filled with adorable, postwar Cape Cods, you’ll probably have lots of problems recouping the investment you’ve already made.

Okay, let’s renovate. Now what?

You’ve decided to take the plunge and renovate. A key step to this process is soliciting and then comparing bids from several contractors. Contractors compete directly for your business, but you have to be careful. Under no circumstances should you automatically accept the lowest bid; even though that contractor might be offering you the cheapest deal, your renovation might be done with correspondingly cheap materials, which will ultimately create expensive problems down the road. Never forget that what a contractor is offering you is a service, not a product. If your contractor wants to do a quick job on the cheap, you’ll be sorry.

Just like you should never pour thousands of dollars into a mutual fund you haven’t researched thoroughly, you shouldn’t invest a dime in a renovation without researching your contractor and his bid from stem to stern. When you feel like you have enough information to make an informed decision about the contractor’s bid, start your research from scratch and make sure you haven’t missed anything. This is the single most important step in protecting your investment during a renovation.

Insurance concerns.

Of course you have home insurance (URL: http://www.netquote.com/home-insurance ), but a renovation is a special circumstance that has a host of issues to bear in mind. Your contractor should carry a commercial general liability policy, or CGL insurance. This covers issues like bodily injury that results in actual physical damage, property damage or loss, and personal injury. Make sure you require your contractor to carry an insurance policy that’s at least twice the value of your home after the renovation is complete. Check the certificate of insurance and make sure that the policy is underwritten on an occurrence basis, which allows you to make a claim after the renovation is done and the contractor’s policy has expired. It’s also important that you and your home address be listed clearly and correctly as both a “certificate holder” and as “additional insured.” If you have any doubts about your contractor’s CGL policy, write or call the insurance agent listed on the certificate and ask for more details.

There’s no doubt that many people are anxious about homeownership right now. But, with some careful planning and a healthy, long-term perspective, protecting the investment you’ve made in your home can be a simple, straightforward process. Do your math, do your research, and you’re sure to come out ahead in the long run.

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Los Angeles Kitchen Remodeling by Gontermanconstructions, a construction company specializing in both residential and commercial projects, we are committed to thoroughly understanding the needs and objectives of our client - then exceed those expectations. Whether you are remodeling a kitchen, adding to existing space or building a custom home, to every project we bring our exquisite attention to detail, uncompromising quality and excellent customer service.