Home Remodeling

If a person is not very careful, then home remodeling can quickly become a nightmare trap that never seems to have a way out. One of the greatest illustrations of this is the old Shelly Long and Tom Hanks movie The Money Pit. Basically, in this movie a new couple decides that they are going to totally remodel their home, and quickly become trapped in downward spiral that never seems to end. For those who would like to avoid as many of the headaches and hassles that come with a home remodeling project, use these guidelines to help you.

• Idea. The beginning step is to get an idea of what you want to do. Are you looking to have a complete home remodel, or just one or two rooms? Is the project going to have an overriding theme that ties all the rooms together? Or are you only doing minor modifications? Having a strong idea of what you are looking for is a necessity to help keep you from going overboard.
• Plan. Write down your plan. Include in this plan a rough sketch of what you are looking for in a final result, a list of what features and materials you would like to see used, and the general time frame for the total completion.
• Budget. Take some time and budget out how much your dream remodel would cost for materials. Do this by taking the list you wrote up, and going to a home supply store and writing everything out. Compare this list to your finances and how much you can afford. Knowing how much money you have, and how much your project is going to cost is going to be of immeasurable benefit to you in the long run. Use this list as a reference when talking
• Contractor. Decide whether you are going to complete this project yourself, or if you are going to hire a contractor. Both carry unique benefits and disadvantages, so look at every angle prior to making your decision. If you decide to go with a contractor, then you should have your plan and budget with you during the consultation so that you have some reference materials.
• Complete. The final step is to actually complete your project. As you are going along, keep track of all expenditures, permits, and completed inspections. Create a filing system for each, that way if anything is needed later you can easily find it.