Home Improvement - Tips and Suggestions

Before beginning any home remodeling project, a lot of prep work is required. Planning is the first phase of any project and sometimes it's the phase homeowners most often ignore. The more pre-planning you do, the better off you will be. Here are a few suggestions to help you with the process.

1.  Create A Project Stylebook.  If you're even thinking about remodeling, odds are you've been leafing through design magazines & watching decorating programs on TV.  Both are great ways to jumpstart the process however, to get the most out of this step, you'll need to do more than turn pages and program your TiVo.

     While looking through magazines, tear out photos of bathrooms that appeal to you & write what you like about the room in the margin. You can begin sketching out your ideas & imagining your remodeled home as well. Slip the page into a clear sheet protector & insert into a binder to create your very own stylebook. The internet is another source for inspiration...simply print photos & add.

     As your stylebook grows, the desired style of kitchen, bathroom, room addition, etc. will begin to emerge.  This is not only helpful to you, it's helpful to our design/build team as well.  "We like to look through [the stylebook] to get an idea of what you're after," says Bob Wargo, Owner of Complete Contracting of Maryland, LLC.

2.  Define Your Goal.  Let's take kitchen remodeling as an example.  There's a reason you want to remodel or renovate your kitchen.  What is it?  Perhaps you want a kitchen that will help with resale value.  Maybe you desire a kitchen built for entertaining or one that allows several people to cook at once.  This is the time to assess your needs & wants. 

     Make notes about how you plan to use the remodeled space, then try to distill all that information into a simple goal such as "My casual and open kitchen will be a place for family & friends to relax & enjoy meals together."  If you're adding or expanding a room consider how the space will be used & whether the changes will affect traffic patterns.

3.  Create A Budget.  To obtain a general idea of how much you have to spend on a home improvement project, you will need to crunch some numbers.  It all begins with a dream.  Cathedral ceilings!  Skylights!  Room-sized closets!  The dream may turn into a nightmare, unless you plan ahead.  Are granite countertops a "must-have"?  Do a little research into the costs of your wish list items & compare them with your preliminary budget.  Are you on target?

4.  Consider Energy Saving Home Improvements.  There are many Home Improvement Energy Tax Rebates as well as the HOMESTAR Government Rebate (nicknamed "Cash for Caulkers") now available to homeowners.

5.  Set A Time Budget.  When most people hear the word "budget," they automatically think of money.  However, when remodeling, it's also important to budget time.  Is there an event on the calendar that would be affected if your kitchen was under construction?  Discuss your time budget with us before we plan and design your project.

6.  Realistic Expectations.  Above all else, make sure you have reasonable expectations when it comes to your home remodeling or renovation project.  It's going to take a certain amount of time & will have a certain amount of mess.  If you go in with rose colored glasses & it becomes a financial stress, then that takes all the fun out of it.  And, you know, it should be fun & rewarding!