Successful Remodeling: Ten Tips for Keeping Your Sanity

ORGANIZE! To make the job easier and ensure your percentage of good ideas is as high as possible, you need a strategy to organize your information. Use a three-ring binder or expandable file folder. You must keep copies of all contracts, change orders, invoices, receipts, and permits. These will be invaluable if you have disputes with your contractors and when tax time comes around. Other sections to consider are ideas from magazines, quotes, contractor contact info, and so forth.

You can purchase an organizer at www.remodelingorganizer.com

Don't be afraid to play designer. Many "amateur" home designers come up with great ideas, and since you are living in your home day after day, you can have better ideas than the "pros." So get out a pencil, make 100 copies of your current floor plan, and sketch out all the alternatives. It doesn't matter how great or bad they are, experiment with alternatives. At this point it's free, so enjoy!

But don't get too wild and crazy. You are almost always better to stick with a traditional size and shape in a home, both for resale value and cost for your remodel. Having a kitchen on the second floor may strike you as a clever and unique solution, but if it means moving the gas, electrical wiring, and plumbing up to the second floor, this change will add significantly to the project costs. And don't install bright orange tile on all the floors: If you have to move unexpectedly, most prospective buyers will deduct the cost to replace it from their offer.

Figure out what you can do yourself. Have contractors itemize their quotes to determine which phases of your project you might be able to do yourself and which ones you want to hire someone to do. Tasks you might consider doing include project management, demolition, rough electrical wiring, installation of cabinets, fixtures, and appliances, and finish work. Tasks you should probably leave to the pros include foundation work, framing, installing sheetrock and breaker boxes, and connecting your home to the electrical service.

Consider "practice" remodeling. If you aren't quite ready to commit to doing part of the work yourself, get some hands-on experience. Find a small project around the house and tackle it yourself, such as putting a floor in the attic or building shelving in the garage. Or offer to help out a neighbor or volunteer for a Habitat for Humanity project. These experiences will give you a firsthand look at the work. Alternately, you might take an education course at Home Depot, Lowe's, or another building material store.

Tips for finding a contractor:

  • Ask for referrals from friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
  • Ask other people who have done work for you in the past such as your plumber or gardener.
  • Search your local and free newspapers for contractors' ads.
  • Try online referral services such as the one offered at www.remodelormove.com/forms/contractors.cfm
  • Ask at lumberyards and hardware stores, especially lumberyards that cater to contractors.

    • Always make sure your contractor is fully licensed with state and local governments. Make sure the license is valid and up to date