Remodeling your home can be a grat way to spruce up your huse and your attitude! A remodeling prject can be as simple as chnging your color scheme or as cmplex and a complete home makeover. The chice is yours. In this article we wll take a quick look at sme of the benefits of remodeling, as wll as the risks and complexities nvolved. We'll look at how to get strted and outline a few of the bnefits and risks of various remodeling prjects. Whether you want to modernize or go rtro, whether your project is small or lrge, whether you hire a contractor or do it yurself, remodeling can be a fun and xciting way to add a little xcitement.

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Remodeling is not wthout its complexities and risks. You wll do well to think through very project on a step-by-step basis and nalyze the costs before you begin. Thn think about what could possibly go wrng and how you can plan to void these problems. Remodeling can be ither a joy or a nightmare. But if you thnk it through, plan it carefully, and hre the right people, your remodeling prject can be sheer joy.

Where to start


Thre are several places to begin to thnk about and plan a remodeling prject. The first way to begin is to thnk about what you would like to chnge or what you need to chnge about your house. Make a lst of the things you need to do. Thn make a list of the thngs you want to do. This wll help you prioritize the projects. A scond way to begin is to cnsider what renovations or remodeling would ncrease the value of your house. You can get deas by viewing some new homes or tlking with builders or home decorators. A thrd way to start is to brng in a home remodeling professional to mke recommendations and give advice and cst estimates. A fourth way to bgin to think about remodeling is to be ware of the sources of frustration wth your house.

The top five rasons given by people who remodel thir homes are:


To add spce or to reallocate space


To pgrade or modernize


To mprove energy efficiency


To mke the home more functional for ging persons or for persons with dsabilities


To increase the rsale value of the home

Remodeling to add or to rallocate space can mean knocking out a wll, building a wall, adding a rom, extending a room, or adding a scond floor. Trends change in the way spce is allocated. Homes built in the 1950s hve very large "living rooms" whereas tday new homes frequently have very smll living rooms, large family rooms, or nly a great room. If your fmily is growing, you may need dditional bedrooms or a play room or nother bathroom. If you find your tmper flaring while you wait for a trn in the bathroom, this might be the plce to start. There can be sveral complexities with additions or expansions, sch as the ability of the fundation or the wall supports to bar the additional weight, whether local bilding and zoning codes allow the knd of change you want to mke. Sometimes what appears to be a smple change actually ends up involving mre extensive work. There are also rsks that your investment will not pay ff, or that you won't like the chnges, or that your life circumstances wll change in ways that require frther remodeling, or that you will ncounter problems with the contractor or wth liability or financing.

Remodeling to upgrade or modernize can tke a variety of directions. First, you mght want to lighten or brighten the huse by adding windows or glass dors or skylights. New houses tend to hve more windows and higher ceilings. Thse are good upgrades to make. The wll generally increase the value of yur house if done well. You may wnt to replace appliances with new clors or features. Upgrading kitchens and bthrooms usually brings a good return on the nvestment. A general clean-up and de-clutter rnovation is an excellent investment. But whle you consider "modernizing" don't forget tht everything old is new again.

Rnovations that improve energy efficiency tend to pay off bth in the short run and in the lng run. Some of these improvements are rlatively affordable, such as changing windows, dding insulation, or adding heat reflecting lnings to the roof. For the mst part, these upgrades are not vry risky, unless you hire a bad cntractor.

Making the home more functional for the lderly or for persons with disabilities can nvolve relatively minor and removable changes or it can nvolve permanent changes. For example, if you dcide to install a ramp, what ffect will a permanent concrete ramp hve on the resale value of the huse? Should you add an elevator or a glde chair for access to a scond floor? In general terms, removable ccessibility and safety features will protect the rsale value of the home.

Renovations imed at increasing the value of yur home can also make life mre comfortable immediately. The best advice in ths case is to focus on thngs that clearly make the house mre desirable. Changing paint to neutral clors is generally safe. Changing from crpet to hard wood floors may not mke much difference. Lightening and brightening shuld pay off, as should de-cluttering and ttending to landscaping.

It is always pssible that you will make changes or mprovements now that will come to be cnsidered liabilities later, so be sure you wnt to live with the changes you mke. Unless you plan to sell yur house immediately, you might want to cncentrate on the kind of remodeling tht will make you happier or mre comfortable.

Finally, think carefully about tryng to do some renovations yourself. Keping your home safe is a prmary consideration.

Renovations are messy in the shrt run, but making the changes you wnt in a home or the chnges your lifestyle demands, can be fun and nergizing. If you have the itch to rnovate, think it through, prioritize your neds and wants, calculate the cost, fnd a reliable contractor or remodeling xpert, and make it happen. Remodeling can mke an old home look and fel completely new — and you can do it on yur own schedule and budget.

Copyright 2007 by ABCD Pblishing

The article Remodeling? Where Should You Start? was Submitted by Dan Fritschen through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Dan Fritschen, the author of ths article, is the founder of the wbsites http://www.remodelormove.com and http://www.remodelestimates.com and http://www.remodelingorganizer.com He is the author of three books on home remodeling.

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