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Don’t Fall Into “the Money Pit” During your Home Remodeling Project

July 28th, 2010 admin No comments

One of the funniest movies I ever saw was “The Money Pit” starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. They play a newly married couple wanting to buy a house but can’t find anything in their price range. When they find a beautiful old mansion that is selling for a ridiculous price they buy what they think is their dream house.


Once they move in the house starts falling apart everywhere and they have no choice but to remodel the entire structure. The rest of the movie is devoted to the many problems they encounter during the remodeling project. From dealing with no water to missing staircases this movie is admittedly an extreme scenario of what could happen while remodeling.


The good news is this is one example where life does not imitate art and most people that are thinking of remodeling their home will not have anywhere near the experience Tom and Shelley had if they plan accordingly.


As you are most likely not in a situation where a complete house remodeling is needed right away you will have some time to decide exactly what it is you want to accomplish. Do you need another bathroom or maybe you want to add an extra stall in your garage?


These are questions you will need to answer up front before you start any work. Write down on paper what it is you want and make a drawing you can show the contractor. You might want to consider buying some home remodeling software for your PC as these packages are reasonably priced and can be used for just about anything from building a new house to room additions.


Unless you are handy and are going to do the work yourself once you have your plan you need to find a reliable contractor. This is much easier said than done and you would be well advised to talk to at least three before making a decision. Get references and check them out and try and inspect some of their previous work. Asking your acquaintances if they can recommend someone can be a safe way to pick a contractor that you will be happy with.


Get a general project estimate from each contractor and if it’s more than you wanted to spend consider using less expensive materials or scaling down the project some. Be very suspicious of anyone that says they can do the project for an amount that is unrealistically lower than your other estimates.


Next, you need to set a realistic budget that you must adhere to making sure to pad the budget with a little extra for the inevitable problems that will crop up. Be sure to get everything in writing in case you have any serious problems during the project. By having everything spelled out as to the scope of the project and when it will be completed you will be in a better legal position if there are problems. Don’t be afraid to consult with your attorney if this is a large project with a lot of money at stake.


If you lack the cash and need to finance the project with a home equity loan you might want to ask yourself if you really need to be doing this remodeling project at this time. By waiting until you have saved up a bit more money you could save quite a bit in finance charges.


If you do your homework and plan everything up front your remodeling project should be completed on time and on budget giving you the results you desired when you first started the process.

Transform Your Garage Into An Element of Your Home

May 1st, 2010 admin No comments

When your living space is starting to appear smaller and smaller as your family starts to expand, possibly it’s time for you to think about the option of remodeling to increase your place. You don’t have to get rid walls just to get that extra space you require, but instead, you can select to have some unused space in your home to be transformed into something habitable. A sound place to start is your garage and there are a whole heap of possibilities that can transform your garage into an element of your home with no topmost renovations. Renovating your garage means that you can attain yet an extra space that can be transformed into rooms without having to exhaust so much on construction fees.

Houses with remodeled garage have the added space advantage and the return on investment is amazingly high. In this day and age, a lot of people prefer homes with renovated garage, which are a part of the entire structure. The garage is gradually but surely becoming an element of the home rather than an isolated parking spot or storage space. Garage remodeling can be a clever choice if you don’t park your car in the garage anymore but instead, you leave it outside in your driveway. Using this specific space can be very satisfying both for you and your family because you will be able to gain another living quarter or perhaps an office without having to build another space.

If you want extra space, your best choice is garage remodeling. Since the garage has been the most deserted part of the house, all the junk and useless items are placed there. As a consequence, your garage becomes a cluttered junkyard where retrieving a single item can be a venture in itself. There are many advantages to renovating your garage. Whatever intent you have in mind for your old garage, you can hire the aid of experts who can actually renovate your garage for you while implementing impressive ideas and turning your garage into a valuable and organized room. There is much furniture that can be set up in your driveway like garage cabinets, bendable wall systems and appliances to complement your recently designed space. You can alter it into a sleek and luxurious living quarter or into a rugged but contemporary entertainment room complete with audio and video systems and other appliances.

You can also place a refrigerator there that is exclusively designed for varying temperatures all year round. Another benefit to remodeling a garage is that it boosts the value of your property. With a renovated garage, you actually gained another room without going through major alterations within your house or having to add an extension to your house, thus decreasing your lot size. The garage remodeling option can really save you plenty of money, while gaining that extra space that’s so desired in today’s contemporary homes. The procedure also saves you a lot of time as you can remodel a garage all year round, rather than having to wait for extreme weather conditions to pass. A full garage remodeling project can take up to one week whereas remodeling another art of your house may take several weeks or months.

Garage remodeling organizes the home, increases storage space and creates a pleasant additional space for the home and it is also the quickest method of adding space to your house. All the mess and unnecessary items are removed and since your garage, after remodeling, is now a completely new living space, you will not be inclined to plunk your trash there, but instead use your new garage storage space to organize all your belongings. That is why a garage alteration is constantly a huge option for those who are in constant need of more space but are not too eager to sacrifice the time, resources and personal participation in renovating a different section of the home.

About the Author: Reneson Andrino is a writer specializing on home remodeling. He owns and maintains Home Remodeling Made Easy, a resource site for more garage remodeling ideas . You can also join his “free” mini-course for additional inputs. Don’t delay!