General Remodeling Tips

No one likes to cut a budget, especially when it's his or her own. But when it comes to planning a remodeling project, homeowners must establish a realistic budget . . . and manage it.

Preparing for a remodeling project is a lot like preparing to buy a car. You may know the room and style you want, but the options you choose may drive the price higher than you can reasonably afford. But there are ways to stretch the remodeling budget and end up with a stylish room within budget.

Getting Started

• Make decisions based on value and quality, not just price.
• Save money by planning ahead. Go through the design process first and choose everything you want to include in the new room(s), from appliances to light fixtures. This will define your budget and prevent hasty (and costly) decisions later in the project. Be sure to include all your product and material selections in the contract to avoid confusion and unnecessary change orders. Include the model, size, color, and other specifications. It is also wise to save 10-20 percent of your budget to allow for items added to the scope of work.
• Pay attention to how labor intensive some design features may be.
• Keep an open mind when you discuss product and design ideas with your contractor.

General Planning Tips

• Be creative. There are often multiple solutions to accomplish a design objective, some more expensive than others. Discuss various options with your contractor.
• Ask friends for advice.
• Cut out magazine articles and pictures. Creating a scrap book out of your compiled thoughts and researched materials.
• Color is the key to successful decorating. A single bodied color throughout the floor plan with accent walls and trim, this is the most cost effective with the highest impact.
• Consider lighting options; natural light, lighting accents.
• Enhance your room with architectural details or decorative moldings, such as chair rail, wainscoting, casing, crown, and base.

Finding Space

• Change your space with optical illusions. There are many ways to make a small room appear larger. To transform a small bath, install a bow window or a skylight. Vaulted ceilings or moldings can be a nice touch, too.
• If you are going to expand outside the existing home, consider a small bump out of two to four feet. This may allow you to cantilever the floor joists and eliminate the need for excavation and foundation. If possible, be careful not to extend beyond the roofline, which would add a new roof to your job.
• Whenever you are adding on new space to a home, have a heating contractor determine whether your existing heating system can accommodate and heat the extra space. If the heating system is damaged, you will be forced to replace the entire unit.
Consider the Good, Better and Best scenario on your remodeling project:

In the Kitchen

Good: The simple kitchen, this would general include new counter tops, flooring, paint, a lighting make over and cabinet refinishing or painting.
Better: This would include new cabinetry, more custom lighting packages, new fixtures and appliances, windows, doors and moldings.
Best: The deluxe option! A complete kitchen redesign with layout relocation.

Helpful Hints:

• If at all possible, reuse existing appliances, and build your new cabinets around them. This could save you anywhere from $1,500-5,000 easily. However, be aware that appliances, like anything electrical, are sensitive to change and may develop problems if they are moved. Should you decide to avoid potential appliance "burn-out" and purchase new appliances, choose energy conscious models for a reduction in your utility bills.
• Maintain present location of major fixtures, appliances and utilities relative to the plumbing, gas and electrical outlets. This could even apply to the location of the telephone. Moving plumbing, wiring and jacks can be extremely expensive.
• The faucet can be a costly item. The least expensive selection is chrome. Even a high-end chrome faucet is considerably less than a mid-range brass or porcelain version. A standard two-handle faucet generally costs less than single handle. Faucets and handles are sold separately, so you may want to choose a chrome faucet with brass or porcelain handles for a different look. Faucet Caution: The price variances in faucets reflect the various internal and external features. Always choose a faucet with replaceable internal parts. You won't want to have to replace the entire faucet if it breaks-it's simply not cost-effective.
• Choose neutral colors in fixtures, appliances and laminates. They are less expensive initially and won’t look dated when the color trends change. White and almond sinks are much cheaper than color varieties. And neutral laminate colors for countertops are less than custom colors or textures.
• Good floor covering is important. It ties one room to another and provides visual consistency. Familiarize yourself with the prices of the various flooring materials to make the best decision for your home. To get you started, vinyl or laminate flooring is less expensive than wood, tile or slate.
• Consider your cabinet options carefully. Those choices will drive the overall price. You can add some options at a later date to defray some of the initial cost. Some that are easy to add include tilt front doors, spice racks and slide out wire baskets. However, if you decide to wait, make certain that the option you want will be available and can be added after installation. Note of Caution: Waiting will cost you more in the long run. Adding new cabinets often requires installing a new floor. Refacing existing cabinets not only eliminates the need for new flooring, countertops and appliances altogether, it is a major savings in any kitchen remodel.

In the Bathroom

• Examine how you are utilizing space. You may be able to steal some space from a neighboring room or closet. If your overall space is limited, purchase a jetted tub and shower combination or install a pedestal lavatory instead of a vanity cabinet with a sink. Understand that, while pedestal lavatories do eliminate the need for vanities and save space, some models may cost more than a separate vanity cabinet and sink. Look at all your options before making a decision.
• Define what is truly needed in the bathroom. Sometimes an extra bath is planned when installing a double sink in an existing bath would meet the need.
• If you are going to add a large jetted tub to your project, consider adding a water heater dedicated to that tub. A large jetted tub can hold up to an average of 75 gallons or more, which can easily overextend your existing water heater and cause problems in the future.