Thinking about Remodeling?

If you’ve owned your home for any length of time, you might have started thinking about remodeling. With all the shows on TV, promoting the benefits of remodeling, it’d be no wonder if you did – think about updating/replacing/remodeling that is.

But what should you do and what should you consider before tearing out that first tile, wallpaper or carpet?

Before doing anything – and I mean ANYTHING – make a plan. Decide what you are trying to accomplish by remodeling. Are you trying to add more space? Update your home? Make it more energy efficient? Or are you trying to increase the possible resale value?

Once you’ve discovered what drives you to remodel, plan out your project, or projects. How will the final product look? Will it improve the traffic flow? How will you use the remodeled area? What are the costs? And in comparison, how much do you have to spend? And who will do it? Can you do the project yourself? (From planning, to permits, to completion?) Or should you hire a professional?

While the return of investment varies, a good rule is to update/remodel your home, so it matches the homes in your neighborhood. If you add “too much” to your home, you might not be able to recover the investment, when it’s time to sell. People not only pay for the home, the also expect to pay a certain amount for a certain neighborhood. Meaning: Don’t over-improve your home – specially if you’re remodeling to improve ‘curb appeal’ and resale value.

If you really can’t live with your home “as is” any longer – it might be time to consider moving to a home that already has some or all of the items you are looking for.