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| What You Might Consider When Making Home Improvements |
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Directory:
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you
will be connecting to our affiliated sites
within the
SayPlanning / SayLending network
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checklist
1:
Should You Improve
or Buy New? |
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Home
improvement costs should be 30% or less of
your home market value |
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Should
your improve or move? Good question.
The dollar investment to remodel and improve your
home could be used to purchase a new
home.
The decision to renovate or buy is based
on a number of factors, including type
of renovation, cost, neighborhood analysis,
market valuation, your desire factor
and other issues.
Understand
the numbers before your begin:
go to our home
improvement numbers
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Estimating
Your Home Value:
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checklist
2:
What Kind of Home Improvement
Project |
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Now
for the fun part of home improvement. Deciding
on what you would like to do. |
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This is the fun part of Home Improvement
— getting ideas and viewing home
improvement galleries. We have suggestions
on where to look:
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checklist
3:
Design Your Home Improvement
Plan |
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Understand
design trends before finalizing your home improvement
plans |
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Home improvement considerations include:
-
traffic
patterns
traffic should flow to one side of
the room rather than through its center;
i.e., by placing the door ways in
the corners
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kitchens
larger kitchens have a greater resale
value than smaller kitchens —
you will want to design the working
area with appliances in a triangular
position for easy working
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private
areas
bedrooms and bathrooms should be separated
visually from the working areas of
the house
and much more considerations when
designing your plan
You may require the help of an architect
or designer. Or if your remodeling project
is simple, there are some nifty Home
Renovation software that you can use.
Either way, we have
a complete listing of architectural
services and designing software: Jump
to our home remodeling design directory
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checklist
4:
Assembling Your Home Improvement
Specifications |
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Designing
the improvement specs is the most important
task that you will undertake |
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This task can be the most complicated
since you need to detail everything
about your improvement plans so that
you can bid the project out to a contractor.
Let's us help with our step-by-step
specification sheet with supporting
home improvement ideas.
FREE download.
Use it to note ideas for your improvement
plan:
download home improvement
specifications plan
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checklist
5:
Finding and Selecting
a Home Improvement Contractor |
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The
home improvement specs will be used to bid
the construction project |
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Take your specifications plan from
Checklist 4 and following these
three important tasks:
- Take
your spec plan and have it reviewed
by an architect or other home
designer.
It will help them design or revise
a house plan to fit your remodeling
specs.
find
an architect / designer
- Take
the architectural plan and submit
a request for bids from remodeling
contractors.
The architectural plan should
include your construction specs
(if no, include your spec plan).
Make sure to work with a network
of contractors that have been
prescreeded.
find
a remodeling contractor
- Understand
how to negotiate your contract
with a contractor —
make sure you protect yourself.
negotiate
with the contractor
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Arrange Financing |
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You
can arrange financing once you have an acceptable
home improvement construction bid |
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Once you approve an accepatable bid
from a contractor, you may now seek
home improvement financing from a lender.
The lender will most likely secure your
financing using the equity value of
your existing home.
There
are two types of home improvement financing:
- home equity financing
- cash-out option by refinancing your home
We have
more infomation at our affiliated sites:
home
equity financing
taking cash out by refinancing your home
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Start the
Project |
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Be
prepared to manage and control your project
to avoid surprises and cost overruns |
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Now for the construction — learn
how to manage:
- project management
- change management
- problem resolution management
- cost management
- financial management
Understand
what's needed:
go
to home remodeling project management
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Inspect Your
Home Remodeling Project |
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He
who holds the money rules the process |
As your construction move through construction
phases, get the project phase inspected
before making payment.
Once payment leaves your hand, you lose
control of getting things done right.
Information
about inspections:
go to
construction inspections
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Decorate
Your Project |
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Your
decorating budget may be tight, so shop
wisely for best ideas and plans |
Furniture, electronics, pictures, etc.
— and that is just for the interior.
For the exterior, you have flowers, yard
furniture, cooking grills, etc.
View ideas:
go to our
home improvement gallery
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One Last
Item |
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We
have a complete 5-step home remodeling plan
that details home remodeling steps: click
here |
Monthly expenses are generally tight after
completing a home remodeling project. Take
a moment to view our guides on lowering
your monthly expenses:
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