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Five Keys to Remodeling on a Budget
Copyright 2004, Pamela Cole Harris
We would all love to remodel our home. The evidence? Just look
at the profusion of new programs dealing with remodeling rooms,
houses, or yards by neighbors, mothers, complete strangers or
your Uncle Mort on a $1000, $500 or $1.98 budget. If you, upon
viewing one too many episodes of Trading Spaces, have decided to
take the plunge, here are a few tips to ensure your remodeling
project is completed under budget.
1. Prioritize your needs and wants. Write down the top ten items
you need, then write down the top ten items you want. Put
your money towards your needs first, then you can use any
extra money for things that you want.
2. So you want granite countertops and hardwood floors? You
want wall-to-wall ceramic tile in the bath? Try alternative
materials to give you the look you want for a lot less money.
Try laminated stone countertops made with thin slabs of
bonded granite and laminate flooring to resemble hardwoods
or tile.
3. Do as much of the work as you can yourself. There are plenty
of websites on the internet that will give you instructions
and tips and your local home improvement store will be happy
to advise you (especially if you are buying supplies from
them!). If you use a contractor, you can save money by
removing the old cabinets or flooring yourself.
4. If possible, try not to knock down walls or make other
structural changes. Working with existing plumbing,
electrical wiring and walls will dramatically reduce
the cost of the project.
5 Take your time and have a plan. Taking it slow is the
remodeling equivalent of "measuring twice and cutting
once." Anything you have to re-do just adds to your total
cost.
If you plan your project, take it slow and resist knocking
down walls, you should have no problem staying under budget.
On the other hand, if you wake up with the overwhelming urge
to remodel that bathroom today and an irresistible itch to use
a sledgehammer, prepare to open the checkbook and kiss your
budget goodbye!
Pamela Cole Harris is an editor, writer, eco-decorator and the
author of "100+ Wildly Imaginative Ways to Create Your Own
Coffee Table (available at http://www.lulu.com/pamelacoleharris
). Visit her website, http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com, for
her unique view of home decorating and remodeling (and a free
monthly newsletter!).
This article was originally written: January, 2004
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