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You know you want to change the look and feel of your house. But if you are going to spend money to remodel, you want to do a job that won’t either be outdated in a year or a design that is garish and outlandish to look at every day. So, how do you find the right design for you and your family?
First, homeowners need a vision when it comes to remodeling their home and take into the family’s lifestyle. If you get a lot of traffic through the house, consider hardwood floors. Do you entertain in the kitchen, then expand the kitchen and add an island or some comfortable chairs. Do you look to your bathroom as a place to escape the world, add a whirlpool tub or a deluxe shower with multiple showerheads.
To find that vision, it is helpful to look at magazines, books, newspapers, and homes of family and friends. The following resources contain an infinite supply of unique ideas:
- Magazines: There are a number of magazines catering to home improvement, lifestyle and remodeling. Some idea-generating magazines include: Home, House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, Cooking Light, Food and Wine, Country Living, Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, etc.
- Websites: In today’s technology-based world, websites have become great resources for people looking for ideas and researching projects. Many remodelers, manufacturers and magazines have websites with pictures of projects, buying guides and product information. Web directories also can help you find professional remodelers in your area.
- Information to Order: You can request a wide range of free or inexpensive literature by completing the mail-in coupons inserted in magazines.
- Sketches and Floor Plans: No two remodeling projects are the same, but you can gain some insight into how another homeowner solved a space problem by carefully studying sketches and floor plans. If you are easily confused by plans and drawings (most people are), imagine yourself in the middle of the room or space on the plan. This kind of visualization helps reduce distractions and encourages concentration.
- Manufacturers: The most obvious place to find information about new products and how you can use them is in the manufacturers’ websites and advertisements in magazines.
- Books: Browse a bookstore with a well-stocked home improvement section, but beware of books telling you to be your own remodeling contractor. Unless you are highly skilled and licensed in all the trades, you could get in over your head quickly. Most remodeling projects call for a level of skill and work hours beyond those stated in these books. The job of a professional remodeler requires experience and competence in a wide range of disciplines.
- Newspapers: Many newspapers publish regular sections devoted to real estate, home design and remodeling. Also, twice a year - - usually in the spring and fall - - many newspapers publish special home improvement supplements. All these contain timely articles and useful advertisements on remodeling home improvement, repair and maintenance.
- Friends, Family and Neighbors: Do you know someone who has recently remodeled their home in a style you admire? He or she may still have products manuals, magazines and other helpful information you can borrow, as well as practical advice drawn from his or her own experience.
- Remodeling Professionals: Your remodeler can offer you lots of planning assistance with his or her library of product manuals, magazines, brochures and blueprints. This is one of the advantages of choosing a remodeler as soon as possible.
- Suppliers: Lumberyards, hardware stores and other suppliers can be valuable sources of information. Many suppliers now offer home planning centers, where you can browse comfortably among the following:
- Plan books
- Product manuals
- Source books
- Mortgage information
- Building tips
- Magazines
- Brochures
- Listings of participating local remodelers and builders.
Once you decide to remodel your home, keep a loaded camera and some extra film in your vehicle. You never know when a trip to the grocery store might provide you a glimpse of just the right exterior door or window trim, so always be prepared.
Once you have figured out your style and design, contact your local home builders association to make sure you hire a professional remodeler to do the work.
This article was submitted by Don Strong,
CGR, President of Brothers Strong, Inc., the 2005 GHBA Remodeler of the Year. |
