Remodeling Dos and Don'ts

With the current struggling housing market, many potential home-sellers are remodeling their homes either to encourage a sale or to keep. Before you bring out the hammer and nails for a little sprucing up, here are a few dos and don'ts regarding remodeling.

Do hire a contractor

Thumb through the yellow pages and make some calls. Weigh your options, and see if the contractor has any professional references they can give you. Do not be afraid to ask about the quality of work. If they have a website, go to it. See if there are any testimonials from satisfied clients. If a contractor tries to withhold this information, don't bother with them. They probably aren't telling you their positive feedback for a reason: they don't have any.

Don't do the job yourself

One of the biggest misfires people make when it comes to remodeling is planning on doing it themselves. Contractors have the skills and training to complete any remodeling job quickly and efficiently. Remodeling professionals are also more cost efficient in that they can provide the tools, labor, and required materials at a more reasonable charge. While you may think that picking up a few how-to books and making a trip to Home Depot will help you in your efforts to remodel your home, think realistically. Unless you have been professionally trained to do the work, leave the hard labor to the experts.

Do be conscious of your environment

Thinking of investing in a pool when you live in Alaska? While the novelty is there, don't overshoot your limitations. Be realistic about what you want to remodel. Think of what will give your house realistic market value improvement, or just remodel what you genuinely believe needs a little fixing up.

Don't be too creative

If you're remodeling your home with the intention to sell it, don't go overboard with improvements that only appease you as the owner. Thinking of remodeling your bathroom to look like an Amazon jungle, complete with waterfall? Think about what a potential home buyer would say who isn't a fan of warmer climates. One of the biggest mistakes people make when remodeling for home sale is not taking a buyer's feelings into consideration. You want to use a universal outline for home remodeling. While you shouldn't feel you have to keep things overwhelmingly conservative, don't let your improvements deter potential home buyers.

Sarah Reece writes for Ciniva Systems, an award winning Virginia web design company. Ciniva specializes in web design and SEO. Sarah Reece is an SEO Specialist with Ciniva. Ciniva Systems is in charge of SEO for Chesapeake Remodel