Home Improvement Tips

Whether you're playing the role of the home improvement do-it-yourselfer or seeking the services of a professional, consider these home improvement tips from the American Homeowners Foundation.

Plan ahead. While you're in the planning stages, research popular designs and talk to friends with knowledge and experience with the type of remodeling you're considering. If you're changing current floor plans get some graph paper or a floor planning kit and play around. Start a file for literature about components and finishes.

If you're remodeling to sell a home, be careful not to over improve. Some remodeling jobs, such as the renovation of a dated bath or kitchen, or the addition of a second bath to a one bath home, can return more than 100 percent of the cost at the sale of the home, and help you sell it faster. (Visit Online Remodeling at www.remodeling.hw.net for a detailed account of investment returns on popular projects.) However, if you want a different look, you probably won't recover the investment in a home that is already significantly more valuable than most of the others in the neighborhood.

If you hire a remodeler, check his credentials - carefully. Verify that he's licensed and insured for workers compensation, property and personal liability. If in doubt, ask to see his insurance certificate. If he's not insured and an accident happens, you'll need to file a claim on your homeowner's insurance. Does he belong to any trade and professional associations like the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council, or other trade associations in the remodeling industry? Request references on similar jobs and ask to see samples of his previous work. Finally, contact the Better Business Bureau to make sure there are no complaints against him.

Request a detailed bid. The bid should spell out as many of the specifications as possible. Get bids from three remodelers. If one bid is unusually low, make sure that they have included everything.

Get a comprehensive written contract. Make sure the contract covers the description of the project, timetable and payment schedule. It should also include general provisions defining the responsibility of the contractor and the subcontractors, defects and corrections, change order procedures, warranties, right to termination, and alternative dispute settlement mechanisms.

Shop for certain materials in advance. If you see an appliance that you like, consider purchasing and storing it. Styles for appliances and other building materials and suppliers are subject to change and are often heavily discounted when they go out of production. In general, appliances are priced so low at the larger super discount home improvement stores that remodelers often can't get much better prices from other sources, even with their business discounts.