Getting Started...

Getting started can mean a lot of things when it comes to remodeling. You could start with a small project or a large project, do a lot of the work yourself, or hire out a general contractor.  The list can go on and on.  Since my experience has been with basically gutting the house and then building from there, I hope I can offer some insight into the full experience while still providing enough ideas for those of you tackling smaller projects.

In general, a great way to get started is to consider what are the most important things about your home that you would like to change and why that might be.  You might be living with a dated kitchen or dealing with a very confining closed-off room.  Perhaps you are thinking about expanding the square footage to make the house feel like it's the right size for you.

In any case, before you jump straight into plans and ideas, I recommend that you take some time to figure out a few things.

1.  Your budget (both money AND time).
2.  What are the MOST important parts of the home to you and how can you make them fit your needs?
3.  What is your style and does it agree with your house's style, your spouse's style etc?
4.  How involved to you want to be in the project?  (Hands on or hands off?)
5.  Do you plan to live in the house during construction?

I'm going to try and address these 5 things (and any more that come along) in subsequent posts.  For now, take some time to check out magazines or catalogs and see how designers create their spaces.  For answers to questions, I have found many places that offer either great forum support or great visuals or both!  I have linked to some of the ones I frequent and I'll send out more later on:

That Home Site - part of the Garden Web.  This site has massive amounts of information on it.  Click through the forums (they're loosely categorized) or search for a particular subject.
Finished Kitchen Blog - a blog dedicated to pictures of kitchen remodels from That Home Site/Garden Web users.
Houzz.com  - this site consists of a database of beautifully remodeled or designed homes and spaces that can give you some great ideas for your own project.
HGTV.com - links to shows on HGTV, plenty of photos and ideas as well as many diy tips.
Apartment Therapy - a great little blog that shows people's ideas for improving their rented spaces.

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