Tips On Remodeling Your House On A Budget

It is hard to live in a house that looks the same for years together, and hence most of us end up wanting to remodel our house either for the purpose of selling it, or for fixing the problems cropping up all around the house, or just to have a feeling of living in a fresh new place. Whatever the reason maybe, remodeling is something that should be tackled only with a pre-determined budget.

Renew the freshness

Although the smell of paint is something that people dislike, it is that fresh paint that gives the first feeling of freshness to the house. And so, even if you do not want to invest in new colors, it is a good idea to add a fresh coat of paint to the walls. It is best to choose colors that add brightness and depth to the house.

Tread carefully when you walk

Flooring and covering can be a tricky deal. Instead of going for the traditional hardwood floors and granite countertops, which are expensive, it is a good idea to choose from look-alikes that are less expensive but create the same grandeur. You can choose to have a granite overlay instead of complete granite countertops and you can also choose to use glass tiles or ceramic pieces instead of the conventional mosaic look.

Find cheaper antiques

It is true that antiques are always expensive, but it is not necessary to have costly accessories in the house. You can instead try to use home-made photo frames, wall pieces, paintings etc to decorate your house. You could do some clay modeling and put up some pots that give that Aztec feel to the house. It is also a good idea to refurbish old furniture instead of buying new ones.

Consider garage sales

It is a good idea to find small cabinets, shoe racks, coat hangers or carpets at garage sales, where you can pick them up for lesser costs as compared to buying them from stores. You can also find some scratched or faded piece of furniture or drawers that can be painted again, or set in a way that no one notices the scratch. These products can be bought for a heavily bargained price since they are less than perfect.

Avoid addictions

Brand loyalty is a good thing when it comes to buying electronics or clothes. When it comes to remodeling your house it is best to customize things your way. If you get addicted to buying bath mats, or floor mats of a particular brand then remodeling your house will always be a costly affair. DIY kits are a great way to put up or come up with new things for your home, and they give the additional “I did this” feeling of satisfaction. You can work on the smallest of things like making pillow cases, or rugs out of old bed spreads, and floor mats out of sacks and old carpets. The list is endless; you just have to put in some thought and effort into it.

Going Green On Home Improvement

Once you have decided to remodel your home, it is a good idea to think “green” in this day and age. If you think about it, the latest technologies of green buildings and green gadgets and services are advantageous even economically speaking. You would also get a great resale value for the house since as time progresses people are going to be looking for houses that are environment-friendly.

Since the green revolution has begun, different kinds of products that help you be more environment-friendly have come up. Whether it is for flooring, paneling, and lighting, there are several varieties in materials like paint, varnish, and lights that make your house more environment friendly, conserves more energy and helps you save on bills as well. Most of these products are affordable and many of them can be made from your own home products as well. There are a few basic things that can be done on home improvement without a lot of investment into remodeling your home.

Major appliances in the house, especially in the kitchen, as well lights throughout the house consume a lot of electricity. Using fluorescent bulbs and using solar powered lanterns can help you save around 30% a year on electricity bills as well as give a newly decorated look to your home. If you are using very old appliances in the house, it would be a good time to replace them and install the new good looking ones to redecorate your house and conserve more energy as well. Using light colors on your walls helps light up the house brighter than using dark colors. Lighter colors also have less volatile organic compounds in the paints. Change the window panes throughout the house depending on the area you live in to have less air leaks and more heat exchange.

New kitchen countertops are now available and they can be made entirely of water-based resin and recycled paper or made of cement and paper. It is also a good idea to save on water by using adjustable showerheads and dual flush toilets, ones that use a full or half flush. It helps to decrease on the water bill as well. The statistics on such conservation of natural resources are impressive and hence it is good to be green.

Flooring is one of the most important aspects when it comes to home improvement, and going green on flooring also brings great options along with it. Reclaimed wood, cork and bamboo are all good options when it comes to changing the floor’s appeal. These new flooring materials help with insulation and once again help by saving on energy, by being water resistant, by keeping the house free of allergens, and by reducing noise as well.

Disposing waste in a safe manner is the best thing to do. When you remodel your house, make use of your backyard and have a compost pit in it, this will help you recycle most of your organic garbage at home which can be later used as manure. Always remember to give away plastic or other waste for recycling.

Tips for Better Remodeling or Landscaping Projects

For many homeowners, the return of warm weather signals that time of year to launch the long-awaited home remodeling or backyard patio project.

With the typical major kitchen remodel topping $58,000 and the cost of a new roof topping $21,000, according to a 2009 Cost vs. Value Report, taking on even a minor remodel calls for careful attention to detail.

It’s even more important if you’re not a do-it-yourselfer and want to hire a contractor to perform some or all of the work, says FindLaw.com, the world’s leading online legal resource. Doing your homework upfront and being crystal clear in your dealings with a home remodeling or landscaping contractor will reduce miscommunication, frustration and expensive errors.

If you’re ready to take the plunge, here are some time-tested tips from FindLaw.com for a better remodeling or landscaping project:

1. Ask yourself: Does it make sense? Before you move too quickly, it’s critical to determine if it makes sense to remodel. The first place to look is your neighborhood. Are other neighbors improving their homes and enhancing the exteriors of their homes, as well as their yards? Is your city or town properly maintaining streets and public areas? Are you committed to staying in your home at least five years? Remodeling and landscaping can be expensive and, in many cases, you will not fully recoup your investment. While it’s important to do it for yourself, be careful not to over invest either.

2. Do your homework. Before you call a contractor, do your homework to get a good idea of what you want from your remodeling or landscaping project. Visit showrooms, talk to friends and neighbors who have recently remodeled, read home and landscaping magazines, and visit open houses and showcase homes to see what’s hot in home remodeling and landscaping projects. Start a notebook to collect your ideas, product information and product samples.

3. Build a budget. As you do your homework, start piecing together a budget of what various products and materials may cost. Keep in mind, especially when remodeling an older home, there may be unexpected surprises (such as plumbing or electrical) that could drive up the costs of your remodeling project. To be on the safe side, always add 20 percent to the generally recommended costs of a remodeling project.

4. Listen to word-of-mouth. If you hire a contractor, make sure that any contractor that you consider is licensed, bonded and insured. Word-of-mouth is the most reliable method to finding a contractor. Ask your friends, neighbors or family members for the names of contractors or landscapers with whom they’ve worked.

5. Get multiple bids. Always get at least three proposals when selecting a contractor to handle your remodeling or landscaping project. Always meet the contractor in person and never agree to hire a contractor after your first meeting. Obtain all estimates in writing and carefully compare the details that each contractor has spelled out in his or her proposal.

6. Check your permits. Be wary of the contractor who says you don’t need to pull a permit from city hall for your remodeling or landscaping project. A permit typically represents the minimum construction standard set by a local community. In other words, a permit actually protects you as the homeowner from shoddy construction or landscaping practices. If you live in a historic neighborhood, there may be more restrictive guidelines that you must follow that have been set by a neighborhood council.

7. Get references. Before you say “yes” to a contractor’s proposal, get at least three to five references from a contractor. Call the contractor’s references and ask about the experience of working with him or her – did the contractor complete the project on time and on budget? Was the contractor responsive to making changes throughout the project and the completion of the punch list (all of the final details to wrap up a project)? Contact your local Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed about the contractor. And, contact building suppliers and subcontractors (electricians, plumbers, etc.) to see if your contractor pays his or her bills on time.

8. Get it in writing. Never, ever agree to hire a contractor, even if it’s your brother-in-law, on a handshake. Always insist on a contract, says FindLaw.com. Be precise about exactly what services will be performed and by when. Specify exactly what products and materials will be used. Spell out when payments will be made to the contractor and clarify what recourse you have if the work is not completed to your satisfaction. If need be, contact an attorney specializing in contracts to review the document before signing.

9. Do a gut check. You need to feel good about having someone come into your home every day for weeks or possibly several months. Working with a contractor should be fun, but more importantly, you need a contractor who listens and responds to you. Check your gut reaction. If in any way you feel uncomfortable with a contractor, don’t sign the contract. And if you have to, move quickly to cancel it. Many states allow a consumer to cancel a contract within three business days after signing it.

10. Be completely satisfied. Never pay for the entire remodeling project or landscaping project up front, before construction begins. In most cases, you’ll put down 25 percent of the total project amount to get the work started. After that, you’ll pay portions at certain milestones up until the completion of the project. Don’t make the final payment until you are completely satisfied with the work. It’s one of your last defenses to ensuring that work is completed to your satisfaction.

Best Home improvements For Your Renovation Dollars

Homeowners renovate for two basic reasons: money and fun. Or, more precisely, they undertake home improvements to improve their home’s resale value or their enjoyment of their house. The best home improvements, however, are ones that deliver on both objectives.

Homeowners will spend nearly $141 billion on remodeling in the first half of this year, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. If you’ll be among the many homeowners opting to improve, rather than move, you may be wondering what renovations are likely to give you the best balance of enhanced resale value and immediate enjoyment.

Here are five home improvements – from budget-friendly to big budget – that provide noteworthy return on investment (ROI) in terms of increased value and improved enjoyment:

1. Skylights

You can lower your electric bill by installing skylights that will reduce dependency on artificial light and fill your home with natural light. You can obtain quality, energy-efficient, “No Leak Skylights” from Velux for around $800 per unit for a standard fixed skylight with flashing kit. You can find a local installer to provide a customized cost estimate at www.veluxusa.com. In terms of positive energy, the mental and physical health effects of exposure to natural light are well documented. They’re also an effective privacy preserver for bathrooms where you might not want a wall window. Skylight and sun tunnels (skylights that use reflective tubes to bring sunlight into rooms without direct roof access) not only enhance the energy efficiency of your home, they just may make you feel better about living there.

2. Decks

Whether you go for wood or composite, adding a deck is a great way to boost resale value, expand your living space and up your enjoyment of your home environment. On average, homeowners who add a wood deck can expect to recoup more than 80 percent of its cost when it comes time to sell, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2009-2010 Cost vs. Value Report. Composite deck additions return about 71 percent at the time of resale.

3. Kitchens

It makes sense that the room where most families spend the bulk of their time would be a popular remodel – and one that pays off big in terms of value and comfort. Even a minor kitchen remodel – costing about $21,000 – will return about 78 percent of its value on resale, according to Remodeling Magazine. A major kitchen job, costing around $57,200, will recoup about $41,200, or 72 percent.

4. Baths

Whether you’re tackling a major job that involves knocking out walls and changing fixtures, or just making cosmetic improvements like upgrading faucets and repainting, remodeling a bathroom goes straight to the heart of our craving for comfort. Americans view their baths as far more than a place to get clean and take care of other necessities. Even if you’re not creating a home spa, improving the bathroom is sure to boost your home’s resale value and increase your satisfaction with the room. Remodeling Magazine says the average bathroom remodel costs around $16,100 and returns up to 71 percent of that cost at the time of sale.

5. Basement/attic remodel

With more families staying put in the homes they have, rather than moving up to larger homes, many Americans are looking for ways to expand their living space while staying in place. Attic and basement remodels are great ways to add usable, livable space at a fraction of the cost of building an addition. The lingering effects of the Great Recession have multiple generations living together under one roof again, and many of these families create bedrooms, bathrooms or even family rooms in unfinished attic or basement space. Everyone appreciates the extra room, and attic renovations and basement remodeling yield resale returns of 83 percent and 75 percent, respectively, according to the Cost vs.Value Report.

Bathroom Upgrades That Will Freshen the Room and Save You Money

When you sit back to relax in the tub, or take time to preen in front of the bathroom vanity, do you often feel that the setting just isn’t giving you the comforting and spa-like experience you wish you could feel at home?

Sure, you take good care of your bathroom – you’ve scrubbed the faucets to make them as shiny as you can and everything works the way it has for many years. But maybe it’s time you gave your bathroom a refreshing change – one that not only gives you the luxurious feeling of comfort and elegance, but also that benefits your wallet and the environment.

You may be surprised to learn that bathroom showers, toilets and sinks account for about 75 percent of the water used in the home. If you haven’t replaced any of your faucets or toilets for many years, you may be not only struggling with keeping these older fixtures looking clean and fresh, you may also be paying a lot of extra money to keep them running.

Consider your toilet. Older toilets can use as much as 5 gallons of water per flush, while stylish modern toilets are designed to cut that amount by more than a third. And some models, like the new high-efficiency Aquia Wall-Hung Dual Flush HET, which uses TOTO’s Dual-Max flushing system, can use as little as 0.9 gallons per flush. These qualities earn this toilet the EPA WaterSense label for being water efficient. And being wall hung makes sense aesthetically – by hiding the tank in the wall and lifting the toilet from the floor (making cleaning a breeze), you can save a total of 9 inches of precious room space.

Now take a look at your vanity and see your faucet for what it is. If the faucet has been around for many years, excessive use may have corroded some of the metal finish, or even worn away the hot and cold labels. A new faucet would not only freshen the look of the vanity, but also give your bathroom a beautiful new look. Standard bathroom faucets use 2.2 gallons of water per minute, newer models are available that provide the robust drenching needed to clean your hands while only using a modest 1.5 gallons per minute. One is TOTO’s chic Aquia Single Handle High-Efficiency Faucet, available in heights to match your sink selection (undermount, self-rimming, or vessel).

Finally, check out the showerhead in your tub. You may already have upgraded your showerhead once since 1992, when it became a requirement that showerheads use no more than 2.5 gallons per minute. But newer models allow you to save even more water. The average person showers for eight minutes each day, so switching to a high-efficiency showerhead can save a family of four more than 8,700 gallons of water each year and reduce the demand on their water heater, saving them enough energy to power their television for a year. The Nexus High-Efficiency Showerhead from TOTO offers an invigorating showering experience with a responsible 1.75 gallons per minute water volume being consumed – which is a 30 percent savings over the legal limit.

Freshening up your outdated plumbing fixtures is a great step toward creating a spa-like atmosphere in your bathroom. Not only will you be able to enjoy the comfortable and beautiful bath space, but you’ll also know that the changes are benefiting your pocketbook and the environment.

Update Your Kitchen With Under Cabinet Lighting

Adding under cabinet lights to your kitchen is an inexpensive upgrade that makes your kitchen more inviting and more functional, and you don’t have to have a contemporary styled kitchen to enjoy the benefits of this upgrade. Even a traditionally-styled kitchen can easily incorporate under cabinet lights without altering its look because most under cabinet lighting is hidden behind the cabinet valance, and is not seen when it is switched off. This type of kitchen task lighting is available with many types of bulbs, including incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, and xenon bulbs.

Some of the simplest lights for use under kitchen cabinets are “puck” or disk shaped lights that install simply and use small incandescent bulbs. Typically, these lights are housed in polycarbonate and have a polished aluminum reflector to maximize light output. The simplest of these plug in to regular electrical outlets located along the wall or backsplash behind your counter, so even an amateur can install them with little trouble. The biggest challenge is routing the electrical cord so that it is unobtrusive, but you can buy special clips to accomplish this.

Many people choose fluorescent lights for their under cabinet lights. They’re energy efficient, and the bulbs last a long time. These are usually hardwired lights, so either you or your electrician will need to tap into an outlet, but this is an easy install for an electrician (or a DIY-er skilled in electrical work). A lot of fluorescent lights designed for under counter use are rectangular and fairly flat, so that they are completely unobtrusive. Many use mini bi-pin T5 type bulbs, which are fairly inexpensive and rated for about 7,500 hours of use. The main drawback of fluorescent lighting is that it can distort some colors (oranges, reds, and purples).

Halogen lights for under cabinet give off bright light and do not distort colors, and some models are dimmable. They do, however use more electricity than fluorescent or incandescent lights, and they can get quite hot. Because they create extra heat, it’s a good idea not to store food in the cabinet above halogen lights, particularly foods that could soften or melt (brown sugar, chocolate, etc.). Replacement bulbs for halogen lights of this type generally cost from $5 to $15 and are rated for 2,000 hours of use.

Xenon lights also give off bright light and don’t distort colors, and they do not burn as hot as halogen lights. Xenon bulbs are comparable in price to halogen bulbs, but last longer. Also, unlike halogen bulbs, you can handle xenon bulbs with your bare hands, because skin oils do not damage them.

When choosing your under cabinet lights, consider your countertop material. If you have shiny countertops, consider lights with frosted lenses so that you avoid a “spotlight” effect on the countertops. For every four feet of countertop you want to illuminate, choose one 12-inch fixture, or three puck lights. Many designers recommend installing the fixtures toward the front of the cabinets so that they illuminate more of your working surface. And if your cabinets do not have a valance that would hide the under cabinet lights, you can easily find two-inch cabinet molding to fit to the fronts of your cabinets, or you can choose low-profile light fixtures that are barely noticeable.

Cost Effective Ways to Boost Curb Appeal

Anyone who’s ever bought, sold or even just looked at a house can tell you first impressions matter. A house can be filled to the rafters with luxury touches, but if it lacks curb appeal, few potential buyers will ever step in the door to see what’s inside.

With real estate sales still sluggish across the country, curb appeal is taking on a new meaning for many homeowners. While an attractive home exterior can still boost potential resale value, homeowners are also looking at curb appeal as a way to enhance the enjoyment of their homes. Giving the exterior of their home a facelift not only makes the house stand out on the street, it also allows homeowners to “move up” without the expense of remodeling or moving.

Fortunately, many curb appeal-enhancing projects can be cost-effective too, yielding significant improvements for a modest investment.

“Projects can be inexpensive and simple while adding tremendous value and curb appeal,” says Mark Clement, HGTVPro.com how-to expert and host of “MyFixItUpLife.”

If you’re looking for low-cost, high-impact ways to create or improve curb appeal, consider these ideas:

* Make small improvements that have a big impact. Simple touches like repainting the front door, window trim and shutters, planting flowers, and switching outdated light fixtures can create a whole new look. Plus, these simple improvements have the advantage of being scalable. Instead of re-siding the entire house, you can freshen the facade by tackling smaller portions, such as a porch or garage. Later, if you want to continue the improvement, you can re-side other areas of the facade.

* Choose materials that are durable and stylish. Skimping on materials may seem like a great way to save money, but you could end up spending more in the long run if you have to redo a job that was first done with lower quality materials. Purchase the best quality materials you can afford – not only will they look better than cheaper goods, they’ll last longer and provide more enjoyment and value.

* Dress up the exterior with accents. Adding touches like accents to gables, posts and beams, drain chains in place of downspouts or planter boxes made with beautiful, sustainable materials like Western Red Cedar is a great way to improve curb appeal while stretching your budget. Quality materials retain their beauty over time better than cheaper materials.

* Illuminate. Light is a powerful accent, and, thanks to the availability of easy-to-install solar lights, you don’t need to pay a professional to light your landscape. Solar lights – readily available in home improvement stores – provide decorative illumination to driveways, walkways and gardens.

* Introduce shade. Arbors and trellises adorned with flowering vines are not only beautiful in warm months; they’re a great way to add areas of shade to your landscape. They can even be used to block the scorching heat from the afternoon sun from parts of your home’s interior. Building an arbor or trellis is well within the capabilities of most do-it-yourselfers. For free ideas and plans, visit www.wrcla.org.

* Add a splash of color to your landscape with low-maintenance plantings that require little attention. As an added “green” step, consider plants that require less water, too. Your local home extension office can help you identify what types of plants will grow best in your region.

* Think “green.” Whenever possible, choose materials that are truly sustainable, like Western Red Cedar. Sustainable materials are ones that have been harvested and/or manufactured through methods designed to reduce their impact on the environment.

“Natural, long-lasting materials, like real wood, return beauty, durability and value,” Clement says.

DIY-challenged? Three Easy Tricks for Floor to Ceiling

If you’re among the millions of homeowners who’ve decided sprucing up the home you have is more cost-effective than moving into something newer or bigger, you may be looking for some easy ways to improve your living space. If you’re not a seasoned do-it-yourselfer, you could consider calling in the pros – but that would fly in the face of your efforts at frugality.

Transforming a room from floor-to-ceiling isn’t as hard as it may sound, even if you’re DIY-challenged. The job can be simple if you start from the ground and work your way up with these easy DIY tasks:

Floors With Flair

Look down. What’s on the floor under your feet? Are you happy with what you see? If you’re living with stained carpet, shabby vinyl or hardwood that has seen better days, it’s time to make a change. If you were a DIY diva, you could refinish those hardwoods, lay some new carpet or rip out that vinyl with your bare hands. But if you’re a DIY newbie, you can change the look of your floor with a lot less effort and skill.

Cover up crummy carpet with colorful area rugs and strategically arranged furnishings. Mask that vinyl that is so “last-decade” with easy-to-install, self-stick carpet tiles or vinyl tiles. Refinishing a hardwood floor may be beyond your skills, but virtually everyone can wield a paint brush and roller. Simply paint tired wood floors in a neutral color – brown, tan, khaki or even white – to create a fresh-looking foundation for your room decor.

Walls That “Wow”

Painting is one of the easiest ways to freshen up a room, and painting walls really requires no special skills. Pick a new color you love – or simply freshen up the existing color. Hit the paint store and ask the staff there for some tips on how to make the job go smoothly.

Wallpaper is another great way to revive a room’s look, but it’s traditionally considered a job requiring some sophisticated DIY skills. Until now, that is. Mural-maker MuralsYourWay.com now carries a line of wallpaper murals that is virtually DIY foolproof. SmartStick repositionable wall murals are backed with a patented adhesive that allows you to easily place the wallpaper on any flat surface (walls, windows, even doors), pull it down, reposition it, even move it to a different wall. The material does not rip or wrinkle and can even stand up to a trip through the washer and dryer. MuralsYourWay.com carries thousands of murals that can all be printed on SmartStick and customized to fit your wall exactly

Wall murals and wall paper are great ways to dress up a room, and now it’s easier than ever to use this favorite technique of top designers.

Ceilings That Snap

When was the last time you looked up at your ceiling — for any reason other than to change a light bulb? It’s an area of room decor that often gets overlooked, but smart interior designers know ceilings have a big impact on how a room looks and feels.

For your purposes, a little color experimentation can probably go a long way. Fortunately, many paint stores and home improvement warehouses now offer free brochures and paint chips that suggest subtle pairings of appealing wall colors with unexpected ceiling hues. Or, if you prefer to play it safe, simply repaint the ceiling white – it’s one of the fastest, easiest ways to make a room feel bright and new.

You don’t need the DIY-skills of a home improvement show pro to upgrade your home and freshen your decor. You can get the job done with a few simple tricks and a weekend of elbow grease.

Property showcase by Tyson Moroz

This extraordinary walk-out bungalow features over 5000 sq. ft. of living space and is located on a near 1/2 acre lot facing onto the fairway of the Stony Plain Golf Course. The view is spectacular, with large windows that project the perfectly manicured landscape to the south a natural creek that divides you and the neighbors and to the east. You literally have to see it to believe it! This home has rare or even never seen before qualities for a urban home. Let’s begin with the 7-9 custom car attached garage and add to that a rear covered R.V. (coach) parking with full hookups. Once inside the home you’ll be engaged by the cathedral ceilings, oak pillars, 8 appliances in the kitchen, vaulted ceilings, 2 gas fireplaces, built in sound, custom spiraling oak staircase, walkout basement, nanny suite, heated basement and garage floors, exposed aggregate driveway, and so much more. In total this home has 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 1 office/den and everything comes in extra large. In summary it’s not just a gracious home it’s a WAY OF LIFE!  Additional photos and information at www.TysonMoroz.com

Nine Tips for the Perfect Kitchen Remodel

For many home owners, remodeling their kitchens tops the list of home improvement projects – and for several good reasons. Not only is the kitchen the heart of many homes – the center of family activity and home entertaining – but remodeling your kitchen is typically one of the smartest investments, often generating a payback of 80 to 90 percent on the cost of remodel at the time of resale.

With thoughtful planning, remodeling your kitchen is within the capability of many homeowners who want to attempt a do-it-yourself project. But, because the kitchen is so central to most homes, is interconnected with other spaces such as the family and dining rooms, and because there is a fair amount of water (sink, dishwasher, garbage disposal) involved, a kitchen remodel project has the potential of going horribly wrong.

Here are nine tips from The Tile Shop (www.tileshop.com), one of the nation’s largest tile retailers for do-it-yourselfers and kitchen remodeling professionals, on how to create the kitchen of your dreams:

1. Consider how you really use your space. The first step in planning your kitchen remodel is deciding what you want your kitchen to do for you, and how it reflects the way you live. Do you want an intimate place for drinking coffee and reading your daily newspaper, a large spacious kitchen that’s perfect for entertaining, or a space that’s ideal for family projects and homework?

2. Get ideas. Start your planning with a visit to a premium tile or cabinet store that offers displays that show the latest in kitchen design, including the use of floor, wall and countertop materials such as tiles, stone, and granite. Read home improvement magazines, check out kitchen remodeling books from the library, visit friends who have remodeled their kitchens recently and check out model homes to see the latest in kitchen design from today’s homebuilders.

3. Make a plan. Consolidate your ideas and create a remodeling plan and a budget. If you’re going to remodel it yourself, don’t be afraid to seek out information on the latest in remodeling standards. For example, The Tile Shop offers how-to videos on its website, www.tileshop.com, and offers hands-on seminars at its stores. One simple rule of thumb though, no matter how much you budget for, add 20 percent to cover the unexpected costs that come up once you get into your project.

4. Bring it up to code. Check your town or city’s website to review or download building code requirements related to kitchens – in particular codes for plumbing, electrical and windows. Even if you’re doing it yourself, you may need to pull a permit from your local town or city and obtain an inspection(s) for some elements of your project, such as electrical work.

5. Include popular features. Include popular features in your kitchen remodeling project to help at resale time, and to give your kitchen a more contemporary look and feel. Second sinks, custom cabinetry, a second oven or microwave, an island, decorative glass and stone tile, more storage space, better lighting and extra-wide wall tiles are among the most popular features in today’s homes.

6. Respect the “kitchen work triangle”. The No. 1 complaint about most kitchens is that they’re difficult to work in. The kitchen work triangle is that imaginary line between the center of the refrigerator, the center of the cooktop and the center of sink. For maximum efficiency, the total distance of the lines that make up this triangle should be no more than 26 feet.

7. Keep it elegant. Focus on using materials and fixtures that exude quality, warmth, and timelessness. To create an elegant, more spacious look, consider marble or granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, adding more windows, mixing tile textures, sizes, colors, types (natural stone, ceramic, porcelain, glass), and embracing neutral colors and whites.

8. Reduce clutter. Everyone likes a spacious, clean kitchen. For many kitchens, the greatest challenge to achieving more space is cutting the clutter and hiding items that you don’t want to see such as stacks of mail, overflowing junk drawers and cabinets bulging with unused pots and pans. To achieve a less cluttered look, keep the refrigerator door clean, avoid placing appliances too close together and creating tight spaces that are difficult to clean. Use large wall tiles to eliminate grout lines. And add storage to free up valuable counter-top space.

9. Green is in and here to stay. When remodeling your kitchen, consider using fixtures that save water, replace old windows with new energy-efficient windows, and consider installing counter tops, wall tiles and flooring made from recycled materials, such as recycled glass mosaic tile or natural stone products, which act as a natural insulator. Finally, don’t forget to use the opportunity of remodeling to make space to recycle paper, cans, bottles and food scraps.

For more kitchen remodeling tips, visit www.tileshop.com.