All of us have imagined what our dream home would look like. Perhaps your dream home has a white picket fence or maybe you dream of a gourmet kitchen. Whatever your dream chances are that your pocketbook has a lot to do with keeping you from attaining what you wish for. For this reason it is not uncommon for a remodel to turn into an emotional quest to transform your current home into your dream home. However you must realize and remain ever aware of the fact that this may not be an attainable goal at the present time.

Now that you have reality on your side the first and most important thing that you need to do before anything else is to establish a budget. Determine how much you are willing to spend and then do your homework to determine how much various remodeling projects will cost. Obviously you will want to get the biggest bang for your buck. So here are just a few tips of what you should not replace when remodeling if cost is an issue. Remember that these are simply suggestions and that it is ultimately up to you as the homeowner to decide where you want to spend your money.

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The hardware in your home has a lot to do with the appearance of your cabinet doors and drawers in every room in your home. There are a lot of things to think about when you are replacing the hardware in your home. Here are a few tips that may help you with your hardware project

How much work do you want to do? If you are like most of us you will want to keep the work on your part down to a minimum. Remove a piece of hardware from the cabinets or drawers or both, one of each different kind that you want to replace. You will need to take this with you. If you want to keep the extra work as minimal as possible use the existing hardware to choose the new hardware you would like to replace it with. You will need to make sure that the hinges, knobs, or handles that you are purchasing will fit in the now vacant holes. This will prevent you from having to create new holes to accommodate the new hardware. If the handle that you are trying to replace has two bolts to attach it to the door or drawer, you will need to ensure that the new handles also have two bolts and that they are the same distance apart and the same diameter in size. It is possible that the new hardware bolts may not be long enough when you get them home, usually you can substitute the old bolts on the new hardware.

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A septic system is a widely used form of disposing of waste, and is a great option for any home, especially homes that can not connect to a public sewage system. The problem with septic systems is that they are buried, so they can not be inspected and tested very easily. And, if there is a problem with your septic system it can be very costly to repair as it requires a lot of work. So, if you are buying a home with a septic tank and drain field, here's what you need to do, as succinctly as possible. There are 5 steps total: Steps 1 and 2 are essential. Step 3 is usually a good idea. Step 4 depends on the results of steps 1,2,3 but is usually a good idea. Step 5 is not usually done but might be necessary, and is not a bad idea if you're being really thorough. So, take the time to at least read through these steps and know what you should do if you are planning to purchase a home with an existing septic system:

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Why do you need a home appraisal? A home appraisal is an important factor of the home buying and building process. In order to borrow money from a lender, the home has to be appraised to be as valuable as the sum being borrowed. A lender can't lend you more money than the property and home you will be using it on is worth. Thus, due to this fact, someone has to come out and "appraise" the home, or if you are planning to build the home, the plans and specs will need to be appraised. You will need to have a certified appraiser come out and determine how much your house is worth? How does an appraiser come up with the number they do from their home appraisal? Well, it is a process.

A home appraiser is paid for their opinion, backed up by some fact, or what your home is worth. A home appraisal is not always set in stone, and seems to magically come in right about where you need it to.

Home Appraisal Factors

The value the appraiser puts on your home is determined by various factors. One is the square footage, and bedroom and bathroom numbers. Others include the lot size, etc. How clean (tidy and organized) your house is does not make a difference in the value the appraiser puts on the home, other than a cleaner, tidier house makes a better impression. However, amenities and features are the factors that determine the number, not how clean the toilet is.

The next big factor of a home appraisal is the comps. What is a comp? A comp, or in other words, a comparable, is a way that a home appraiser can get an idea of the "market value" of the home. The cost of a home to build differs significantly from the "value" of the home. So, a comparable is the sales price of homes in the same area that have the same features--square feet, beds, baths, style, or type. These comparables can make a huge difference in what a home appraisal will come in at. When an appraiser makes a home appraisal they take your home and find homes in the area that are similar to yours, and that have sold recently (in a medium market this would mean homes that have sold in the past 6 months or so), and compare them. The goal of the appraiser is to find homes in the area that are similar to yours that have sold at or around the price you are looking for in your home appraisal.

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Building homes becomes more and more expensive each year as lot prices raise, and materials become scarce. Sometimes it takes months to get a foundation laid because of a cement shortage. With the rising costs of homes, many people looking to build are seeking alternatives to the traditional stick built methods. Manufactured homes are a great alternative for a variety of reasons, one of which is time. When you build a home the interest clock is always ticking, a manufactured home can be assembled and dried in in a day or two, saving you lots of time, money, and labor. Also, with new technology and upgrades, the quality of manufactured homes, even if it is just manufactured portions of homes, is greatly increasing. Stick built is still more popular, but manufactured is finding its niche.

Manufactured Home Dealers

So, if you decide you want to go the manufactured route, how do you find a good retailer? One way is to ask existing homeowners for recommendations. If you do not know anyone with a manufactured home, you can contact your state manufactured housing association for the names and addresses of manufacturers and retailers in your area, or check the Yellow Page listings under manufactured or "mobile" homes.
Manufactured homes does not mean mobile homes, or trailers, in fact, many manufactured homes are identical to stick built, and you would not know the difference by looking at them. They are less popular, but viable options, and with increasing technology, the boxy, small shapes are no longer your only option for these homes, especially if you should choose to assemble the pieces rather than have it delivered whole.
Most manufactured homes are sold through retail sales centers, some of which can be found online, others in the phone directory. Many of these sales centers are independently owned and operated, others are owned and operated by a manufacturer. Why am I telling you this?

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Doing a radon home test is a smart idea. Why Do You Need to Test for Radon? Well, first of all, you and your home are not immune to the possibility of having radon gas. Infact, radon has been found in homes all over the U.S.

The problem with Radon Gas

What is the problem with radon? Radon is a radioactive gas, it comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Radon can also enter your home through well water. Your home can trap radon inside.
Do not think that just because your home is new, or you just built it that it doesn't have a radon problem, conducting a radon home test is a great way to find out, especially because any home can have a radon problem.

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Homeowners insurance is a type of insurance you purchase when you purchase or build a home. It is not hard to find as it is available online and off. You can go to a search engine on the Internet and get multiple sources for insurance, or a simple flip through the yellow pages of the telephone directory will show you the company offices located in your area.

Home owner Insurance Quote

It is not difficult to obtain homeowner's insurance, but it is important to do so, and most lenders require it. There are tons of companies online that you don't even have to talk to an agent to request a free quote to meet your needs, you simply type in some info, and whala, the quote is sent to you.
In general, a homeowner's insurance policy is a package deal with different types of insurance under the same policy. What does this mean? Basically it means you get coverage for the structure of the home and any outbuildings on the property as well as coverage for the contents of the home, and usually for liability as well. It is important to note that you can also have special insurance for anything of value that would not come under the heading of contents, such as jewelry and antiques. You can also have special insurance that protects your home in the event of floods or earthquakes as a basic homeowner's insurance policy does not cover these, usually just fire. The amount of coverage and the special insurances you want will determine the premium for the policy, but these are important to consider as you look into homeowner's insurance.

Choosing Homeowners Insurance

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Determine The Real Cost Of The Property

Before you buy a property, determine the actual cost of the lot vs. the listed price of the lot. What do I mean by this? You may think that a lot is a great price, and that you are going to save a whole bunch of money by buying this lot over another lot, and building there. However, this may or may not be the case. For example, one lot may be several thousand dollars cheaper, but if you have to put in a new water well and a septic system, you need to add that to the price. Check all of those types of things, and get estimates for everything from utility hookups to tree removal so you have a clear idea of what the lot will actually cost you, before you buy it!

Once you have determined your bottom line on the cost of the building site (purchase price, soil removal or additions, utility hook ups, water, septic, tree removal etc.) it is time to determine if it is worth that price. Don't let cost determine value. You want to save some money, and to do that you have to find a lot that will be a good price, but that will be a good value as well.

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When you build your house, you start by marking out where things are to be on the lot. You will want to locate all of the structures, and mark them with stakes, and you will want to plan carefully for your utilities. You have surveyed and marked the edges of your property, now it is time to mark where the house or structures (garage, sheds etc.) are going to be. The larger the lot, the less exact you have to be. You are basically doing this so that you do not build where you aren't supposed to. You will be marking the corners and edges with stakes. But because stakes are easily moved, you will want to double check any measurements before you start pouring foundation etc. It is not unheard of for children to play on a building site and move stakes. But don't let that cause you grief, just double check.

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You have a lot picked out and purchased, you have your blueprints for your house, and you have the materials waiting. Now what do you do? You look carefully at your lot and decide where the best place to put your house is on the lot you bought.

So what do you consider?

Views:
If there is a good view from your lot, that is going to really help you decide where to put your house, and could save you a whole lot of time in making a decision...you want it facing the view! Even if it means you flip-flop your house, because the view is off the back of the lot, you will want your main rooms (living room, family room, kitchen, and master bedroom) to be oriented to face the view. Otherwise you might be wasting one of the best features of the lot.

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