"Dream It" Home Remodeling Checklist

Remodeling is an important and exciting decision for any homeowner.  Whether you’re looking to expand a family room or add square footage to better suit a change in lifestyle, the following suggestions can help you begin to envision your new living space:

Things to remember when preparing for a home remodel:

• Create a “remodeling wish list” for design and functional features you want to add or update in your current space.  Break the list into the following categories: “must include,” “if practical,” “absolutely not,” and “what if.”  The “what ifs” will ultimately require further consideration at a later date.
• Think about how the remodeled space will integrate into your current space.  Don’t forget to consider how the changes will affect or redirect traffic patterns and furniture placement throughout the new space as well as in adjacent rooms.
• Create your own “dream home idea binder,” and fill it with magazine clippings, pictures and design elements that inspire you.  Don’t forget to consider new products or trends (e.g., a hide-away TV in the kitchen) which you might like to include in your own home remodel.
• Venture online to explore the wealth of home remodeling and designing tips, products and services.  Bookmark web sites or download pictures to add them to your “dream home idea binder.”
• Talk with friends who have remodeled their homes about which design elements they included and why.  Which elements did they not add? Are there any items they now wish they had included?
  
• Tour model homes in communities where new phases are opening as these homebuilders typically showcase the latest design and lifestyle trends.
• Attend local home improvement and design trade shows for fresh ideas, inspiration and new product offerings.  You can collect a great deal of information and ideas in a minimum amount of time.

General Contractor Checklist - Remodeling Preparation Checklist - Kitchen Remodeling Checklist