one year. This has been driven largely by the effects of the recession, which led many people to try to cut costs where they could and take on projects themselves rather than hiring costly contractors. Even in the current market, with home prices going back up and homes moving off the market quickly in many places, remodeling can still be a wise decision. The improvements may help set your home apart from the pack if and when you choose to sell. Or you may find that while your home will already sell quickly and for a good price, you still can’t quite afford the upgrade home you want, and it would help both your current standard of living and the future resale value to improve the property. It makes sense that if your home is increasing in value, the values of the homes you are looking at will also be rising; you are not alone in deciding to remodel. However, then comes the hard part — deciding what to do and howmuch to spend. There are myriad factors to consider. How long do you plan on staying in the house? What is your budget? What kind of projects do you need done the most? Or rather, what about your house drives you the craziest? How long you plan to remain in the house is perhaps the most important of those questions. The less time you expect to spend there, the less time you have to spend enjoying the fruits of your hard work. It also means that you are going to need to have some money left over when the time comes to move. In such a case, you are going to want to focus on the projects that give you the biggest Return on Investment (ROI). For example, simple and relatively inexpensive things like replacing old doors and windows can have a return of 100% or more in the right market. Amajor remodel of a kitchen or basement will generally bring less than a 100% ROI. The goal of this book is to show you that it is possible to remodel for both personal satisfaction in your home and for increased value should you decide to sell, and to help you decide where and how to best spend your money so that you get the most out of your hard work. Now, before you go off and start planning that $20,000-bathroom renovation, it is important that you do your research beforehand to make sure that you are going to get the best possible results.
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