Matching the Project to Your Budget If you're thinking about doing a home improvement project this summer, now is the time to start planning the project -- and the budget. Too often, we wait until the plans are drawn up, only to fall in love with a project that is totally unaffordable. To avoid that fate, decide ahead of time how much you can afford to spend on a particular project, whether it is building a new garage or updating a kitchen or bathroom. Then, take 15 percent of that number, and set it aside for cost overruns. Now, you can start planning a project that falls within your budget rather than fall in love with one that doesn't. Ilyce Glink is the bestselling author of 100 Questions Every First Time Home Buyer Should Ask, and is the Managing Editor of Right at Home Daily. see more>>		Getting Your Warranties While we all hope the work going into a new home will last, we've all encountered the appliance, fixture, flooring, or paint job that goes sour. Barbara Buchholz talks warranties, and the importance of keeping track of what's covered, by whom, and for how long. After closing on your new home, don't be surprised if your first impulse is to pick up a paintbrush. Even if your new condo, townhouse or single family house is in perfect condition, our natural instinct is to make a house our own. Barbara Buchholz, former editor of House & Garden Guides Magazine and co-author of Porch Style and the New Homeowner's Handbook presents some issues to consider before you start. Getting Your Warranties The Truth About Estimates Your Rights as a Contractee How to Find a Contractor Managing the Renovation Writing and Negotiating the Contractor's Contract Finding a Competent Contractor, Architect and Designer Unless you're going to do the work yourself, you'll need to pull together a team of folks to help you. For small jobs, you may only need, say, a painter. But for major jobs, expect to hire a contractor, architect and perhaps even a designer and landscape designer upfront. Lisa Skolnik, city editor for Metropolitan Home magazine and co-author of Porch Style, tells you what to look for. The True Costs of Home Improvements Landscaping and Hardscaping Do It Yourself or Hire a Pro? Should You Renovate or Tear Down and Start From Scratch? Assessing Your Needs vs. Your Wants New curtains, new paint job, new appliances, new light fixtures, and new carpet. The list of things you can do to improve a home is endless. But ask yourself, "What's the budget?" Lisa Skolnik, city editor for Metropolitan Home magazine and co-author of Porch Style and Jim Sulski, real estate development and home improvement contributor for numerous publications including the Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business and Consumer's Digest offer some things to think about when planning and budgeting for your renovation project. Pre-Renovation: Design Plans, Blueprints, and Estimates Financing Your Renovation: Home Equity vs. Construction Loans Ways to Reduce Remodeling Costs How Much Can You Afford to Spend? Building Your Renovation Team Change Orders: How They Affect Your Budget Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.