Dreams of a New Living Space Can Come True

The first step of the remodeling process is what we call the dreaming stage. This is different than the wishing stage...this is where you start your actual internal planning, thinking and mental creating. This is also the stage where your dreaming starts to come out of the shadows and you begin to do your needs and wants evaluations, family discussions, and you start actually looking for outside inspiration and direction. Finding inspiration in design layouts and styles in other people's homes or model homes can get you one step closer to envisioning what your dream home could look like. But there are other places to start looking for inspirations as well. Many homeowners research books, magazines or the Internet to get a spark. The internet is full of resources showing examples of remodels and new construction that should get your creative juices flowing. Check out Houzz.com for one -- they have thousands and you can search by room and by design style.

If you put in the time to research and build a list of what you like—with pictures— you will have a clearer sense of what you want which will making working with your professional design/build professional a much more enjoyable and successful endeavor and will ensure you achieve your goals. Then you can move into actually doing your personal and family evaluation. This dreaming and evaluating stage is really the foundation that the whole remodeling project balances on. You need to know why you are doing it, what you want to get out of it, and what you want it to look like. After that is all done, then you can move on to the next stage of budgeting. So lets get back to evaluating, shall we?

Undoubtedly, your reason for wanting to remodeling was probably one of the following, or very similar.

• You want to make your home more comfortable and attractive.
• Your family is expanding, and you need more room.
• Your home is outdated, and you want to make the style more current.
• Your home is not functional for your lifestyle.
• Your home is in need of repair.

But, whatever the reason, understanding why you want to remodel and by thinking carefully about what you dislike the most about your home right now, you can fully explore what specific improvements to your home will help you overcome those challenges. Also, you will be in a better position to decide if this remodel project will meet your criteria and have the return on your investment you are looking for.

Don't just stop there, however. Turn your dream forward a ways, say 5, 10,15 years from now. Think about such things as:

• Your family dynamics ... will they expand or contract?
• How you may need to address changes to your family’s physical capabilities in time, such as aging in place conveniences.
• Your finances and how much you’re comfortable saving to pay for your remodel ... will change over time?
• The impact of the remodel on the environment or your energy usage. Is "green" an option to consider?
• Your neighborhood and comparable property values. Will this overprice you in the neighborhood?
• Technology and the role it plays in your everyday life.
• Needs versus wants; wants versus desires.
• Where to save costs and where extra costs will pay off over the long-term. Are you saving a dollar today that will cost you $5 in ten years?

Ok, now you've taken the time to dream, brought you ideas out into the sunshine, thought about what you want done, why and what you want to achieve with the project, and have some ideas of what you want the remodel to look like. You most likely have given yourself the GO! decision. Excellent! Next time, we will talk about setting a budget for the project. For now, lets just kick back and dream a little more about how gorgeous and relaxing that new room is going to be. Can't you just picture yourself in it? Ahhh.