By Michael French

With our gasping, struggling economy and Florida’s real estate market, still stuck in reverse, most home owners, are realizing they will be in their homes for the foreseeable future.

Don’t let it get you down. Look at the up side. Mortgage interest, is still a tax deduction. It’s your house! You can paint it purple with black stripes if you want or knock all the walls down to have just one room like a loft. In what other part of your life do you have that many choices or control?

Why not give your home a facelift? Reinventing anything can be an exciting and rewarding experience.

Refreshing your home doesn’t have to be expensive or overwhelming.

Whether it’s a sketch on a cocktail napkin or full-blown architectural plans, some type of planning and design always comes first. Prioritize what’s important you and the area of your home where you want to focus the renovation.

Ensure that you have funding. Be realistic! Actually, it’s better to somewhat over estimate the cost of your renovation. Better to have too much than not enough and will save you from disappointment.

Draw up a simple “yes/no” list of do it yourself projects. Don’t be intimidated by doing things yourself! With some insight, patience and elbow grease, you can have quite a bit of fun too. Learning is always beneficial. Knowledge is power! Besides saving lots of cash, you’ll discover hidden talents about yourself. You’ll also have a great sense of satisfaction knowing you gave your home a new look, with your own hands, exactly the way you wanted to, and, without relying on someone else. Who knows, you may discover you really like doing this kind of thing. It may lead to extra income or even a career change!

It’s very important to have the right tools. The right tool for the job ensures the best results but saves cash because the chance of having to do anything over is vastly reduced. Don’t buy a tile saw just for one project. Go and rent one! When you’re done it goes back to the store, and you’ve saved money and space in your garage. Craig’s list or pawnshops are great sources for used tools.
Do not tackle structural, electric or plumbing projects if you are not skilled. Mistakes are very expensive and can be extremely dangerous.

Get recommendations for contractors from sites on the internet or friends and family, for projects you cannot do yourself. Always make sure the contractor is licensed! Even if he/she shows you one, go to www.myflorida.com and check for the license’s validity. Also, ask to see proof of being bonded and at least insured! These are musts! Never, never pay the total cost of the project up front! This cannot be overemphasized. Typically, agree to give a 20-30 percent down payment in the beginning, ano

ther 30 percent midway, and the final payment after you are satisfied with the results. Also, for obvious reasons do not agree to pay anyone by the hour unless the contractor has already computed the hours prior to the beginning of the project and agreed to a price.

The least expensive facelifts are painting, wall paper and refinishing furniture, mirror frames etc. Anyone addicted to immediate gratification will love the speed and results of both. Instead of buying new furniture, the thrift shops, Craig’s List and Habitat for Humanity stores are chock full of incredible buys!

A friend of mine recently purchased a sleek, Italian leather sofa, chair and ottoman for $300! He reinvented his living room, dining room and master bedroom for under $1500.00! All of it looks brand new and would have cost over $7000 at a retail store.

We are limited only by creativity, imagination and our bank account. While cash on hand is limited, imagination is infinitely unlimited. Use your own sense of style and build the castle you call home.

Michael French, is Agenda’s Home from Home columnist. Contact Michael at mf7954fla@gmail.com