06-29-09.html

(BUILDING AND REMODELING IN TODAY’S ECONOMY)

It’s amazing how fast time passes! Six years ago, “THE Survival Guide: Home Remodeling” won the NABE award for best how-to book. In the first chapter, I asked homeowners to think about whether they wanted to move to a new home, or book cover

remodel their existing home. Everything has changed drastically since September, 2003. The economy has changed severely since September, 2008, beginning with major financial institutions’ failure that has ultimately touched every American family. You’ve been hearing and reading news reports about the economy’s impact on your home’s value, and the difficulty obtaining home construction and improvement loans. Mark Twain’s wise words from the last century are relevant to our current economy:

“A banker is a fellow who lends his own umbrella
when the sun is shining and wants it back the
minute it begins to rain.”

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (Sir Isaac Newton) -OR- "For every negative thought, there is a corresponding positive thought" (Plesset’s Principles®). In this newsletter, we are going to explore the positive side of the economic situation, and what you can do now, to prepare for your building or renovation project. Planning for the future can be a positive antidote for the present, as long as your planning involves logical steps.

The question I hear very often is, “What can I do? I want to remodel (build) my home, but I’m afraid to go ahead.” The simple answer in one word: “Plan.” Now is the perfect time for you to plan. Here is what you can do right now, to prepare for your future:

• Set up a file folder for your project, to keep magazine pictures and other information in a convenient place (remember to date everything).

• Get a reliable estimate for your home’s current value

• Contact a real estate specialist that you know, or get referrals from neighbors and friends (the agent should be familiar with your neighborhood).
• Look for “comps” (real estate listings in your newspaper and on the internet -- see quick link at left).
• Contact the assessor’s office to get information they may have.

• Make a comprehensive “wish list” of everything you want to incorporate in your project.

• Include special appliances, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, or finishes that are a high priority.
• Remember structural components such as doors, windows, walls, and roofing that will be included in your project.
• My “Homeowner Survey” is available as a Special Report, to make it easier for you to define your priorities -- available immediately.

• Decide when you want to build or remodel.

• If you want your project to be finished by Thanksgiving in 2009, you are on a very fast track, and need to start making decisions now (order my Special Report, “Recipe for Disaster: Remodeling for Special Occasions”).
• If you want your project to be finished in 2010 or 2011, you have more time to make good decisions.

• Calculate the square footage (length x width) of the area you want to remodel, rounded up to the nearest foot, or guesstimate the size of your new home (number of bedrooms, bathrooms, size of the garage, and special-purpose rooms).

• The calculation, and your “wish list” will help you talk knowledgeably with design professionals and contractors.
• Define a preliminary budget using per-square-foot and historical averages for similar projects (available in a Special Report I’ve prepared).

• Call two or three contractors in your area, to get their input about your target budget and time frame. Referrals from neighbors, friends, family, and business associates are more reliable than advertisements.

• Remodeling your home: The contractors may want to see your home before they prepare an estimate for remodeling.
• Building your home: The contractors will want to see the property and preliminary plans, if you have them.
• Ask lots of questions, to discover whether a contractor is right for you (see my Special Reports below).
• HINT: Do not expect a written, detailed estimate until you have preliminary plans.

• Compare the estimates to your target budget, and remember to add a contingency allowance (between 15% and 25%) for overlooked items and unforeseen issues.

• Contact your banker to get information about the availability of home equity and construction loans (many financial institutions have relaxed restrictions).

• You can decide to put the project on hold for three months (schedule a reminder in your calendar to follow up), or
• You can move ahead with the first phase of your project, getting a preliminary plan.

The next logical step (whether you’re building or remodeling this year, or later) is to contact a design professional and establish a working relationship, using my Special Report “How to Qualify a Design Professional” as a guideline. It’s important to have preliminary plans, and information about products you want to include, so contractors can give you better estimates. Plans (and specifications) are the road map that everyone uses, to help you get to your destination without getting confused, lost, or frustrated.

“Good plans shape good decisions. That's
why good planning helps to make elusive
dreams come true.”

Lester Robert Bittel, Writer

To order any (or all) of the Special Reports below, simply copy and paste the titles you want to order into a reply e-mail (see quick link at left), and we’ll send a confirmation of your order through our PayPal account. These reports normally sell for $9.95 each through my website, but I’m reducing the price to $7.95 each for newsletter subscribers. If you order all five reports, I’m offering a special one-time discounted price of $34.95 through July 15, 2009! Reply today, to get valuable information that will save you money, make your home building or renovation easier, and get you better results!

•    Homeowner Survey:
    •    Why you want to remodel
    •    What you want to include
•    How to Establish a Preliminary Budget
•    How to Qualify a Contractor
•    How to Qualify a Design Professional
•    What’s Included in the Design Process

My first book, which won the 2003 NABE award, “THE Survival Guide: Home Remodeling” is selling as well as ever at amazon.com (we just sent another shipment to book cover

Amazon for books they’ve sold recently). Last year, I decided to replace it with my new e-book, “THE Survival Guide: Home Building and Remodeling,” because there have been so many changes in technology and the economy since 2003. It’s packed with vital information about the building and remodeling process, bathroom and kitchen considerations, green construction, and aging-in-place guidelines, plus the most comprehensive glossary you’ll see anywhere (to help you understand construction lingo, and communicate with everyone working on your project. Pre-order your copy today, and I will send it to you as soon as final editing is complete (deadline: the week of July 25, 2009).

"What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
Napoleon Hill, American Author

Please visit my website: http://www.dp-design.com, and take a look at the full line of information products and personalized consulting and design services I offer.

IN THIS ISSUE: Prepare For Your Future			Dear [dear]: Thank you, again, for signing up to receive our weekly interactive newsletter, "Plesset's Principles for Today's Home®". June has been a busy month for us! The response to our newsletter has been fantastic! Our three “fur persons” are shedding winter coats minute by minute (that’s our price for adopting Persians). Hope you are enjoying the first days of what will be a great summer for you. Reminder: Please send your building or remodeling questions, to be used in upcoming newsletters and teleseminars. The newsletter e-mail address is: Q@dp-design.com. If your questions are used, you will receive a special thank-you gift from Yours Truly! With Inspired Ideas for Your Home,
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		Plesset's Principles for Today's Home® PREPARE FOR YOUR FUTURE IN EIGHT EASY STEPS (BUILDING AND REMODELING IN TODAY’S ECONOMY) It’s amazing how fast time passes! Six years ago, “THE Survival Guide: Home Remodeling” won the NABE award for best how-to book. In the first chapter, I asked homeowners to think about whether they wanted to move to a new home, or remodel their existing home. Everything has changed drastically since September, 2003. The economy has changed severely since September, 2008, beginning with major financial institutions’ failure that has ultimately touched every American family. You’ve been hearing and reading news reports about the economy’s impact on your home’s value, and the difficulty obtaining home construction and improvement loans. Mark Twain’s wise words from the last century are relevant to our current economy: “A banker is a fellow who lends his own umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain.” "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (Sir Isaac Newton) -OR- "For every negative thought, there is a corresponding positive thought" (Plesset’s Principles®). In this newsletter, we are going to explore the positive side of the economic situation, and what you can do now, to prepare for your building or renovation project. Planning for the future can be a positive antidote for the present, as long as your planning involves logical steps. The question I hear very often is, “What can I do? I want to remodel (build) my home, but I’m afraid to go ahead.” The simple answer in one word: “Plan.” Now is the perfect time for you to plan. Here is what you can do right now, to prepare for your future: • Set up a file folder for your project, to keep magazine pictures and other information in a convenient place (remember to date everything). • Get a reliable estimate for your home’s current value • Contact a real estate specialist that you know, or get referrals from neighbors and friends (the agent should be familiar with your neighborhood). • Look for “comps” (real estate listings in your newspaper and on the internet -- see quick link at left). • Contact the assessor’s office to get information they may have. • Make a comprehensive “wish list” of everything you want to incorporate in your project. • Include special appliances, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, or finishes that are a high priority. • Remember structural components such as doors, windows, walls, and roofing that will be included in your project. • My “Homeowner Survey” is available as a Special Report, to make it easier for you to define your priorities -- available immediately. • Decide when you want to build or remodel. • If you want your project to be finished by Thanksgiving in 2009, you are on a very fast track, and need to start making decisions now (order my Special Report, “Recipe for Disaster: Remodeling for Special Occasions”). • If you want your project to be finished in 2010 or 2011, you have more time to make good decisions. • Calculate the square footage (length x width) of the area you want to remodel, rounded up to the nearest foot, or guesstimate the size of your new home (number of bedrooms, bathrooms, size of the garage, and special-purpose rooms). • The calculation, and your “wish list” will help you talk knowledgeably with design professionals and contractors. • Define a preliminary budget using per-square-foot and historical averages for similar projects (available in a Special Report I’ve prepared). • Call two or three contractors in your area, to get their input about your target budget and time frame. Referrals from neighbors, friends, family, and business associates are more reliable than advertisements. • Remodeling your home: The contractors may want to see your home before they prepare an estimate for remodeling. • Building your home: The contractors will want to see the property and preliminary plans, if you have them. • Ask lots of questions, to discover whether a contractor is right for you (see my Special Reports below). • HINT: Do not expect a written, detailed estimate until you have preliminary plans. • Compare the estimates to your target budget, and remember to add a contingency allowance (between 15% and 25%) for overlooked items and unforeseen issues. • Contact your banker to get information about the availability of home equity and construction loans (many financial institutions have relaxed restrictions). • You can decide to put the project on hold for three months (schedule a reminder in your calendar to follow up), or • You can move ahead with the first phase of your project, getting a preliminary plan. The next logical step (whether you’re building or remodeling this year, or later) is to contact a design professional and establish a working relationship, using my Special Report “How to Qualify a Design Professional” as a guideline. It’s important to have preliminary plans, and information about products you want to include, so contractors can give you better estimates. Plans (and specifications) are the road map that everyone uses, to help you get to your destination without getting confused, lost, or frustrated. “Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.” Lester Robert Bittel, Writer To order any (or all) of the Special Reports below, simply copy and paste the titles you want to order into a reply e-mail (see quick link at left), and we’ll send a confirmation of your order through our PayPal account. These reports normally sell for $9.95 each through my website, but I’m reducing the price to $7.95 each for newsletter subscribers. If you order all five reports, I’m offering a special one-time discounted price of $34.95 through July 15, 2009! Reply today, to get valuable information that will save you money, make your home building or renovation easier, and get you better results! • Homeowner Survey: • Why you want to remodel • What you want to include • How to Establish a Preliminary Budget • How to Qualify a Contractor • How to Qualify a Design Professional • What’s Included in the Design Process My first book, which won the 2003 NABE award, “THE Survival Guide: Home Remodeling” is selling as well as ever at amazon.com (we just sent another shipment to Amazon for books they’ve sold recently). Last year, I decided to replace it with my new e-book, “THE Survival Guide: Home Building and Remodeling,” because there have been so many changes in technology and the economy since 2003. It’s packed with vital information about the building and remodeling process, bathroom and kitchen considerations, green construction, and aging-in-place guidelines, plus the most comprehensive glossary you’ll see anywhere (to help you understand construction lingo, and communicate with everyone working on your project. Pre-order your copy today, and I will send it to you as soon as final editing is complete (deadline: the week of July 25, 2009). "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Napoleon Hill, American Author Please visit my website: http://www.dp-design.com, and take a look at the full line of information products and personalized consulting and design services I offer.
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		ABOUT DIANE Diane established D. P. Design in April of 1984, to help homeowners, like you, achieve the best building and remodeling experience with her personalized consulting, design services, seminars, books, and articles. She is a homeowner advocate, an award-winning designer and author, and former co-host of a weekly radio program. "Plesset's Principles for Today's Home®" is another avenue for Diane to express her passion for helping people, using her God-given talents, education, and experience to provide "Inspired Ideas for Your Home®". She is one of about 150 designers in the United States with multiple certifications as a Master Kitchen-Bath Designer, Interior Designer, and Aging-in-Place Specialist. She can help you achieve your building or remodeling goals. Feel welcome to request more information, or visit Diane's website. You are welcome to share this newsletter. We request that you copy and paste it in its entirety, including Diane's bio.
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		DIANE PLESSET, CMKBD, NCIDQ #13029, C.A.P.S. D. P. DESIGN P.O. Box 1132 Oregon City, OR. 97045 © 2009 D. P. Design - All Rights Reserved
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