Home building costs can often be a challenge to control when you've got so many variables in the building or remodeling project. You can avoid overages or, at least, keep them at a minimum if you are armed with some valuable advice.

When planning your build, pad your budget with a 15 percent Contingency Fund. This fund will enable you to pay for overages you have no control over, like unknowns behind walls and ceilings and problems found once excavation commences.

You may not be able to avoid all of them, but you can certainly keep overages under a certain amount of control if you consider the following tips and tricks.

Home Size, Style and Shape -

If you are building your dream home, these are three of the most significant factors that contribute to your bottom line - size, style and shape.

* As a rule, size your home in increments of two feet in order to reduce wasted material. In addition, industry experts advise that your home be built no deeper than 32 feet in order to eliminate the need for custom-made trusses. This will also reduce your expenses.

* Typically, the cost to build a multi-story home is less than building a ranch home with equivalent square footage. Multi-level homes have smaller roofs and foundations, and plumbing and ventilation are built more compact. Roofs and foundations can be quite expensive when building a ranch with equal square footage.

* The cost and need for labor and materials will increase the more corners and angles you build into the home, so you'll want to consider the shape when building your initial plan. A square or rectangular home costs less to build than homes with others shapes - e.g. L-shaped, round, octagonal, etc.

Before You Begin - Plan

* Plan your buildings costs. Take time to put your plan on paper.
* Itemize every activity you think will be involved in the project and every product you think you'll have to purchase to complete it.
* Visit home improvement stores and obtain pricing for all items you believe you'll need.
* Add all your projected expenses up and include the total in your budget.

Before You Sign - Specify

* Make sure you have an architectural plan or very specific drawing and measurements of your new build to eliminate as much gray area as possible.
* If you want specific products to be used in the build, state your requirements to the contractor and make sure that they are included in the contract for bid before signing.
* If you expect granite countertops, but only state high-end countertops, you can't expect your contractor to accommodate your request. You must be specific.
* Make sure language is included to reflect that all building permits will be obtained by your contractor.
* Make sure language is included in the contract that requires the contractor to be responsible for all costs associated with removal of demolition performed in the project.

Before Work Begins -

* If the contractor you use is reputable, he should obtain the appropriate permits with local authorities.
* Don't let the project proceed until you know that all permits have been obtained and are posted where required.

Contractor Change Orders - Beware

* This is the primary reason that projects experience overruns.
* A change order typically increases the cost of your build. If you agree to the change order and the associated expense, you are responsible to pay for it.
* If the change order is an expense incurred due to the contractor creating it, then you should not agree nor should you be held responsible for the cost - i.e., contractor accidentally tears down a wall not in the original bid or causes damage to your property while working the project.
* Be aware of your contract and the condition of your project along the way, so that you will immediately notice issues that come up for which the contractor should be responsible.
* Keep in mind that some change orders may require local officials to revisit the project to approve modifications.

Most Common Milestones for Overruns

Historically, there are two most common milestones when your building project will experience an overrun if building a new home or adding on a new room to your existing home.

Beginning of Project -

* When excavating and installing a well, if necessary, overruns are often experienced due to the terrain.
* If your contractor hits unusually rocky ground, it will take longer for him to excavate and will cost you more out-of-pocket.
* If drilling a well, it is not always known how deep it will be necessary to dig before finding water.

End of Project -

* Wrapping up the final touches to your countertops, cabinets, lighting, plumbing, flooring, electrical and other aspects to the project.
* Again, take time to shop around for all these items, price them, include them in the cost for your project, and deviate as little as possible.
* If you have excess from your Contingency Fund, you can always tap into it for extras at the end.

It's almost impossible to avert all overages in a building project; however, if you plan up front and keep your eyes open along the way, you could reduce and eliminate the most costly ones.

Ki lives and works in Austin Texas and works in Austin Texas real estate as a realtor and investor. He has a website to help buyers seamlessly perform an Austin home search online. He also writes a monthly blog covering Austin real estate with statistics and market updates.

There are some home renovations that really should be left to a professional. Finding a good contractor that is trustworthy and dependable can sometimes be a challenge, but with some preparation it can be done.

Before accepting to work with a contractor, ask for a list of references. Ideally, the list will be fairly long, and not rigged towards a few happy customers. Call these references, skipping around from recent customers to older ones to see how the work has held up. If possible, visit one of the remodel sites in person. Ask about the quality of the work, and if the contractor stayed on budget and finished in a timely manner. Also, check how the contractor dealt with problems that arose, and if the reference would use him again.

A good contractor is one that the client feels comfortable speaking with. He should have clear solutions to your remodeling ideas. The contractor may be in your house for an extended period of time, and some problems will arise, so having good chemistry with this person is key to having a positive remodeling experience.

After getting a few different bids, do not base the job on lowest price alone. Read the details of the bid. It’s possible that if the cost for materials is cheaper than other bids, it could be an inferior product that won’t last. If one bid is significantly lower than the others, the contractor could desperate and his workmanship may be poor.

Make sure that the contractor is a professional. Verify he has workman’s compensation insurance in case a worker is injured in the home, and general liability insurance for any damage that might accidentally happen to house. Major remodeling improvements legally require a building permit so inspectors will check over the contractor’s work. Make sure the contractor applies for these permits. Certain industries allow contractors to get professional designations, such as Certified Remodeler and Graduate Certified Remodeler. Check if the contractor is part of any trade association, as they are more likely to be keeping up with current industry standards and practices.

Once a contractor is chosen, it’s good to have a contract written up so there is no confusion during the actual remodel. The contract should have the starting and projected ending dates, as well as a payment schedule which details when payment is due, and how much each payment will be. Usually, certain amounts will be paid after particular milestones are completed in the project. Also, have the contractor put any warranties he offers into the contract. Outline which duties the contractor or the homeowner will perform, such as cleanup when the job is completed, in the contract to avoid butting heads when the time comes.

Though a contractor may be needed for large remodel jobs, a homeowner can save money along the way by doing some of the low level work, such as painting walls or ceilings. Some contractors will allow the homeowner to pick up materials, such as lumber, toilets, flooring, etc, which would have been added as a surcharge on the final bill.

After some research, well thought out questions, and open communication, landing the perfect contractor for those large remodeling jobs can be achieved.

Ki operates as a real estate broker in Austin Texas. His site is filled with information about Austin real estate along with providing visitors information about mortgage interest rates along with a graphical search of the Austin MLS.

One of the most cost effective ways to renovate your home is to “do-it-yourself.” From sanding and painting to digging and planting, there are many projects that a determined homeowner can accomplish. There are some jobs, however, that are better left to the professionals. These jobs are too heavy, too labor intensive or require specialized tools and skills.

Case in point: installing new granite countertops. The weight of the granite alone is enough to send anyone running to a phone to call for professional help. If you have new countertops on the way complete with the manpower do get it done, you are probably thinking you get the day off. But don’t lay down your tools just yet. There is a way to cut costs on this otherwise costly project—by doing the demo work yourself. Some contractors charge as much as $550 to remove the old countertops, a relatively easy job that even the most inexperienced handyman can handle.

First, remove all the drawers from your cabinets. This makes it much easier to gain access to your work area. You will also need to remove the contents of your cabinets so you can get underneath to work. Fortunately, these are things you will need to do before your new counters are installed anyway, so you are already ahead of the game.

It will also be necessary to remove your old sink. To do this, simply detach the plumbing from the drains and faucet (don’t forget to turn the water supply off), and remove the fasteners from the underside of the sink. There will be some sealant around the edge of the sink, but it should easily lift from the countertop.

If you look at your existing laminate countertops, you will see that they are in sections. Each section is attached to the cabinet base by screws drilled through the underside of the countertop. The next step to removing the old countertops is removing all these screws. This requires getting down on the floor and inside the cabinets at all kinds of uncomfortable angles. Luckily, a power screwdriver can speed this process along (although a manual screwdriver may still be needed for those hard to get to angles).

Next, remove the sealant from the edge of the backsplash. You can use a putty knife or screwdriver to do this. Be careful to remove as much as you can from any surface that you plan to save, so that when you pull off the counters, it doesn’t damage the wall.

Before you try to remove the countertops, make sure you have removed any outlet covers that may be attached to your backsplash. Also, keep in mind that there may be some glue adhering the backsplash to the wall, requiring a little more elbow grease to remove.

Finally, you are ready to take the old counters off. Have someone assist you with the lifting and removal. If you have trouble getting a section off, double check that all your screws have been removed. If the backsplash adhesive is giving you trouble, try sliding a putty knife behind the backsplash to break the bond.

Now your old counters are gone, your kitchen is ready for the new ones, and you saved yourself a little money. Now, all that’s left to do is watch the professionals get to work.

Ki helps individuals looking for houses in the Austin real estate market. His site has information on mortgage interest rates along with a graphical search of the Austin MLS.

Putting in a flowerbed is a great way to add a splash of color and charm to your lawn, and turn an ordinary yard into a place to stop and smell the roses. All it takes is a little dirt work and a weekend afternoon, and you’ll be ready to plant azaleas and daisies to your heart’s content.

The first step is to decide the “where and how big?” question. There are a few things to keep in mind when making these choices, such as proximity to a water faucet (Or whether you need to buy a new, longer hose), what types of flowers you want to plant (Do they need full-sun or shade? Keep in mind that if your location will receive less than six-hours a day of sun, you will need to choose shade varieties of flowers, while more than six hours of sun requires sun-loving varieties), and how much time you want to commit to maintenance (Weeds love flowerbeds, too, and a smaller flowerbed means less to weed). Once you have chosen a location, you can mark the perimeter of the flowerbed using string or a hose. This provides a great visual that can easily be adjusted before you commit to digging.

After you have the flowerbed marked out exactly how you want it to be, it’s time to start digging. Use a shovel or spade to cut through the sod and remove the grass and roots from the flowerbed area. Take your time--this can be backbreaking work! Make sure you put all the sod into a wheelbarrow or bucket and dispose of away from your work-zone, or your flowerbed will inevitably revert back to its origin as part of your lawn.

Once you have the sod removed, surround the flowerbed with whatever edging you have chosen. There are lots of options, from brick, stone, and pavers, to landscaping timbers and vinyl. You will need to dig down a few inches to install your flowerbed perimeter, depending on your edging choice, in order to imbed the edging and ensure stability. If the soil is especially bad in your yard, it can be easier to build your flowerbed edging up and add garden soil, creating a raised flowerbed, than to dig the existing ground and amend the soil.

Now that the edging is installed, it’s time to prepare the dirt. If your flowerbed is raised, this is just a matter of filling it in with garden soil, humus and organic compost, and mixing with either a tiller or turning it over by hand with a shovel. If you have a lower flowerbed, or if you want to use some of the native soil in your flowerbed, it’s digging time again. You will need to dig down approximately eight-inches to a foot, loosening the soil and removing any rocks. Once you have dug up the entire flowerbed, add soil amendments and mix well. A consistently good amendment choice for flowerbeds is organic composts and manures, in addition to whatever amendment you may need for your soil type.

Now, the only thing left to do is add flowers and enjoy. (A little mulch for weed control wouldn’t hurt either).

Ki helps buyers looking to invest in Austin. His site provides a search of the Austin MLS along with statistics and neighborhood descriptions about Austin real estate and a mortgage calculator for visitors to use.

One of the most timely and costly home improvement projects any homeowner can take on is a kitchen makeover. Whether a homeowner desperately needs a kitchen revamp, or is tired of the dated look of the kitchen, there are several options to freshen up the area.

The easiest fix for a sparkling new(ish) kitchen is a good thorough cleaning. Over years of use, kitchen cabinets take on food, heat, and grease that tends to build up. Though it might seem simpler to leave cabinet doors attached to clean them, taking time to remove the doors allows for easier access in the long run, though it’s advisable to number the doors to keep track of which goes where. There are many cleaners on the market, but trisodium phosphate, known as TSP, has a great track record as a heavy duty degreaser and cleaner.

After cleaning doors and cabinet sides, the hardware will also need a good soak. Remove the hinges and drawer pulls, and let them sit in a good soapy water mix for 30 minutes. Giving them a light scrub and polish can make them look brand new. If the kitchen needs some updating, changing the hinges and handles or pulls on cabinets is inexpensive, and can dramatically change the look of a kitchen.

For those looking to make a bigger change, and spend a greater amount of time on their cabinets, they can also be refinished. Before refinishing, it’s still advisable to clean the wood thoroughly, as sanding them down could embed dirt and grime even further without a proper cleaning first.

To remove old stain or paint, the easiest way is with a chemical, or paint, stripper. By following the directions of the stripper, the chemicals end up doing most of the work, and the old stain should easily peel away. After the stripping is done, it’s time to sand.

Starting with 120 grit sandpaper should help remove any of the old paint or stain left behind by the stripper. Afterwards, smooth out the wood with 220 grit sandpaper. After the cabinet is properly sanded, apply a primer if painting, or a sanding sealer if staining (which works much like primer, allowing stain to absorb evenly). Once the paint or stain is applied to the cabinets, add a final finish, such as varnish or lacquer to protect the wood. Water-based polyurethanes also do a great job, and are environmentally friendly.

If refinishing cabinets won’t help the kitchen’s appearance, and an entire renovation is out of the question, there are companies that specialize in refacing. After measuring the sizes of the current cabinet doors, a refacing company will custom build new cabinet doors, with a wide choice of stains, finishes and hardware to choose from. This is a good option for those living in older homes whose kitchen cabinets are sturdier and well crafted compared to today’s modular cabinet options.

Lastly, if a brand new kitchen is needed, IKEA has become a popular source. At a much greater discount to other big box stores, IKEA also has user-friendly software to create unlimited kitchen combinations that fit a home’s current dimensions. Also, with kitchens starting at around $2,000, the prices are hard to beat, and may have some savings leftover to contract out the installation.

Ki is a realtor in Austin. He helps people in the market for Austin real estate. He also provides a free mortgage calculator and a free search of the Austin MLS.

Perhaps the most common home repair is fixing a hole in the wall. When I was young, my grandfather would baby sit my brothers and I while mom and dad were of earning a living. What our parents called child care, my grandfather interpreted as napping and most afternoons we had the run of the house. Now on more than one occasion, something was said and something was thrown, and some how we ended up with a hole in the wall. It happens to the best of us. Not wanting to risk losing our afternoons of freedom or our grandfather’s reputation, my brothers and I became experts at repairing holes in the wall. As and adult with kids of my own, I’ve found that the holes keep coming whether we want them to or not. The only thing we can do is know how to fix them properly. It is a very easy repair that can be performed in a few hours. I should also note that the directions below refer repairing fairly large holes. Small holes can often be painted over or repaired with a bit of patching plaster. There are two primary methods of hole repair that we will cover here. The first involves using a simple plaster patch. Begin by marking out a rectangle on the wall around the hole that you wish to repair. Using a small saw carefully cut out the rectangle. Next you will use the rectangle as a template to make an outline for a duplicate, replacement rectangle out of a piece of plaster board. After making your outline, use a ruler to extend the rectangle two inches larger on each side. Once you cut out your two-inch larger rectangle you will have created your patch. Remove the paper from the backside of your patch around the two inch overlap. Apply patching plaster to the overlap area and place the patch in the hole in the wall. Make sure to apply adequate pressure to the patch to make sure that it sets correctly. Finally, sand over the overlap area to ensure that it is flush with the wall and finish by painting over the area. The second method for repairing a hole in the wall involves using patching plaster instead of the patch. Begin by cutting out a piece of metal screening a little bit larger than the hole that you intend to repair. Insert a few wire ties through the screening and into the hole. Using the wire ties, affix a piece of dowel vertically across the outside of the hole, this will help hold the screen in place. Next, plaster over the entire area using your patching plaster. Let this coat dry and then remove the dowel and wire ties. You can now add a finishing coat of plaster over the area. All that is left is to sand the plaster patch and apply a fresh coat of paint. Knowing how to repair a hole in a wall may be one of the most valuable skills to learn in home repair. It is a fairly simple procedure that can be accomplished quickly and easily. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Austin real estate market Ki can help. His site provides information on Austin condos as well as a free search for Austin Homes.

You've just moved into a wonderful new home and you cannot wait to start making it your own. One of the easiest home improvements the first time home owner may encounter is installing new cabinets. While the thought of such a major addition to a room may at first seem daunting to all of us who have never consider ourselves carpenters, installing a brand new set of cabinets is easy enough for almost anyone with a few tools to accomplish in a very short amount of time. You want to start out by making sure that you have all the tools you will need to complete this project. To install a basic set of cabinets all you need is a good level, a pencil, a tape measure, a stud finder and a drill. Depending on how high you are planning to install the cabinets, you may also want a small step ladder to reach higher places. The first tool you will need is your stud finder. Work your way along the wall until you find the studs that you will use to support the weight of your cabinets. For each stud you will want to mark both the left and right edge. Using your tape measure, make a mark on the center point of each stud. This will allow you to mount your cabinets on the sturdiest portion of your wall. Now that you have located the studs, you should decide exactly where you want the cabinets to be placed. Using your tape measure, determine the exact dimensions of your cabinets. You may find it helpful to lightly draw the outline of your cabinets directly onto the wall. You should also draw vertical lines through the center of your studs that extend at least six inches above and below where your cabinets will hang. This will allow you to find the studs once the cabinet is on the wall. Now you will want to attach a short term 1 x 3 support rail to the wall. The top of the support rail should be level and flush with the bottom of where you want your cabinets to sit. Using your drill, attach the support rail to the wall. This short term rail will aid in holding the weight and location of your cabinets while you get them in place. You are now ready to install your cabinets. With the help of a friend, lift the cabinets into place. Drill pilot holes through the cabinet back and into the wall studs. You should screw the cabinet into the wall using screws that are long enough to go at least 1 ½ inches into the studs. After setting your first set off screws, use your level to check that the cabinets are properly aligned. Make your way down the studs adding several more sets of studs to make sure that your cabinets are safe and secure. You are almost finished. After making sure that your cabinets are secure in the location that you want them, you can go ahead and remove the support rail from the wall. You should also erase any pencil marks that you have made that still show once the cabinets are in place. Now you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your new cabinets. Installing new cabinets is a super easy and inexpensive way to start improving your new space and making it into a home. Escapeso helps clients interested in research Austin real estate. They provide information on their website about Austin neighborhoods along with providing a free Austin MLS search.