How to Cut Costs on Your Home Improvement Project Homeowners willing and able to chip in on home improvement projects can bring the costs of labor down considerably. Over the last several decades, more and more homeowners have embraced the notion that homes need not all be alike, and that an individual’s home can cater to his or her personal tastes and needs. The trend of modeling a home after one’s own tastes has extended beyond choosing furniture or other replaceable elements to structural changes and full-scale renovations, thus upping the financial ante for homeowners who want to turn their homes into places more in tune with their own personalities. When it comes to improving their homes, many homeowners associate cutting costs with cutting corners, which can put residents’ safety at risk. But there are ways for homeowners to save money on home improvement projects while still ensuring their homes are safe and sound. * Work with recycled materials. Homeowners about to undertake small-scale doit-yourself projects can often save money by using recycled materials. Many homeowners do not go the DIY route when making larger renovations, but those that do also can save money by using recycled materials. However, homeowners should know that many contractors do not work with recycled materials in an effort to avoid liability should something go awry during the project or after it is completed. But DIYers can benefit from using recycled materials, which can be purchased at various locations. For example, Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization devoted to building homes for the less fortunate, operates its own ReStores, which are nonprofit home improvement stores that sell recycled building materials at a steep discount. ReStore locations can be found by visiting www.habitat.org. * Get your hands dirty. Labor costs on home improvement projects are considerable, but homeowners can cut these costs by doing some of the Floor Plans continued from page 18 Pro: Light can flow effectively through an open space, minimizing dark rooms and reducing the need to install more windows. Light in and of itself can help a home feel more spacious. Con: While light can flow easily, so can sound. Noises through the house may be amplified. A student doing homework in the dining room may be disturbed by the television blaring in the family room. Talking on the phone or even finding a quiet nook to read a book may be challenging. Pro: Open floor plans allow for more family time together in one space than a home with a more compartmentalized layout. Con: People who are collectors or who have a lot of furniture or accent items may find that open floor plans do not work well with this type of design mantra. Pro: Because several rooms run into one another, color choices for walls and furnishings in a home with an open floor plan can be limited and cohesive, making choices easier. Con: On the flip side, those who want to incorporate different color schemes and eclectic styles may have difficulty deciding on where to “end” rooms or how to co-mingle furniture. HARDWARE } 20 TODAY’S HOME - Spring 2016 labor themselves. Even those men and women with little or no DIY experience can still chip in and save some money. Homeowners about to embark on a rebuilding project can chip in and do some of the demolition on their own. For example, when replacing Your complete Hardware Store & more Huge Paint Department Keys Window & Screen Repair Glass Cutting Lock Repair Electrical Plumbing Lawn & Garden Outdoor Equipment Rental Equipment Small Engine Repair & A Whole Lot More...