​ 1.  Decide if You Will Do It Yourself or Hire Professionals

• You will either hire out the work to professionals, do it yourself, or some combination of the two.

• If this is a whole-house renovation, you likely will not be doing all of the work yourself.  Even the most determined homeowner will have to call in a professional tradesmen for projects like plumbing and electrical.

• Professionals range from expensive contractors to sub-contractors and handymen you find through word-of-mouth or through classified ads. Since not all home renovation projects are created equally, you will want to consider on a case-by-case basis whether you are capable of taking on the home renovation project yourself or whether you should hire professionals.

2.  Formulate a Plan for Funding Your Project

• Your home remodeling project can cost you way more than you planned for. It's best to come up with a range of funding options. Your choice of funding options may range from simple sweat equity on up to the traditional home equity loan

3.  Consider The Resale Value Your Efforts Will Produce

• The majority of American homeowners sell their house at least once. Gone are the days when homeowners rode out their 30-year mortgage to the end. So keep in mind, not only are you remodeling your house for you, but also for future buyers.

4.  Become Comfortable With Managing Contractors and Work Crews

• If you find yourself hiring someone to help. You will need to know how to manage work crews, organizing a work schedule and keeping up with contracts.

5.  Develop Plan for Saving on Home Remodeling Costs

• Designers' fees, contractors' commissions, The Home Depot credit cards: home remodeling seems designed to drain your piggy bank as fast as possible. But there are tried and true ways to save on home remodeling costs, on everything from kitchen to bathroom. There are lots of helpful examples with a quick google search. 

6.  Think Ahead to Permit and Zoning Issues

• Building permits take a notoriously long time to get approved. Electrical permits and permits for demolition or fences may not take more than a few days, but large-scale projects involving zoning, like building a home addition, may take many weeks or months. Complete these permits ahead of time to your project as scheduled.

7.  Take Safety and Cleanliness Seriously

• It's good to consider things like lead-based paint before sanding down that 80-year-old hand-railing. Avoiding mess when painting your house interior is just as important as developing a plan for keeping out dust from clean areas of your house.

• Keep tools stored safely when not in use, be aware of saws that are plugged in and read over any safety manuals before operating any tools for the first time.