Home Improvement

Think of maintaining your home as protecting your investment. Home repairs often cost thousands of dollars and are the subject of frequent complaints. Select from among several well-established, licensed contractors who have submitted written, fixed-price bids for the work. Ask for referrals and check on them. Do not sign any contract that requires full payment before satisfactory completion of the work.

If you choose to do the repairs yourself, be sure you know what you're doing. People often meet with injury and even death when trying to do their own repairs. Get appropriate licenses and permits as necessary. Take a look at how doing it yourself might affect the resale value of your home. More than one home's value has been severely decreased by do-it-yourselfers' projects that didn't quite turn out right! Decide if the money you may save is really worth the time and the risk involved.