Home remodeling is about change - changing a home that already exists and which, in certain ways, has a life of its own. When we say this, we mean that an existing home was built at a particular time in a particular neighborhood in a particular way with a particular number of rooms for a particular lifestyle and for a certain amount of money.
 
Remodeling means working with - or overcoming - existing style and structural limitations; the existing layout and capacity of electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning systems; local building and zoning restrictions and a realistic view of the cost and ultimate value of whatever changes you may make.
 
The urge to remodel may be inspired by any of a number of new circumstances:

• Things have started to break down and wear out; you want to restore function and update the look. You want to preserve or upgrade your home’s value in current and future markets
• You need more living space - additional bedrooms and bathrooms
• You need different kinds of living spaces - perhaps a separate dining room, a playroom for small children, a home office, a music room or home theater, a mother-in-law suite
• You want to improve the traffic flow within and among various rooms - perhaps connect the family room and kitchen
• You want to establish greater privacy - both visual and sound privacy inside you and outside your home
• You want to “go green” and save on utility bills
• You want to cut home maintenance, and improve accessibility and security to keep your home manageable and comfortable as you age
•  You want more outdoor living space and to make the most of your yard or garden

Define Problems that You Want Remodeling to Address
The way to start a defining a remodeling project is to define what you want it to accomplish. Make a list. You might start with what’s not working about your house in its current state (e.g., “When there’s more than one person working in the kitchen, we get in each other’s way,” or “I don’t know how much longer I can keep carrying laundry from the top floor to the basement.”)
 
Define Your Remodeling Opportunities
After writing down any obvious problems, make a list of where in your home or on your lot you believe opportunities for remodeling my lie. If you’re after extra living space, where will you get it? Can you get the space you may need from finishing an unfinished basement or attic? Will you add one or more dormers? Can you convert any existing spaces within your home to another use? Can you enclose an existing porch? Do you think the solution may be in demolishing a partitions and rooms for larger, more gracious spaces and better traffic flow?
 
Or do you want to gain the extra space by adding on? Do you envision adding on to the back, sides or front of your home? Or do you think adding a second story is the way to go?
 
Define the Look - the Fixtures, Fittings and Finishes
Once you’ve defined the space concepts of your remodeling project - the type and size of the spaces you want to create - work on refining your ideas by defining what you want them to look like when they’re finished. Do you want to blend the new space with the look and feel of your home, or do you want to create something altogether different? If you’re planning to add on, how will the exterior be finished? Brick, siding or stucco? What about the roofing? How will new windows and doors contribute to the appearance?
 
And what about the interior spaces? Yes, you’ll have walls, which you may wish to paint or paper, but what styles of moldings and interior doors do you want to see? Or you may imagine different, more distinctive wall finishes like stone veneer or wood or fabric panels? What kind of flooring - wood, tile, vinyl or carpet? Can you envision the furnishings?
 
If you’re remodeling a kitchen, you’ll want to define the style of cabinets and countertops along with the sinks and faucets. Jot down the type and style of appliances you’re after.
 
For baths you’ll need to make choices about the type of shower and/or tub along with one or more lavatory sinks, a toilet and perhaps a bidet. For a luxurious bath, you may wish to consider steam shower or a shower spa.
 
Are there any special needs for disabled accessibility - ramps, stair lifts, handrails or grab bars? Wider doorways to accommodate a wheel chair? Easy-to-grasp door handles and faucets? Specialized bath fixtures or kitchen fixture heights to accommodate disabilities? Now - or in the foreseeable future?
It’s important at the start of a remodeling project to think of everything you want and/or need in as much detail as possible. The set of goals that you establish at the outset of a remodeling will guide the design and planning. It will help you and the professionals you work with on the project establish accurate cost estimates and develop solutions to potential problems.
 
Make a Record of Your Remodeling Ideas and Goals
As much as possible, collect your remodeling ideas and goals in a form that will enable you to share them with the pros that you’ll be working with on the project. Make lists, collect tearsheets from magazines and product catalogs that reflect your vision.
 
If you can, make rough floor plans and sketches. If you want to put it down on paper, start a notebook. Create a folder on your PC and start saving your ideas. Save images that you may wish to share with your designer and contractors, and save links to resources that you and the others may find helpful during the course of the project. You may even wish to create a Web site to begin and track the progress of your project. Whatever you do, make it easy for everyone who will become involved to communicate freely, clearly and in real time.