From Lee Wallender,
Your Guide to Home Renovations.
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Home renovation seems to be all about bleeding out your bank account. But there are techniques for slowing down the hemmoraging.

These are techniques that homeowners have used for years. Some are so obvious, you wonder how you ever could have missed them. Some are painful. But don't kill the messenger. I'm just here to count down the...

Top 10 Methods of Saving Money on Remodeling

Let's start with the money and then work our way down to number one!

10. Reduce Need for Second Mortgages, Personal Loans, and Credit

When funding your remodel, it's nearly impossible to avoid a home equity line of credit or second mortgage if you're tackling an addition. But you can avoid it for the smaller projects. Keep in mind that by rolling those french doors into a 15 year loan, you'll be paying for those french doors for many years to come. Avoid personal loans and be careful of credit cards. Cash is always the cheapest choice.

9. Use Structural Elements as Finish Surfaces

Perhaps you have interior brick walls, ceiling beams, concrete floors, or wood floors that may be, um, decoratively aged. If so (and if this is your intended decorating style), refurbishing these surfaces will always be cheaper than building up new finish surfaces.

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