Keep a Home Remodeling Binder for Optimum Organization

Tackling a home remodeling project can be very stressful. Add in all the paperwork and samples you gather along the way, keeping everything organized should be your top priority for sanity success. My husband and I recently completed a three-year remodeling project and several weeks into the project I was surprised at all the paperwork that had piled up. Enter the home remodeling binder. This was my bible during those three years and I carried it every place we went for design ideas, appliances, stone and paint samples. Here are a few tips for organizing your own home remodeling project.

Create dividers in your home remodeling binder into the following five sections:

Ideas. This is where you keep paint color cards and material swatches, even small samples of granite. You may want to purchase a pencil pouch to keep all the loose items from falling out. Also include pages you've torn out of home design magazines. Additional items for this section would be brochures for appliances, lighting, and accessories.

Plans. This is where you would put copies of contractor plans. Make sure to date them as these may change as the project progresses. Also include any drawings that you may have sketched yourself. We referred to these quite often, especially when our brains would become overloaded with information. And even though our ideas would alter slightly as we moved ahead, the drawings helped us to remember our original vision.

Estimates. One of the things you'll hate the most but is so important is getting multiple estimates on every project. Meeting with potential contractors was so time consuming, especially if you had a no show, which happened more times than I would have liked. Keep all write ups they give you. It's also important to make any notation regarding your meeting such as: was the contractor on time; whether he seemed knowledgeable about the service he was offering; did he bad mouth competitors (something I looked down upon); as well as what were the quality of products he was offering. Just because an estimate is low doesn't mean the contractor is using the best materials. Ask lots of questions.

Receipts. Keep every receipt for every item you purchase that applies to the home remodeling project. Keeping all your receipts in one place will save you lots of headaches searching for them if you have to return an item or if something is faulty. Try and keep them in an orderly fashion whether alphabetically or by store so you can find a particular receipt quickly if needed. These receipts also will come in handy when you sell the property.

Before and After Photos. Definitely take a lot of photos during the process especially when you begin. We referred to these mostly as a positive reinforcement of the progress we were making. Home remodeling becomes daunting after awhile and the photos will help you keep focused on the finish line.

This is how we organized our home remodeling binder and it was a vital part of our daily life during those three years. I'm so thankful we kept it and I'm sure you'll appreciate its value as well.