For many of us, the first thing we think about when we see the calendar turn to October is Halloween. The grocery stores have had Halloween candy for sale since August. Big box stores have had candy and costumes on display for almost that long. But Halloween isn’t until the end of the month.

There’s lots of other good stuff that happens before then. People living in the northern part of the US generally see the first frost and get to watch the leaves starting to turn. If you live in the south, the temperatures have begun to be bearable (and the snowbirds haven’t arrived, yet!). All across the country, Starbucks offers pumpkin lattes. And baseball fans settle in for the World Series (while football and basketball fans are getting their yearly fix of their sport of preference). There’s a lot more to enjoy in October than just the last day of the month!

Successful Home Remodeling: Don’t Be in a Hurry to Jump to the End. Take it One Step at a Time.

When it comes to remodeling our homes, a lot of homeowners tend to jump to the end of the project. It’s understandable. They get excited about how the new kitchen, bath, or family room will look, so they focus on the finishing touches such as cabinets, flooring, molding, and fixtures. Those are all important things, but the real keys to a successful home remodeling project begins long before the finishing touches are added.

While you want a remodeling project to leave your home looking better, the real goal is to make your home feel more comfortable and be more functional. But that doesn’t happen without planning. How do you go about planning your home remodel? It’s a bit of a challenge—particularly if you haven’t done it before. Here are three simple steps that can help.

• Know What You Want: Sometimes homeowners know they want to make a change, but they aren’t sure what that change should look like. Create a list of things you like about your current home and then make a second list of specific things you’d like to change. You don’t have to come up with the solution—just what results you want. For instance: More workspace in the kitchen. More light in the family room. Open space between the kitchen and family room. A multiple space room that doubles as a guest bedroom and a home office. Be as specific as possible.

• Gather Ideas and Information: Once you’ve identified what you want to do, look around for ideas that fit your personality and sense of style. Houzz.com is packed with ideas for updating and remodeling your home, and you can search for ideas by room. HGTV.com is also a great source of ideas, as is Pinterest. You don’t have to mimic what you see—just gather ideas.

• Talk to Us: This is where you begin to turn your ideas and wishes into reality. Take your “wish list” and photos from your online search and ask us what it will take to make that happen. We can advise you about the feasibility (can you even do what you want in your current home). We may also give you other ideas that are more practical for your situation. And finally, we can usually help you set a realistic budget for what you want to accomplish, and how long it will take.

Again, don’t be in a hurry to jump to the end of the project. There are lots of good things to enjoy at the beginning of the process. And if you take care of those, you’ll be happier with the end results!

What’s October All About?

If you’re wondering about the real meaning of October, it’s pretty clear—at least to the retailers: It’s the start of the holiday shopping season! (We hope you enjoy your fall without worrying about what the retailers say!)