If you're thinking about doing a home improvement project this summer, now is the time to start planning the project -- and the budget. Too often, we wait until the plans are drawn up, only to fall in love with a project that is totally unaffordable.
To avoid that fate, decide ahead of time how much you can afford to spend on a particular project, whether it is building a new garage or updating a kitchen or bathroom. Then, take 15 percent of that number, and set it aside for cost overruns.
Now, you can start planning a project that falls within your budget rather than fall in love with one that doesn't.
