Whether you need a bit more space, want your existing space to work better for you or are just ready for a new and refreshed look, gearing up for a home remodel can be both exciting and more than a bit nerve-wracking.

To help you as you plan and get through the process, here are some tips from Giant Carpet One Floor & Home to keep in mind.

Stay true to the style of your home

If your home has a distinctive style, such as Spanish or Victorian, keep the updates true to that style, advises HGTV. You don’t want to end up with a contemporary or Mediterranean look on the inside, for instance, when the outside sports a very different style.

Stay true to your neighborhood

Neighborhood styles can vary widely, but what’s most important is remembering that a neighborhood usually has homes that are pretty similar in value. If you put on a big addition, you could end up with a $300,000 home in a neighborhood with homes that would primarily sell for around $200,000. Overbuilding can make it difficult to sell in the future.

Build in extra time to your schedule

Always expect something to go wrong, and always expect other little issues to cause your project to take longer than you think it will. Anticipating this will save you a lot of headaches along the course of the project.

Know thyself (DIYers)

Saving money is a goal for pretty much everyone. So when it comes to DIY, many people will overestimate what they can do themselves to save on hiring help. But that can lead to real messes along the way, with half-done projects that have to be started from scratch or saved by the pros, thus costing more money in the end. Being realistic and upfront about what you really feel confident doing and then hiring the right people for the various jobs in your remodel will actually save you money.

Factor in how long you plan to live in the house

If you expect to need to move after five years or so, keep it simple and don’t make big changes. If you plan to stay a decade or even longer, you can and should invest in high-quality materials that will have longer-lasting value.

Consider what will be the best bang for your buck when selling

If you don’t expect to stay in the house more than five years, think about what buyers will see when they walk through the house. Work on the bathrooms and kitchen first, since those upgrades will have the most return when selling. Refresh the look and feel of rooms with neutral paint colors, Trulia notes. And investing in appealing flooring can make a big difference in how a home looks. Hardwood or engineered hardwood, tile or high-quality laminate are good bets; many people are choosing laminate or hardwood over carpet, currently, so if you’re on the fence about replacing carpeting, hop off and try one of the many options for hard surfaces.

Consider the Utah climate

If you’d love a swimming pool, for example, realize that it may either help as you try to sell later on, or it might actually make it harder to sell depending on the very neighborhood you live in, according to U.S. News and World Report Money. While it may fare well in sweltering Utah summers, others may not want what they might see as an upkeep nightmare during summer or a hassle in the winter.

Climate also can affect what kind of materials you use in a remodel. Flooring can be affected by general dryness or humidity, so it’s smart to factor that into what kind you choose. Traditional hardwood, for instance, may not be the best choice for our dry climate; it can crack or have other problems. Engineered wood is a great pick in this case because there are a lot of attractive options that look just like natural wood but perform better in the Intermountain Region.

No matter what choices you make throughout your project, in the end, it will all pay off when you have just what you were hoping for. Then you can sit down and relax and enjoy your new-and-improved home.

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