One of the advantages of wood frame construction (the vast majority of single residential construction) is the ease with which one can alter or eliminate a load bearing wall. Your contractor will need to know what he/she is doing. It might even be necessary to have some engineering calculations to figure out the size of the beam needed for the job. But in terms of the total cost of the job, the cost of such structural alterations is likely to be less than the cost of the electrical components of the project.

I am a great fan of energy efficient construction, and have purchased some of the most efficient glazing systems for my home and cabin, but retro-fitting windows is a very expensive proposition, and unlikely to create an investment return equal to a passbook savings account rate.

• Installing energy efficient windows in new construction has a much lower marginal cost and makes a lot of sense. (It is also most likely required by your local code).

• Unlike cars, furnaces, and appliances, windows (and other insulation) can last for decades, and thus providing for long term energy savings.
• Replacing those old windows has some other advantages: the new window will actually open and close; they may look better; they can help with soundproofing; and they will reduce interior convection currents. See the topic page on Preparing for Cold Weather.

The bottom line: New windows may have all sorts of advantages but they are unlikely to "pay for themselves".

See: A Field Guide To Bad Home Repair and Remodeling Contracts

There are some folks out there who make their living as speculative remodelers. They are very careful in which houses they buy, and what exactly will be worth doing to those structures. But speculative remodeling is not for the amateur or the faint hearted.

Most remodeling projects don't increase the value of a house by an amount equal to the cost of the work. The primary reason to remodel a house is for your own use and pleasure.

See: A Building and Remodeling Checklist.

And what should you do in preparation for the sale of the house:

1. Concentrate on low cost and "elbow grease" items. Keep in mind that every dollar spent on preparing the home for sale must result in more than one dollar in sale price.
2. Remove all junk from the property - even that stuff that has been stored in attics and crawl spaces.
3. Reduce the amount of furniture and other stored material from the home. The house will look larger...
4. Clean up the home and yard.
5. Use paint and other inexpensive methods to brighten up the home.
6. Don't make too many assumptions about what will make the home more appealing to buyers.

This is true some of the time. Some complicated project permits may take years and cost thousands of dollars, others will never receive a permit. For example:

• construction in a sensitive area (hillsides, wetlands)
• complex structures
• zoning variances
• construction in understaffed, unorganized, and/or developing areas

However, in most cases getting a new construction or remodeling permit is not a major problem. Proper Planning usually allows for the permit Application Process to proceed along with the design, planing and bidding process. The costs of permits can be quite high in areas where a development tax/fee is added to a new construction application (these are intended to pay for the new services required by the new construction - roads schools etc.). In remodeling, the permit fees are usually less than 1% of the project cost. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are usually available on the day of application.

House construction practices tend to follow predictable patterns. For example; the wiring tests and practices found inside the electrical panel, the crawl space and the attic are usually good indications of the quality of wiring to be found inside framing cavities. So, if it seems that all of the "inspectable" wiring was installed by a good quality electrical contractor, then chances are good that the wiring found inside the walls will be of the same quality. Furthermore, it is also very likely that the work performed by the other tradespeople employed by the same general contractor will be of equal and uniform quality.

Unfortunately, the opposite conditions are also very predictable. If the wiring inside the panel looks like a rat's nest then chances a quite good that similar disasters are to be expected in other systems installed by the same clan.

Quality general contractors choose quality subcontractors. And, quality subcontractors will avoid working with poor quality contractors who fail to select other quality subcontractors. The subcontractor who is hired to install millwork can do a better job in less time if the drywall is even and smooth. The drywall contractor depends on quality framing practices in order to complete the job on time and avoid callbacks for drywall defects which are often largely the result of poor framing practices. The framers want to work on a good foundation, etc...

A good home inspection should result in a list of specific findings, as well as, an overall assessment of the construction practices employed when the home was built and during any subsequent remodeling work. This information should help in predicting the level of surprises to be found in the inaccessible areas. See the topic page on The Sound Inspection.

I am often called in to evaluate a leaking flat roof and consider the redesign of the roof to one with a sloped surface. To-date, I have never found such a design to be necessary or cost effective. What I have found in these leaking roofs were signs of multiple poor quality patches using a variety of roofing "goop" all of which was applied in an unprofessional manner.

So, based upon my experience, flat roofs leak because they were improperly installed and (even more likely) poorly maintained. While it is undoubtedly true the sloped surfaces shed water more easily than flat surfaces, flat roofs built to standard practices of the trades are reliable and less expensive to build than sloped roofs. Flat roofs do require some greater maintenance than sloped roofs, but their total life cycle costs are still lower than that of sloped roofs.

Flat roofs have some disadvantages. They are not ideal in areas of heavy snows. They are more difficult to vent. They usually don't allow for easy access to the attic area.

It is also important to understand that most flat roofs and roofing surfaces were not built or designed as decks, i.e. walkable surfaces.

See:The Sound Roof and Decks