Jim Molinelli - Remodel - Without Going Bonkers or Broke: A Home Improvement Primer

Eliminate 3 Critical Mistakes
and Save Thousands Using This
Proven Step-by-Step Method

Jim Molinelli, PhD

Molinelli

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN 10: 0-692-84868-1

ISBN 13: 978-0-692-84868-5

Praise for

Remodel!

Without Going Bonkers or Broke

Sandra Alitzo Homeowner

Very, very informative. Well written and easy to understand. I enjoyed reading this book from the first page.

Adam Drummond Investor & Homeowner

This was easily the most practical how-to book I have ever read.

Ted Sugges Bestselling Author

A first-rate guide to remodeling your home written as if the author was sitting across from you at your dining room table answering all of your questions.

Lisa Schatz Bestselling Author

Jim Molinelli is the American Mike Holmes.

Michele Laine Entrepreneur & Bestselling Author

What a priceless book to own if you ever plan to remodel!

Ray Brehm Bestselling Author & CEO of Dauntless Prose

Spend a few dollars on this book you will get it back 100-fold.

Lilly Brock Retired Interior Designer & Remodeling Contractor

A Bible for anyone considering a remodeling project.

Stacey Kopp Professional Editor

The money saving tips are brilliant!

Dr. Marlena Corcoran CEO of Athena Mentor

I love the way Jim Molinelli invites us to organize our remodeling project almost as if we were writing a business plan.

CONTENTS

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my awesome wife, Shawn. Your companionship means everything to me. Your confidence in me and your support of this project has aided me from the first day it was conceived. I would not have written this book without your love and encouragement.

I also wrote this book being ever mindful of my two wonderful children, Ann and Tim. May this book become a part of the legacy and remembrance you have of me. Let it also prove that you can achieve amazing things, even when that doesnt seem possible. You can positively impact peoples lives in profound ways, making the worldyour worlda better place.

Finally, I thank my parents. I would not be who I am without the boundless love you gave me. You led by example, tirelessly showing that living an honest life was a mark of great distinction. You remained strong and prevailed in the face of every adversity. Your passion for learning, your love for your family, and your respect for those around you is an example I will always aspire to.

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to those who have helped me become the architect I am today: Bob Forte, George Collict, Herman Litwack, Tom Parker, Jerry Maffei, Ed Romieniec, Raymond Reed, and Bill Keeney. To become a residential architect was the first and most significant goal of my life.

I also owe significant thanks to those who fueled my love of learning and teaching, including: Mr. Powell, Charles Haas, Paul Rashap, Brenda Karlos, Keith Farber, Chester Budd, Eugene Cerrigone, Larry Degelman, Valerian Miranda, Bill Nash, Ed Hoag and countless others who taught me, and in so doing, showed me how to teach others when I got the opportunity.

I also thank many of my professional colleagues and mentors, without whom I would not be where I am today: Nunzio DeSantis, Brian Dougan, Wayne Gibson, Tim Shields, Richard Campbell, Paul Arnold, and Tom Shaner.

I wish to thank several people who profoundly impacted my growth as a person, enabling me to arrive at this place and time: Dorothy Vinson, Jessica Phelps, Bill and Anne DeNenno, Steve Sann, Paul Flockhart, Michael Bean, Bill Gerwig, Jeff & Maggie Whall, Aaron & Sally Miller, and Cathie Driver.

For nearly half a century I have received unlimited support and encouragement, been showered with boundless optimism, and benefitted from the contagious enthusiasm of my best friend Mark Clausen. Without him, my life would not have turned out nearly as successfully as it has, nor would it have been half as much fun. The laughter and smile lines etched into my face are his fault.

Thank you to everyone who consulted, advised, discussed, read, edited, reviewed, and in numerous other ways helped me produce this book. I owe you all my thanks. And an extra special thank you to my editor Stacey Kopp and my cover designer Germancreative on Fiverr. Your work makes me look great!

Finally, the book would never have happened without Chandler Bolt and his Self-Publishing School. They taught me how I could achieve my dream of writing and publishing a book this book into a reality. The proof that their systems and methods work is in your hands. My fellow authors at SPS also provided encouragement and support to me throughout the process as well. To Sean Sumner, coach RE Vance and the entire SPS staff and alumni baseyou all have my deepest respect and gratitude.

Authors Note

On the surface, its totally logical why I am writing this book and teaching companion classes to help homeowners master the remodeling process. After all, I am a residential architect and I spent the last twenty-four years in the remodeling industry. So nobody knows more about educating homeowners about how-to remodel their homes.

But how I became the remodeling expert I am today is the real story. For years I was an excellent residential architect, but I could never get my designs to hit my clients budgets. I would devise clever solutions to their remodeling problems, but their contractors prices were always 25 to 50 percent above their stated budget. It was a devastating experience for me, and a crushing one for the clients as well. I watched far too many clients fall in love with the designs, and buy into the dream I had created for a better life at home, only to have that dream destroyed by too-high price tags.

Ultimately, I admitted to myself that my inability to accurately estimate the cost of my designs was a major failing. I realized that I had to remedy that flaw in order to continue to work in residential design. When my time on faculty at Texas A&M ended, I returned to Maryland, where my architecture license had been issued. However, this time I didnt work in an architects office. I chose instead to design projects for a remodeling contractor who agreed to teach me how to estimate residential remodeling costs. Since then, Ive never looked back. I fell in love with design-build remodeling. I found I was finally able to truly help my clients. Fifteen or twenty families a year could now drastically improve their quality of life through my remodeling designs. The reason why? Because I learned how to accurately estimate my designs, and how to design within the budgets of my clients.

Today, I have a tremendous understanding of the architectural side of the remodeling coin, and I am equally familiar with the truths from inside the remodeling world. Ive witnessed just about every mistake a homeowner can make when remodeling. And I can help any homeowner to properly prepare for their unique remodeling journey and avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls made by so many others. The process I teach saves homeowners time, energy, countless mistakes, and thousands of dollars.

And thats the reason that this book is in your hands today. As much as I loved personally helping fifteen or so families each year to remodel their homes and their lives, I now help thousands of families achieve remodeling success. The immense gratification of helping so many more families to achieve success and enjoy their remodeling journey is beyond words.