Building contractors will tell you that on our stretch of Highway 16, the main business is renovating. A few new houses are being built, but not like in past years.

Most of us are upgrading, adding on or redoing what we have. You might just be painting a room a totally different color or you may be ripping walls down to the studs and starting over. This year, I've faced just about everything. Tearing down, building up, repainting, tiling, flooring, electrical and plumbing.

The best piece of advice I can now offer is to not start anything until you know exactly what you want. This means taking time to check out current magazines like House and Home, Kitchen and Bath Custom Planner, Kitchen and Bath Ideas. Get ideas from television shows, retailers and friends.

Look at each room carefully and draw out the old and new floor plan. Decide together where key pieces of furniture like beds and desks will go and plan your electrical outlets accordingly. For our office/guest room, we had to put six new outlets in across one wall to accommodate two computers on adjoining desks.