Saturday, February 28, 2009

Reminder: Librarian guide on the Federal Budget Process. With the release of President Obama's budget this week, I wanted to draw your attention to a "Guide of the Week" I did last July: Guide of the Week: Federal Budget Process Jerry Breeze's guide hasn't been updated for FY 2010, but I assume it will be when more FY 2010 budget docs are released. As is, it's really good background for people who are just starting to pay attention to the federal budget. [Free Government Information (FGI) blogs] 3:06:22 PM     Remodeling: Do It Yourself or Contract It Out Before I get into my topic, I want to thank the folks who read my blog about the "shower/toilet brush incident" and expressed their concerns by sending 57 toilet brushes, 92 bottles of shower gel, and 131 shower brushes. Kidding! Instead, I got a bunch of bad puns and some razzing from my co-workers. I did get a bottle of shower gel and a new shower brush from a concerned co-worker which will come in handy when our bathroom renovation is completed. We are giving our 70's bathroom a facelift. Normally, my husband and I are "do-it-yourselfers." Over the years we have done quite a few renovation projects. Because we are already working on a kitchen project for my husband's mother, we decided to contract out the work this time for our bathroom. When considering doing-it-yourself home improvements versus contracting out there is a lot to think about. The labor portion of any project is the most costly aspect. By doing home renovations yourself, you can potentially save a lot of money, but don't forget to figure in the cost of tools and other supplies you may need to purchase. If you make mistakes during the project, they are on you to fix and it may cost you more than you planned. The outcome of a project depends a lot on the amount of skill that went into the work. If you don't have the correct skills or tools, you may end up with work that is less than satisfactory. My tip for building your renovation skills: find people with professional-level skills (friends of friends willing to barter or work small projects for extra cash) who are willing to let you work along side them as they teach you. You can use those skills in future projects. Working with a contractor may require a lot of schedule juggling, and nothing is more frustrating than taking time off from work only to have the scheduled contractor not show up. The down side to doing the work yourself is that it may take you a lot longer to finish than a professional. If, after considering all of these factors, you think it would be best to find a contractor, here are some helpful links that can guide you: FCIC Consumer Focus on Home Maintenance Home Sweet Home Improvement Home Improvements and Repair : Selecting a Contractor Consumeraction.gov Home Improvements and Repair HUD Home Improvements page The contractor just finished the bathroom and while I am pleased with the result, my final word on the subject is that I think we will go back to doing-it-ourselves. What can I say? I have a sledge hammer and I like to use it! So, how about you? Are you a do-it-yourselfer? How do you feel about home contractors? Have you had good experiences or bad? - Ginger [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 3:05:04 PM

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