The emotional tax during a remodel is very real, indeed. Yet because there is little available information about it we tend to take the hard rout. We think, "Oh, it's not as bad as other people make it out to be!" or "If we don't make a big deal about it, everything will be just fine." And, actually, what choice do we have?

Less than halfway into it, many couples realize that not only is there a huge emotional side to their project, but that it is far bigger than they had imagined it could be. We have all heard about couples who divorced, or nearly separated, after building their dream home. Answers to the question of "why" are limitless, but the bottom line is this: if they knew what to expect and/or had some guidance, they may have still liked each other once their home was finished. Remodelling is a huge deal, and it is not for the faint of heart or the uninformed. Even if you have a very strong marriage, there are likely to be emotional side-effects you would rather avoid, and could, if you exercise the care necessary ahead of time.

There is an easy way to determine how tall your chandelier should be. A popular trick used by interior designers is to measure the height of the room and allow 2 1/2 to 3 inches for each foot of height. So, if your room has a 9-foot tall ceiling, you would want a lighting fixture that is about 22 1/2 to 27 inches tall. When you have extremely tall ceilings, you can add a couple of inches to the height of the chandelier. Consequently, if you have a very low ceiling, you'll need to get a fixture that's a couple of inches smaller.

With a home for sale, some of that first impression has already been made before prospective buyers are even in the door. That's why curb appeal is so important, as I mentioned in my previous article. But you also need to take into account the first few seconds when buyers are forming an impression of the interior of your house. This means that your front door and foyer area are the key to bringing your prospective buyers in with a positive frame of mind rather than a negative one. You want them to be thinking "Yes, I could live here..." and not "Uh-oh!"