Fee for Rice alumni: $155

Plans for building your new dream home may be on hold for now, but the time may never be better to remodel your existing home. Lower interest rates and material costs along with a more competitive labor environment may make it easier to revitalize your existing home – making it possible to enjoy your home more now and sell it faster when the time is right. In this course, participants will explore the process of home additions, remodeling and renovation, including planning, budgeting, hiring a contractor and obtaining the quality desired. The course will utilize case studies of actual home improvement projects and review the options for quality and cost in each project.

Topics will include the following:

• Determining if the project makes sense
• Identifying high-cost projects
• Evaluating the need for professional design help
• Analyzing project cost vs. return on investment
• Establishing the quality of the work
• Interviewing and hiring a contractor

Instructor: Brent Nyquist, a principal in the firm Atticus Architecture, is a registered architect with more than 20 years of experience in residential design and construction. He holds bachelor of arts and bachelor of architecture degrees from Rice University.

Additional keywords: design, lifestyle, personal development, remodeling, self-help