Building or remodeling a home can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it can also be a stressful and daunting challenge. Organized to cover all the major phases of construction and renovation, this book is complete with over one hundred actual construction and renovation photographs, checklists, financing options, builder insights, industry secrets, design ideas, and other valuable information to help homeowners save a fortune while completing their project on time, within budget, and with less stress. Whether building a new home or renovating an old home, with this book you will learn: how to avoid builder markups; how to control costs and avoid costly setbacks; how to finance your project; how to find and hire contractors; how to obtain estimates for materials and labor; how to work with an architect; how to apply for permits and work with inspectors; learn the practical uses and installation methods of many home improvement products; and most importantly, you will learn how to save money without sacrificing quality. Read what the experts have said: "A valuable guide to contracting, building, and renovating, homeowners will surely benefit from Joe Oswald’s knowledge and experience." Joe Carroll, Architect. "Written from the perspective of a homeowner, Joe Oswald shares his knowledge and attention to detail in a straightforward and user-friendly style." Alan Boerner, Electrical Contractor. About the author: Joe Oswald was a licensed real estate agent for over twenty years, worked as a new home consultant for a residential builder, and completed a general contracting class before tackling his own project of restoring and building a three-level addition onto his 1929 Spanish Revival home in Chicago. This book details his experience and knowledge and explains how he saved tens of thousands of dollars off the estimates he received from general contractors. Joe also has master’s degrees in history and educational administration. His other books include a history of Chicago’s Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood, published by Arcadia Publishing as part of their Images of America series, and a vocabulary improvement book. Please Note: The Kindle version of this book contains full color images of all the photographs in this book as well as active hyperlinks to videos and articles for further reading from the bibliography.