Financing Your Kitchen Remodeling Project - The Easy, Cheap Way

* Introduction : In an economy where it's difficult to sell any house for full value, consider remodeling your kitchen to give your old home a breathe of fresh air. Doing this the cheap and easy way does take some preliminary planning and preparation but is well worth the savings to your wallet when you get ready to roll with the project.

First, decide what you would like to replace in the kitchen. Do you need a new floor, cabinets, appliances and perhaps, a way to make the kitchen larger? Adding space to your kitchen is your first crucial area to plan out. You'll need the advice of a contractor who knows how to remove a wall, preferably not a load-bearing wall, and give you a bid for the job.

* Getting Help Designing Your Kitchen and Saving Money : Take measurements of your kitchen, where your cabinets are and their sizes, appliances and sizes, floor span and ceiling height, and lay the measurements out on a drawn diagram. If this is your first remodeling job, then go to your local home improvement store and sit down with a kitchen designer who can put all your measurements into a design program and give you help for free, initially. The home improvement designer can also help with appliance, cabinet, countertop, flooring and store credit card deals currently in place and give you a great financial package, based on those specials. It's all a matter of timing it just right.

* Cabinets, countertops and other structures : Ask which cabinet makers have the best deals right now and for how long they last. Select cabinets with the wood type, color and door style that you want and have the designer put it into the software. Decide if you want to add in an island with a cooktop if there is room. Also get a bid on a countertop currently on sale. Get a quote on installation fees with cabinet prices, countertops, and also one with just the cabinet order if you think you can install those yourself. Save your bid.

* Appliances in a package deal : Next, have your designer take you over to the appliance section and look over current sales with appliance manufacturers. Look for brands that offer a range, refrigerator, over-the-stove microwave, and dishwasher package which allows you to get a rebate of $100 or more back in purchasing a package deal. Stick with well-known brands and later, do some research through Consumer Reports on current reviews for that brand and models. Get all the information and a sales bid done through the designer.

* Financing at its best : Home improvement stores offer their own credit cards and especially if you are a first-time successful applicant, you can make charges and payments on your card for 12 months without paying any interest. You have to apply at the time when the 12-month, no interest payments are going on in order to realize all the money you'll save by going this route. Enjoy your new kitchen!

Isaac writes on behalf of Cliq Studios a home improvements business who design, manufacture and sell quality kitchen cabinets which come with a lifetime warranty. Use the Cliq Studios website to visualise your new kitchen, request free kitchen samples or check kitchen cabinet prices. Whatever your requirement – trust Cliq Studios' Discount Kitchen Cabinets to exceed expectations.
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7 Tips to reduce coverage cost instead of buying cheap life insurance

It is needless to mention that the primary purpose of shopping around for buying an insurance policy is to get the required coverage at an affordable cost. Purchasing life insurance is no different. It is always better to try to reduce the premium cost of your required coverage than going for a cheap life insurance policy.

7 Tips to reduce the cost of life insurance coverage

You can follow these 7 tips to reduce the coverage cost of your life insurance policy.

1. Purchasing only the required coverage Consider purchasing only the required coverage to reduce the premium cost to some extent. To do this, calculate the amount required by your family members to maintain their lifestyle in your absence. However, always reconsider coverage after 2-3 years, especially, when you have a major change in your life, such as, having a baby. 

 2. Shopping around and comparing policies You must be knowing that shopping around and comparing policies help to choose one with the most suitable terms and conditions. This is because the insurers offer myriad policies at different premium rates. Shopping online helps to get multiple quotes at relatively less span of time.

3. Not buying ‘Guaranteed issue’ policy if healthyIt is advisable to not go for a ‘Guaranteed issue’ policy if you’re healthy. You can obtain such a policy without going for a medical exam. These policies are usually purchased by people who’ve difficulty in obtaining life insurance coverage due to certain health conditions.

4. Looking for a ‘no-load/low-load’ policyThere are relatively fewer expenses attached to a ‘no-load’ or a ‘low-load’ policy. The expenses comprise of commissions and fees of the insurance agent. To buy such a policy, you’ll have to purchase it from a financial advisor, who usually charges flat fees instead of collecting commissions from the insurers. It is definitely a better alternative than purchasing a cheap life insurance policy.

5. Purchasing rider instead of buying new policy Don’t purchase a new life insurance policy when your needs change. Instead, buy an insurance rider and extend your life insurance coverage.

6. Paying insurance premium annuallyMaking annual premium payments help to reduce the policy cost to some extent as compared to paying insurance premiums quarterly or bi-annually. Insurers may also charge less if they can transfer the required payments from your bank account directly.

7. Asking for policy reevaluationYou can ask for policy reevaluation even after purchasing life insurance. Purchasing a policy with a higher premium rate doesn’t mean that you’ll have to pay high cost throughout the policy term. If you’re paying high premium due to a specific health condition, then you can ask for rate reconsideration if your health condition has improved since you purchased the policy.

Above all, improve your health condition to reduce the premium cost of a life insurance policy significantly. So, if you’ve certain pre-existing medical conditions (such as, high blood pressure or diabetes), then show your insurer evidences and reports that reveal your health condition has improved with time. This may help you to get a cheap life insurance policy that is, insurer providing you with the required coverage at an affordable premium cost.
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