"Just breathe."

That was Jill Nunez's mantra as she watched the contractor she had hired for "an insane amount of money" demolish the final evidence of what was once the bathroom of her 30-year-old house.

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Retro from the 70s is in. But for Jill, flower power was a memory she'd just as soon forget.

"I prepared myself for the financial parts of the project. I thought I had all my ducks in a row," Jill said. But the emotional aspects took her totally by surprise.

She was just one quack away from cracking completely.

"By the end of the third week, I was calling the contractor and the two guys who worked with him Dirt, Dust and Destruction," Jill said.

Here are 10 things experts say you should do to make the remodeling process enjoyable and the end product something you'll want to live with.

1. Know what you want to do before you begin.
   
   Try to anticipate how the change you plan to make will affect your entire home. It sounds obvious, but remodeling often opens a Pandora's box to everything that's wrong with your home. For example, you redo the bathroom only to realize it no longer matches the theme of the bedroom attached to it. Talk to your contractor or decorator and raise these questions before someone takes a sledgehammer to the drywall.
2. Contact your city or municipality to find out what restrictions, if any, apply for your particular project.
   
   Find out if you will require a permit. This usually depends on whether your project is considered remodeling or simple maintenance. For example, changing out the toilet in your bathroom is maintenance. Adding an extension to your bathroom that requires structural changes to your house is remodeling.
   Permits ultimately protect the value of your home.
3. Deal only with licensed contractors.
   
   Negotiate a contract, even if the person you're considering comes with excellent recommendations and credentials. And always set a completion date for the project.
4. Get references.
   
   By the time you hire a professional, you should have checked their credentials, seen examples of their work and talked with other homeowners who used their services.
5. Hire only experts in their field.
   
   You wouldn't go to a dentist for a new pair of eyeglasses. So, don't hire an Italian tile expert to paint the walls of your house.
6. Prepare for the unexpected.
   
   This is especially true if you live in an older home. Make sure you have extra money in the budget and extra time. And don't be afraid to stop a project or question a contractor if something doesn't seem right. Even if you have a contract and a game plan, expect things to go wrong.
7. Overbudget!
   
   Whatever you think something will cost, increase that figure by at least 20 percent. But never give more than the agreed-upon deposit until the project is finished to your satisfaction. Beware of the contractor who comes to you midway through a project and tells you he needs more money to buy materials.
8. Don’t plan a remodeling project just before a major family event.
   
   If your mother-in-law is coming to visit in two weeks and you want to tear out the wall dividing the living and dining rooms to make your home look bigger, perhaps it's best if you borrow someone else's big house and pretend it's yours for the duration of the visit.
9. If at all possible, live somewhere else while the work is being done and come back only to check on the progress.
   
   If you're remodeling a part of the house that isn't used daily, you may be able to live through it with your sanity intact. But if you're redoing your bathrooms or kitchen, remember that Dirt, Dust and Destruction will be your houseguests for a few weeks.
   "Your going to need a break from the chaos," Jill said. "Rent a room at a hotel, even it's only for a weekend."
10. Answer the question "Why am I remodeling?"
    
    If you love your house and plan to stay there for a few years, then you're doing it for yourself. But if you're planning to move in a few months, you need to consider the long-term financial consequences the project will have on the value of your home. Don't spend $100,000 on a new pool and deck if you plan to move in a year. Otherwise you may sink money into your home with no hope of ever getting it back.

"Someday you'll look back at this and laugh," Jill said. "So, you might as well relax and enjoy the process." Check Out These Related Stories:

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