People have lamented to Clark over the years about how much home renovations cost. Last year alone, people spent $215 billion on home remodeling projects. The boom took off in the late 90s and hasn’t stopped since. But a number of factors have changed, and renovations are about to get a lot less expensive. People have gotten nervous about he values of houses, with the number of homes on the market rising dramatically. Plus, people who were making a living building new homes are suffering because those homes have stopped selling. So, the whole supply and demand has reversed. Now, contractors are looking for customers and sending notes, asking if people need any work. They are even showing up the next day to do work, and going above and beyond to get projects right. New homebuilders are becoming renovation and addition contractors, according to the New York Times. The result is that the cost of remodeling is declining. Materials cost less and people need work. So, margins are reduced. Just make sure you see thorough lists of jobs that the contractor has done in the last 18 months. If there is a gap in projects, ask why. There may be some people who didn’t like the contractor’s work. Also, make sure the contractor has insurance or you could wind up paying twice for the project. You want to talk to those folks and be choosy about who you hire. A good price doesn’t necessarily mean a good contractor.