The first step is knowing what to look for. Here are the top 7 things a contractor can do to rip you off.

1.  Ask for money up front.

Newlyweds Bree and Tom hired a contractor to build a covered patio and wrote a check that day for 50X of the estimated cost. The addition ran over budget, construction flaws led to problems with flooding, and the contractor never came back to finish the job. Never pay more than 20% up front.

2.  Rush you into making a decision.

Angelo needed to hire a contractor to repair an ongoing problem with drains. When he asked for a price estimate, the contractor offered him a “deal”—with the caveat that the price would double the following day.  Angelo felt pressured to agree to the  contract on the spot—and regretted it later. Never give in to pressure.

3.  Fail to prepare the work site.

Ginny hired a contractor to paint her house exterior. Although the paint looked fine immediately afterwards, the good impression soon faded. It turned out that the contractor had painted over dry rotted wood without pressure washing the surface. Check all work before and during the job, not just after completion.

4.   Do shoddy work and skip town.

The contractor who installed Eloise’s new kitchen cabinets worked quickly, and Eloise was pleased with the finished look. When a week later the cabinet doors started falling off the hinges, she tried to reach the contractor, but found that the only contact information she had were a pager and a P.O. box Always get the contractor’s cell phone and physical address

5.  Use cheap materials.

Jordan was delighted when his building contractor offered to provide fence materials at a discount. Unfortunately, the materials were not only second-hand, but also below-grade minimums for code. Contractors rarely stock huge inventories of material, so be wary when offered materials at a discount—nothing comes that cheap without a bad reason.

6.  Send someone else to do the job.

Retired couple Tim and Linda were impressed by their contractor’s credentials and experience during the initial interview, but less than impressed when he sent an unskilled laborer to actually do the job. Always confirm who will actually be doing the work, and if any sub-contractors are involved, ask to see their licenses.

7.  Leave a job unfinished until you fork over more cash.

Matthieu hired a contractor to install a complex security system in an office building. When the work was nearly complete, the contractor demanded more money on the ground that the original contract had gone over budget. Matthieu forked over more money out of desperation to get the job finished. Never let a contractor bully you into paying more than agreed upon.

To avoid getting into one of these distressing situations, always ask to see the contractor’s license, and make sure it’s valid for the state in which they are working. Don’t feel shy about asking: a reputable contractor will want to give you peace of mind. It’s far better to spend extra time and effort finding a good contractor than to regret a hasty decision later. You should be saving your hard-earned money, not lining the pockets of sneaky contractors who want to rip you off.

Moving the washing machine out of the basement and into the kitchen frees up that space for other uses. Bringing the washing machine out of the laundry room and into the kitchen can also make the household run more efficiently-with fewer trips up and down the stairs and less time wasted moving dirty clothes to the laundry room and clean ones back into the home.

Even though moving the washing machine out of the laundry room carries a number of important benefits it is important to not go into the decision blinding. Incorporating a washing machine into an existing kitchen can be a big challenge, and it is important to take careful stock of the space you have available. If you will need to move the appliances already in the kitchen to make room for the washing machine it may not be worthwhile to make the change. But if you have room to spare you may want to consider relocating your washing machine.

The decision to incorporate a new or existing washing machine into your kitchen space becomes a bit easier if you are planning to remodel the kitchen or build a new one. If you are redesigning an existing kitchen or putting in a new one you will have the opportunity to map out how much space you have available and how much you will need for each appliance. That in turn will make it easier to incorporate all of the appliances you need to include in your kitchen design. If you are building a new kitchen or using new appliances for a redesign you will also have the opportunity to choose your new appliances with the available space in mind. That will make it easy to bring in your new appliance – your washing machine – without disrupting the normal operation of your kitchen.

No matter what the size or style of your home it is important to create a warm and welcoming dining room for both family members and special guests  How you decorate this important room says a great deal about you and your style, so it is important to take a good look at the decor you choose.

Fortunately there are many inexpensive and innovative ways to create a new look for your dining room. So if you are looking for a way to remodel your dining room without breaking the bank consider these simple wall decorating ideas:

Create a focal point with a family photo collage – everyone has family photos to show off, and the dining room can be a perfect venue for those cherished family mementos. Adding a photo collage to the dining room is a great way to show off your favorite photos while enhancing the look of the room. Adding an attractive wall sconce on each side of the photo collage can make it look even more attractive and beautiful.

Invest in some new wallpaper-simply tearing out the old wallpaper and investing in a new style can do wonders for the look of the dining room.  If your old wallpaper has been up for awhile it may be time to remove it and create a new look.  If your old wallpaper simply needs some sprucing up you may want to add a wallpaper border or some stenciling to make it look like new.

Tell the time in style with a classic wall clock-the dining room is the perfect place for small heirloom wall clocks If you’ve got a family heirloom clock to display try placing it on the dining room wall.