Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth — these are the Seven Deadly Sins. The

Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth — these are the Seven Deadly Sins. The church has its definitions and we do, too.

Sometimes you will do the project yourself and other times you may hire someone to do it for you. In each of those instances you may eventually come up against one of the sins of remodeling:

UPride is the excessive belief in one’s own abilities. It has been called the sin from which all others arise.

If you are consumed by pride as you embark on a remodel, you may overlook important basics that can cause your project to backfire. It could be later determined that you were guilty of the first deadly sin of remodeling: NOT planning. Never be so smug in yourself as to assume that you don’t need to thoroughly plan your project. Spend time researching what others have done and how they did it; as well as the costs, availability and disruptions that will result from each of your decisions and choices. Don’t let your belief that “it’s so easy” interfere with your ability to recognize that there is much to learn about and plan for on a given project long before it begins.

UEnvy is the desire for, or to obtain, others’ traits, status, abilities, or situation.

We all want what the Joneses have -- bigger, better, faster. Our envy can cloud our ability to make commonsense remodeling decisions.

Making your home the largest one on the block can prove to be exciting and satisfying.

But it can backfire.

If you are planning to enlarge your home, keep in mind that if you want a reasonable return on your investment, make the new structure no more than 20 percent greater than the largest home in the neighborhood.

Remember: The value of your home is usually based on comparable values in the neighborhood. If your home is too large, its value may be substantially deflated so that it will correspond with other values in the neighborhood.

UGluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than one requires.

Get what you want, but be sure you are paying a fair price. Get competitive bids and select the bidder whose price falls within plus or minus 5 percent of the average of all the bids in that category.

Remember, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is, and by falling for such nonsense, you will be allowing your gluttony to come back and haunt you.

ULust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.

It makes good sense to go for personal comfort when it comes time to choose where to best spend your remodeling dollar. And although we can’t think of anything we would rather improve than our comfort, there are more important priorities.

If you want to make the most sensible choice, go for safety repairs first. Always invest in eliminating safety hazards around your home first.

Our No. 2 choice? Preventive maintenance. Spending a little now to save lots later is smart. Painting protects surfaces, catching a drip early can prevent rot, and so on. The money you save can eventually be spent on those personal comforts.

UAnger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as wrath.

We all know about the infamous “remodeling horror story.” There’s the one about the contractor who runs off with all the money. Or, the one about the contractor who takes forever to complete the project. Or both.

Anger is what you sometimes feel when you are afraid that you will be taken advantage of. When hiring a contractor, don’t put yourself in a position where you will be left with nothing but anger. You can prevent all the bad feelings that arise out of such a relationship by doing your homework to insure that the relationship will work. Use a standard bank credit application to investigate each contractor applicant. Perform credit checks.

And whatever you do, don’t use price to determine whether the contractor is reputable. A contractor’s integrity should be measured separately from his or her ability to calculate a proper bid. Integrity and price are completely separate issues.

UGreed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual.

Don’t be greedy, be competitive. Remember the rules of getting the best price without being taken advantage of by someone else:

USelect the product you want installed before speaking to bidders.

UDon’t ask bidders to choose the product for you. They will each choose something different, sparking endless confusion. You want to compare apples to apples.

UGive each bidder a photo or a drawing of what you want installed and specify the brand, model, size, color and any other specifics that will help get price quotes based on the same standards.

When you follow this procedure, a greedy bidder likely will lose out on the project. When contractors know they are bidding the same product as everyone else, they tend to be more competitive. Bidders also will recognize that you are familiar with how professional bidders do business, making you more likely to get a professional response.

USloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

This might be the most important rule of any home remodeling project. Don’t be lazy. Do your homework. Understand as much about a simple faucet leak as you can before you start, whether you’re doing the work or paying someone else.

If you don’t take the time to inform yourself, you might find yourself at the receiving end of someone else’s pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger and greed.

Be a remodeling saint instead of sinner.

XFor more home improvement tips and information, visit www.onthehouse.com.