In fact, he said, strengthening roofs and giving windows better protection are best undertaken when homeowners already are planning to replace the roof or the windows.

If a homeowner plans to stay in a home no more than five years and expects it to take three years to recoup the refinancing costs, refinancing might not make financial sense.

If the homeowner is planning to take the gain and move to where homes are cheaper, like Mexico or Indiana, he or she will realize a big gain in savings.

How quirky a redesign should be depends on how long the homeowner plans to live in the house.

But he is avoiding an adversary tone, or even discussing exactly how the homeowners plan to go ahead.

If a homeowner plans to seal the driveway after repairing it, an easier way to fix cracks is to cover them with adhesive patching fabric.

Some homeowners plan vacations around their renovation jobs and then come home to a wall that's in the wrong place or a window you weren't counting on.

Mrs. Hyland said the homeowners planned to invest the $350,000 and would distribute the interest to civic projects, like financing a community swimming pool and scholarships.

And even then, he said, if the homeowner plans to sell in the near future, the monthly savings may not be enough to offset the cost of refinancing.

Elderly homeowners will be encouraged to downsize to smaller properties and allow councils to rent their homes to local families under Coalition plans to ease the nation's housing crisis.