If you open your walls, try to think about what you will be hanging on them later on. I know – you already have a lot on your mind and decoration is the least of your worries. But an open wall is an opportunity not to be missed. You could save yourself quite some grief down the road, and even open new possibilities.

Think:

• shelves: where do you want them? do you have enough studs?
• flat-screen TV: while LCD screens are quite light, plasma screens are very heavy (around 65lbs for a 42″). Having double studs for hanging one on the wall might be a good insurance.

At a minimum:

• take pictures of the open walls for later reference (easy and cheap with digital cameras!)
• add metal plates wherever needed to protect wires

Don’t assume a stud finder is enough. They can get really confused at times depending on wall materials and wires inside the walls. You’ll feel much more comfortable drilling through a wall close to your service panel if you have one of these pictures in your hand…