Renovation is about more than fixing up an old house. Whether they're restoring an old Victorian or remodeling a mid-century Modern, renovators aim to make an old abode work for their 21st-century lifestyle.

Entries are now being taken for the third annual Renovation Inspiration contest sponsored by the Post-Gazette and Community Design Center of Pittsburgh. To enter, you must have renovated a house at least 50 years old within the past four years. Enter online and post photos at www.post-gazette.com/homes/contest/. Prizes include tickets to 2009 city house tours and a free RenPlan consultation from the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh.

Entry deadline is Nov. 26. Stories about the winners will begin appearing in the Post-Gazette in early January. Instructions and contest guidelines are below.

1. On the entry form in the spaces provided, fill in your name, address, city, state, ZIP code and daytime phone number.

2. Send us five to 10 photographs (4 by 6 inches only) of your house renovation, including some "before" photos, if possible. Include your name and address on the back of each photo. Sorry, we cannot return the photos. To enter online, fill out an entry form and download photos at post-gazette.com/homes/contest.

3. In 175 words or less, describe the motivation behind your renovation and how it was achieved. Houses must be at least 50 years old and renovations must have been completed within the past four years. Discuss how the renovation meets three criteria:

Appropriateness -- Construction, scale and materials should fit the house and neighborhood.

Functionality -- The house should be liveable, not a museum. Extra credit for using environmentally friendly materials and techniques.

Imagination -- creativity in solving typical old-house problems.

Please include at the top of your essay which category, Small or Large, you are entering.

Send to: Renovation Inspiration Contest, c/o Kevin Kirkland, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 34 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Entries must be received by Nov. 26. Entries may also be dropped off at the PG Contest Box at 34 Boulevard of the Allies.

To enter you must be 18 years of age or older and live in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington or Westmoreland counties. Homeowners, tenants or professional designers or contractors who have the owners' approval may enter the contest. Employees of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette or Community Design Center of Pittsburgh are disqualified from entering the contest, as are members of their immediate families. The judging panel is made up of local architects, design professionals and Post-Gazette staffers. Void where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. All entries become the exclusive property of the Post-Gazette and will not be returned. The Post-Gazette will not be responsible for lost, late, damaged, postage due, misdirected or mutilated mail. Incomplete or illegible entries will be deemed null and void.

We will visit the semifinalist houses and then notify the top winners by Dec. 22, 2008. Decisions are final on all matters relating to this contest. The odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible and accurate entries received. The Post-Gazette may publish the name, photographs and any information provided with entries, in print and on the Internet, including any advertising and promotion. Winners must sign a statement that they have fully complied with the rules and terms outlined. Acceptance of prize offered constitutes permission to use winner's name and likeness for commercial purposes without further notice and compensation, unless prohibited by law. Any specific contest rules and/or addendum may be picked up at the Post-Gazette. The Post-Gazette, at its discretion, may add additional rules, so long as the rule change is published in the Post-Gazette and is not implemented until the day following the change.

Entrants acknowledge and agree that they have entered the contest of their own free will, that the full rules and details of the contest have been made available to them in writing and they, therefore, understand and agree that the Post-Gazette or its agents, affiliates, sponsors, representatives or employees do not have any liability with respect to the contestants' participation in the contest or winning a prize and are not liable for any damages for acceptance and use of the prize. By entering this contest, participants agree to be bound by these rules and the decision of the sponsoring newspaper, which are binding in all respects.

Winners will each receive pairs of tickets to 2009 city house tours and free RenPlan design consultations by the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh. The Post-Gazette reserves the right to substitute prizes at its sole discretion.