Even if you’ve been through the experience before, remodeling your home can still be a scary idea. You’ll know all about the stress of keeping the project within budget and on a time schedule.
Upgrading a home is a mixture of science and art, and you need to be on top of the quality of construction, as well as design and the aesthetics.
Folks who are upgrading their homes fall into three basic categories: owners who want to maximize the value of their home before sale, those wishing to improve their lifestyle and buyers who have bought a fixer-upper.
As an experienced agent in our neighborhood, I’ve worked with prospective buyers seeking property that needs upgrading and sellers who want to enhance the value of their home before sale.
The key to a successful remodel is your ability to plan and remain diligent through the project.
It is essential to have a vision for your project and obtain a minimum of three quotes so you find the contractors who can deliver within a budget and a timeframe.
Below are some tips to help keep you on track.
- Ignore TV shows – Nothing will put you in a world of remodeling pain than believing the pricing and timing you see in reality TV shows. Labor costs are a fundamental reality of construction work and rarely get mentioned. And only very small projects can be achieved over a weekend. Budget in the real world, not the world of reality TV.
- Quotes come in writing – Always insist on receiving an estimate for work in writing rather than believing the amount told to you verbally. This avoids any nasty surprise when the check comes in.
- Expertise counts – If your budget will stretch, call in experts. An architect and lighting consultants and interior designers can transform your project. Given you’re investing in your most significant financial asset, consider the dollar value they can add.
- Focus on you – Unless you want to flip the property, then renovate for your lifestyle. If you’re a shower person and don’t like baths, save yourself the expense of a tub. If you’re not into open plan, smaller rooms are fine.
- Minimize your role – Consider hiring a general contractor who co-ordinates sub-contractors for the entire project. You want to avoid juggling tradespeople. One bad apple will throw out your timeline and cause friction with the others and can give you huge headaches.
- Stop and shop – Avoid buying materials from multiple suppliers. That quickly gets confusing, especially when it comes to delivery schedules. Ideally, you’ll purchase from only one or two suppliers.
- Be tactile – Use only stores or internet shopping that have reputations as a quality building industry supplier. Consider being old school and go to their stores to see and touch the items you want to buy. For example, faucets can look amazing online but turn out to be cheap and nasty when you open the box. Ask for swatches of cloth and buy small test-cans of paint. Take your time with your decisions and always ask about warranties on the products you purchase.