No matter the size of your project, remodeling your home can be filled with ups and downs. Over the last 30 years of business, we’ve learned how to make the remodeling process easier on our clients.
Here are our top 8 tips and tricks for homeowners to help them have a smooth remodel.
1. Assemble a Great Team. We take it back – assemble a Specktacular Team.
With large projects, it’s very tempting to hire the least expensive contractor or the contractor that’s available right away. Be very cautious if you find yourself in either of these situations. We always recommend doing your homework on the people you hire to work in your home. Ask to speak with past clients, request to see examples of their work, check the status of their license online, and ask about their trade contractors. Make sure they are trustworthy and will produce excellent work.
Hiring the best team may mean having to cut back on something to make your budget work, but we promise it’s money well spent. Whoever you hire should have the experience and expertise to complete your renovation safely and correctly and have an excellent reputation. You want someone you trust working in your home.
2. Determine your Budget and Scope Before Work Begins.
We recommend you determine the scope and budget before even contacting professionals. If you’re not sure what your project would cost, we recommend looking at the Cost vs Value Report, published by Remodeling Magazine. It’s a free resource that our clients find to be helpful when they are dreaming of their next project.
Should you choose Specktacular Home Remodeling, part of our process is planning your project before work begins. Changing the scope or direction of your project mid-construction will likely cause delays and extra costs for you. It’s important to consider everything you need and want to include in your final space. Plan accordingly with your contractor to avoid any project hiccups.
3. Include Timeline and Budget Contingencies.
Sometimes remodeling comes with surprises that are out of everyone’s control. We are often working with existing structures that we won’t know the full condition of until demo day. Our company does our best to keep you informed about what we plan to find and “worse case scenarios”, but sometimes there’s just no way of knowing until we get in there on demo day.
It’s good practice with any home project to have a 10-20% contingency budget to address any unforeseen conditions that need to be addressed. Keep in mind that unforeseen conditions needing repairs will also add additional hours (or even days) to your project’s timeline as well.
4. Finalize Selections Early.
The remodeling industry is still experiencing delays with products and materials. The last thing you want is to have a stalled project while you wait for materials to arrive or come back in stock. We’ve worked with clients that prefer to have us on-site when they are choosing materials and others that prefer a more hands-off approach. No matter where you fall on this scale, our design team will work with you to set deadlines of when materials need to be selected.
If your contractor asks you to make a decision by a certain day or time, please do your best to meet the deadline. Putting off decisions with a mutually agreed upon time will cause delays to not only your project, but also the other projects your contractor is working on.
5. Do Jobsite Check-ins, but Don’t Distract.
We love clients who want to be hands-on and involved in their project, just know your daily presence on the job site can be a distraction to workers and ultimately prolong the progress of your project. Let your team work, maybe set up a weekly walk through with them or a brief check-in at the end or beginning of the day if you really like progress updates. If you followed our first piece of advice and assembled a fantastic team of professionals, you should be able to trust them to do their jobs correctly.
6. Don’t Skimp on the Fundamentals.
The fundamental elements of your home are the foundation, structure, insulation, roof, windows, mechanicals, and the like. We know it isn’t fun to pay to replace or repair these items, but they are vital to the health of your home. it’s crucial to invest in the fundamentals to have a solid, water-tight, smooth-running home that stays that way for many years. There are areas where you can cut your budget if needed, but never cut the budget for fundamentals.
7. Know Where to Save.
An experienced professional will know what to splurge and save on. Again, don’t skimp on the fundamentals. If you followed our first piece of advice, you should be able to trust your team to guide you in areas that make sense to trim and save on costs.
8. Have a Good Attitude.
Find a professional you can laugh with and who will also do a great job. The best laid plans can still have detours. Trust us when I say, we hate it when there’s detours too. So, if a day doesn’t go as planned, know it’s going to be ok because you chose a professional you can trust. Take a breather, find a healthy way to let off steam, and visualize the end result of your project.
We hope these tips are helpful as you start the renovating process! We can’t wait to chat with you about your project when you’re ready to start planning! We love making the remodeling process smooth for you!