Remodeling Tips
Have a Master Plan for your Home Improvement Projects
By having a master plan there will be less of the "one step forward, two steps back" activity.
Look at the big picture. Make sure that you consider the total scenario ... not only for now, but for the future ... include broader or unexpected needs that may not be obvious to you on first glance. Do you really need a screened porch, or do you need a guest bedroom and some interior rearrangement? Are you having more children? How will your housing need change as your children grow, or later as the nest is emptied? Will you need a space for a nanny? A home office? Will you want to later expand your kitchen into that space that you are now considering for a sunroom? If you want to redo your kitchen in three years, is it worth replacing the counters now?
Often a phased plan is appropriate, in which you plan to implement projects over several years. Rather than doing a whole house remodel now, portions of the total project can be spaced out over time (for example, this year do the bath, then when the children grow, add a playroom, then a couple years later, add on a breakfast room and redo the kitchen).
Thinking ahead like this minimizes the chance that projects that you do now will need to be later undone. It also reduces the likelihood that you will discover that you did the "wrong" project first, precluding another project later on.
Keep Project within Budget
Whether your budget is large or small, figure out what it is. Have an understanding also for your budget's flexibility (or lack thereof!). Having a budget can be a benefit as well as a limitation because it forces each decision to be considered with an eye to its effect on the overall job.
There are gross measures, such as cost per sq. ft., that you can use to determine whether your expectations are in the ballpark or not. Depending on the type of project you are doing this figure can range between $100 - $300 per sq. ft. Often people spend the same amount on remodeling a bathroom as they spent on their last car. Kitchens tend to be anywhere up to I 0% of the value of the house. Many people have reported that projects cost one and a half to two times what they expected before starting into the process.
Doing this up front investigative work helps to reduce the chance for sticker shock when you get back estimates from your contractor. Prospective contractors can give you ball park information to help you pre-qualify your project. Even if the initial figures seem high, don't be discouraged - it's often possible to work with your contractor to make value based decisions that wi II bring your budget and your dreams closer into line with each other. Once you arrive at a mutually agreeable budget, it is possible to keep your design within that range.
When figuring your budget, you should plan to set aside 10 -15% for extra unplanned costs,. such as those due to termite damage, foundation settling, concealed obstacles and/or substandard existing construction which are not identified until after construction starts.
Expect some "while you're at it" costs. Your enthusiasm can cause you to expand the scope of a project on which you're involved, or to want to change the room adjacent to the one you're working on. "While you're at it costs can add twenty percent or more to a project.
Choose A Reputable Contractor
The contractor is the person to whom you will delegate the responsibility of ensuring that the on-going job matches your expectations. You need a good manager. There is no business where teamwork is more important. It's important that they can pull together people/resources to get this work done for you in a timely fashion.
Seek out a contractor who cares about you and your home, one who is excited to be in the business, who is courteous, who attempts to provide the least disruption in your life. Each day of a remodeling project should not be a challenging test of your adaptability and tolerance. Be wary of the ones who say they are perfect. On remodeling projects, things often go wrong, problems come up. One of the differences between contractors is how they address the problems as they arise.
Look for a contractor with traditional skills of empathy and careful listening, one who will keep you informed - a good communicator. Choose someone who is steady and even-tempered.
Look at his portfolio. Talk to his references. Choose one who will be around tomorrow to service their work.
Make Changes Before Construction Begins
It can be very costly, both in dollars and in terms of the project's duration, to make changes after construction starts. Try to make all changes up front! Design on the fly has a ripple effect on costs, regardless of whether you add or delete something. It is time consuming for the contractor to change materials, specs and worker schedules while work is underway, in addition to the down time that results while everyone stands around waiting for late decisions and changes from the customer.
Your job can be brought to a complete standstill by changes made during production. The contractor schedules workers well in advance and may not be able to instantly reshuffle the worker's schedules.
Whether Or Not to do It Yourself
Often potential clients proclaim that they are considering being their own general contractor. This is usually followed by an assertion that they feel that they can save a percentage of the construction costs and thus build the project for less. This may be a short-sighted misconception that can be a recipe for disaster: a case of penny-wise and pound-foolish. It can result in compromising decisions on the part of the owner that can corrupt the original design intentions and seriously hamper the quality of the finished product. In the case of one addition contracted by a homeowner, improper flashing at windows, foundations and roofs caused serious leaking, foundation geometry was not laid out correctly making it so that the walls above did not line up with the foundation below. Additionally, paint did not adhere to the siding, most likely a result of a missing vapor barrier. Such problems are not easily correctable after the fact, and are avoidable if someone who knows what they are doing manages the project.
Qualified remodelers bring expertise to a project in four different areas: technical expertise, control over subcontractors, critical path scheduling of tasks and procurement, and dealing effectively with public authorities.
Their technical expertise involves more than just knowing how to read plans and specifications. They have extensive knowledge of different material and methods such as masonry, carpentry, cabinet making, roofing, electrical and plumbing work. The contractor will make sure that the footings are placed correctly, the foundation walls are sound, with appropriate footing drains, properly waterproofed and so on. A homeowner cannot be expected to know all of this if their expertise is in some other field such as medicine, accounting, or law.
Secondly, since the contractor regularly and repeatedly uses the services of his subcontractors, he will be able to exercise control over them. The average homeowner will only add to a house once or twice in a lifetime, whereas the contractor may be overseeing five different projects at once. It is obvious why a plumber will respond sooner to a call from the contractor, a repeat client, than to a homeowner that he may never see again, who does not understand what he does, and who might not appreciate the quality of his work, and who may not pay him easily or quickly. These facts give the contractor leverage over the subs that a homeowner cannot possibly have.
Thirdly, the sequencing of tasks is of the utmost importance to having a job completed successfully in a timely manner. Knowing the right time to get your subcontractors in, when to order the windows and doors and even the right time to call the designer for a clarification or critical inspection takes skill and expertise. There are few fields where scheduling is more critical than in construction. Everything needs to happen with forethought, often with multiple trades working simultaneously, or the project may take twice as long as it should. If the carpenter does not stay ahead of the plumber and the electrician then the electrician may walk off the job. If the plumber and the electrician don't finish their work the carpenter cannot move on. This causes the job to come to a screeching halt. Tensions rise on the job when the subs lose money due to excess idle time. Juggling between subs stepping on each other, idle time and project duration is something that the contractor controls and manages.
Fourth, the contractor can effectively deal with public authorities such as the building inspector. Since they work with them on a regular basis, the contractor's staff is able to develop a professional relationship with the various building officials. These relationships translate into a job being completed faster and better. Knowing when to request input from the authorities is a critical component of scheduling. As a do-it-yourself homeowner, the last thing you want to hear is that you need to remove all the sheet rock you just installed because you neglected to request the building inspector for an inspection.
As a do-it-yourself contractor you may be risking large amounts of money by assuming responsibility for something that you cannot possibly understand in all of its complexity. It is easy to conclude that because we have lived in houses and seen construction sites we can easily be remodelers. This conclusion may lull you into a false sense of security. In the long run you may be best off relying on the expertise of a Professional Remodeler.
Enjoy It!
Remodeling may be costly but it's less expensive than moving, and less wrenching. You can have what you want rather than buying someone else's taste and living with it.
It's a chance to have someone make your dreams come true. If you're having major kitchen work, its a chance to try all those new restaurants you've been meaning to try but haven't had the time!
Relish in the self-indulgence. Keep your sense of humor! When the going gets tough, keep in mind the beautiful finished end product at the journey's end.
