Home Remodeling: What to Know

Posted by alvina on January 31st, 2019

Are you thinking of making a major change by carrying out a home remodeling project or bathroom remodeling project in the near future? While this journey can be an exciting opportunity to make some significant improvements, it can also be a time of stress, with the many complications and worries keeping you awake at night.

So, if you want things to go as smoothly as possible, here are seven tips to help you out during the home remodeling process:

1. If you want to save money then think in terms of efficiency instead of size. Rather than expanding your kitchen, which would require walls to be knocked down and rebuilt, consider whether or not you can make better use of the space you have by replacing large space-hogging shelves with more efficient pull-out drawers instead.

2. Don’t move kitchen or bathroom sinks (or toilets) unless you really need to. By moving these things, you will significantly hike up your plumbing bill. If you do have to move the sinks then this is a good time to have a plumbing upgrade, which will probably save you money in the long run.

3. Make sure you and your contractor are on the same length. You’re entrusting your contractor with a big responsibility here. Therefore, it’s not only important that you trust the professional abilities, but you have to have a good rapport and get on with your contractor. While it’s not essential, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them, so it helps if you like them a little bit too.

4. Make early decisions. By selecting your fixtures and fittings early on, you’ll get a much better idea of costs, rather than relying on the instincts of your contractor.

5. Ensure that you get a written proposal. You wouldn’t want arguments to flare up and conflict to develop over time. It’s important to start out with a clear schedule of events over the whole of the period.

6. Create a clear schedule that you and your contractor are both in agreement with.

7. Understand that you may need to be flexible. Things don’t always go to plan and remodeling is a massive disruption to the ordinary running of your home. If you have two bathrooms, then one of them will be out of action for a while. If you only have one bathroom, then you may have to make alternative arrangements with a neighbor for a while. For kitchen remodeling, setting a temporary kitchen with some old cabinets and a few appliances can be an excellent solution to cope with the disruption.

8. Before work begins, ensure a signed contract, with clearly specified terms is drawn up and signed. This really needs to cover all bases. It should include: a timetable and schedule of events, specifications for all the materials and products that are going to be used, any relevant insurance information, permit information, processes to be followed in case of any change orders, provisions for conflict resolution, and any further issues (including cleanup, access to your house, and removal of trash and other items after the job has been completed).