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Unless you’re a “Do-It-Yourself” guru chances are that, like most people, when it comes to a remodeling project for your home you are going to have to rely on the services of a professional. We’re here to tell you that it is not as simple as picking up the phone, inviting someone over to do the work and “voila!” everything’s perfect. In fact, if you are not careful there are major repercussions of a bad remodeling job that can take years and thousands of dollars to recuperate. Here are seven things that wreak havoc – and if avoided can mean a successful renovation project in your home.
Choosing the Wrong General Contractor
This is the single biggest mistake committed by those looking to save some money, want to speed up the process or simply don’t know any better. Ill-informed homeowners who are hasty in selecting a GC run the risk and often suffer major consequences after having chosen someone who isn’t properly licensed, has a bad history of performance, lacks experience or is unscrupulous.
Before hiring a GC make sure you check them out, trust them and feel comfortable with them.
Not Being Precise in Specifications
Unless the job is extremely simple, there will be intricate details to iron out before beginning the project. For the GC to provide an accurate quote on their services, they will need a clear picture of exactly what is expected of them. A common mistake made by property owners is to allow the contract to be written in basic terms. This leaves a lot of guesswork and gray area – plus consequently a lot of leeway for the contractor to decide what and how the work will be performed.
Account for every last detail on the contract, in advance.
Revolving Door Plans
Unless plans are outlined in advance in a clear-cut manner that leaves no room for major blunders, there is always the potential of major mess-ups. One surefire way to confuse the GC and cause a lot of damage (both monetary, time and the relationship with the contractor) is to constantly change plans.
Carefully consider what you want done, plan it thoroughly in advance and stick to the plan.
Underestimating the Costs
One of the easiest ways to ensure a renovation project “goes under” is to miscalculate the amount of money it will cost to have everything in the plan completed. Underestimating costs leads to an unending cycle of trying to keep up and it can ultimately end up in total project breakdown. If there is not enough money to complete a job for which the costs were not accurately assessed, it can mean unfinished projects that sit there for weeks or months till funds can be generated.
Thoroughly research how much everything will cost; get multiple quotes on service, materials and labor.
Losing Focus
Not keeping your eye on the tasks at hand that were established to begin with is one of the best ways to let things wander out of control and end up in a whirlwind of unfinished projects that have little to no direction. An example of losing focus is if the original project is to replace kitchen appliances and install backsplash tiling and halfway through the project the homeowner decides to change the countertops too. Had this been determined in advance, the GC would most likely have removed the old counter tops, made new assessments and measurements regarding the backsplash and then proceed. The wasted time, money and energy that would go into changing plans in the middle would be significant.
Know what you want to have renovated, plan it in advance and don’t deviate from the project.
Forgoing Quality for Savings
To put it simply, if you are cheap you will end up with cheap results. A lot of homeowners make the mistake of skimping out on quality to save a few dollars but in the long run it ends up costing them a lot more. Whether it means having to redo the same renovations later after they don’t last long enough or less-than-perfect results, using cheap materials or a bad contractor is a major mistake that many people make when remodeling their home.
Check with your GC, research the varying levels of quality available for materials – and buy the best quality you can afford.
Ignoring Things Below the Surface
Cosmetics and aesthetics are indeed a huge part of renovations but too often that is the only thing that property owners and bad contractors worry about. By not looking beyond what is visible and ignoring the important foundations of the project, the risk of breakdown are imminent. Not only does this translate to a huge waste of money if and when the project needs to be repaired or redone, but also the functionality of the remodel is impaired.
Ensure that all aspects of the project are performed using top quality workmanship, materials and specs.
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There is a lot of information on the Internet, in home improvement department stores and through quality contractors. A great way to avoid a lot of mishaps is to use known vendors that have long-standing relationships with your local Realtor.
