Remodeling a home requires serious efforts and a serious amount of money. If you think your home requires more than just a fresh coat of paint and minor repairs, it is better to opt for a remodeling project. This is a wise decision, especially for those families whose needs are growing and changing through these years. What used to be a home that is perfect for two adults and two young children has now become a crowded place for grownups.
Luckily, you can always have the option to remodel your home. But how do you organize such a process? The following tips will surely help you.
Create a Comprehensive List
When organizing a home remodel, the first thing to do is to make a list. A list ensures that everything is taken care of. You should come up with a detailed list of everything that you need and everything that you want to be done. The ability to create a comprehensive list of things involved in a whole home remodel project is one crucial key to efficient project completion. There will be less likelihood of things forgotten. The tendency to overlook an important part of the project will also be eliminated. The list must include the scope of work and its specifications. All the things included right from start to finish must be present in the list.
If you have to deal with one person as the main builder, then the chances are high that he will also be organizing everything involved in your home remodeling project. Therefore, it is important that he also gets a copy of the list that you made and see to it that your goals are well communicated to this person.
Make Sure Everyone Is on the Same Page
Make sure that your main builder and you as the homeowner are both on the same page. Being able to create a list of detailed specifications will also greatly help make it easier for you to obtain multiple quotes. The list you made will also help you come up with a fair comparison because the builders will also be using the same list when quoting. Home remodeling usually requires that you coordinate with multiple subcontractors such as an electrician, cabinetmaker, and plumber. This also goes to say that you should be aware of who should be in charge of each task. A complete copy of the specifications must be distributed to all subcontractors. This way, everybody is aware of what others are doing.
This helps make sure that all the efforts they do while home remodeling is in harmony with everyone’s efforts. You should be able to discuss to your subcontractors the specifications you have on your list so they could also give you suggestions and recommendations.
Avoid the Tendency to Assume
When writing down your plans, avoid the tendency to assume. Some people make the mistake of making assumptions that other people involved in the project would know right away exactly what they meant just by reading what was written on their plans. This is why the specifications should be written well—making it a habit to write down every important detail no matter how small or trivial it may seem. This could spare everyone from misunderstandings and conflicts when the goal of the homeowner is not fully accomplished. The more you express or write down things explicitly, the less likely it will be for everyone to make mistakes. Besides, when everything is conveyed, the faster it will be for everyone to make a move or take action as people won’t have to spend time guessing what you meant.
For example, you may be disappointed to find your floor tiles with white grout because your original plan is to have dark gray grouts on them. However, do not forget that white grout is the standard and that the people working on your bathroom floor would think that such color is used since you did not indicate it in the plan that you handed to them. So, never make assumptions that everybody knows exactly what you want.
Consider the Delivery Time
Deciding on which materials to use, from cabinet hardware to furniture and bathroom fixtures, may entail long lead times. Some furniture pieces may take longer lead times especially if they are made to order. So, make sure that you consider this amount of time when making plans. Otherwise, you may find yourself settling for just whatever is available from the stores near you and ruin your original plans. If you are ordering natural stone and tiles, note that these products may take a lot of time before they can finally be delivered to your doorstep. If you order it from abroad, possible delays and hold-ups during transit should also be taken into consideration.
Be Ready with a Contingency Plan
No matter how prepared you claim to be while taking action on each aspect of the plan with the best of intentions, there may come a time that something unexpected comes up. This is when the need to have a contingency plan becomes crucial. Consider factoring in at least ten percent of your overall budget for your contingency plan. This is a must, especially if you are remodeling a home from an old building. You will not have a complete idea about the condition of the building unless your contractors start tearing down those walls behind your kitchen. Don’t get yourself surprised and unprepared by what you see once those floor carpets are being ripped out. But, when you have an extra budget for unexpected discoveries, you won’t have to worry about your project not fully carried out.
In most cases, you will not be able to recoup the entire amount of money you spent on remodeling your home once you decide to sell it. However, there are also remodeling projects that could add value to your home. Examples of these would be the addition of a bedroom in the attic or adding a new bathroom. Repainting your entire house and reroofing also adds a curb appeal, which increases the chances of your home attracting attention from prospective buyers.
