Renovation 101

With any project there has to be a logical starting point. The number one question I hear is, “How do we get started?” Often homeowners turn to general contractors or an architect depending on the scale of their renovation before a lot of the important legwork is done. So, where do you start? First things first, it is crucial to be realistic with your budget. Most issues and miscommunication with a contractor occurs within the first few days of hiring them. Why is that? It happens because homeowners do not set the table correctly. Okay, what the heck does that mean? What I call “table-setting” is the process of being realistic with your budget and having a professional review your expectations, design ideas, and timeline. That process alone can shave 4 weeks off a renovation if done properly. If not done correctly, you could end up with a very expensive set of beautiful blueprints or a few walls knocked out and a non-functional kitchen and not much more.

Before you turn to Angie’s List, ServiceMagic, or Craigslist, know that you could very well be adding a good deal of time to your renovation planning. I had one set of clients looking to do a simple small deck installation. After two full weeks of searching reviews online they had 7 contractors come to quote the job over one weekend. The following week they decided to hire a company outside of their immediate area. By chance they contacted me after seeing my twitter feed. Turns out the contractor they chose had an expired license and had suggested some design elements that were not to current code. Lesson learned. Luckily no deposit had been exchanged. I was able to bring in one of my verified contractors and schedule the work quickly within their budget. Other homeowners are not so lucky.

Many people seem to think everything needs to be done yesterday. When it comes to renovating your home, please slow down. That is probably the best advice I can give for those looking to punch holes in sheetrock before anything else. Being a designer and consultant, I will in general terms: set the table, serve dinner, and deliver a stress free renovation….and you enjoy the dessert (results)!