You Need When Building & Remodeling Top10tips

1) Prepare for what you are getting into.

If you have never been through a remodel or, especially, a custom building project, take time to learn the steps of the process. I really like this book When It’s Time To Build - A Guide To The Construction Process: What to expect and questions to ask for a smooth building experience by Thad McKain. You can order it on Amazon. If you don’t want to take the time to read a book, at least do some research and talk to friends who have remodeled or built a home.

2) Put together a design notebook. Spend some time looking through magazines and Pinterest and Houzz and print out pictures of what you like. Buy a large 3-ring binder and some page covers for your pictures and notes. Divide your notebook into sections: front porch, foyer, family room, kitchen, master bath, etc. These pictures will help your contractor know exactly what you are looking for. This will also help you set a budget when it comes time to talk to the professionals and see if what you are dreaming of is something you can afford.

3) Budget! Budget! Budget! Your budget will probably be more than you actually expect. I tell people to plan for a 30 percent overage above what they thought things would cost. So, shop around and get prices on EVERYTHING ahead of time. We wanted large beams in our living room, but we didn’t consider the cost until the framing to hold them in place was already done. When we finally got the cost of the beams, we decided against them and the framing had to be moved behind the walls so we could have beams at a later date if we decided to, but this cost us extra money. If we knew the cost of the beams beforehand, we could have saved time and money.

4) Look for qualified professionals. Talk to friends and those in the building industry to find a builder or construction company you really feel comfortable with and has a good reputation. Your local chambers of commerce and the home builders association can help with names, but you will want references from these companies. And even check out social media. Those who have had bad experiences will spend more time posting on social media than those who have had a good experience, and you will want to ask the builder why the bad reviews? They should also know the local building codes and what permits you need without blinking an eye.

5) Plan ahead! When designing a room, make sure to look at the measurements for the room. Will your current furniture fit in there? Are the doors going to swing the right direction? Do I really like that window where it is? All of these things will affect the final design, and these small details can turn into headaches later on. Look for all of your lighting, handles for cabinets, door handles and flooring way ahead. And pick out your paint colors and put it all next to each other on a table or lean it against a wall. Take some photos and look it over for an entire weekend to make sure it is going to flow the way you imagined. You can consider hiring a designer to go over your ideas and help you through the process; part of their job is to consider these fine details.

6) Things will not go smoothly all the time. There will be bumps in the road. Try not to stress too much about things that don’t go smoothly. Just try to get them back on track. The construction process is messy, and for those of us who don’t like dust and dirt, it can be stressful. Just prepare yourself for lots of dirt and dust.

7) Communication. Find the best way to communicate with everyone as a team. We found that a group text between my husband, the builder and me worked the best. If the builder had questions, he could ask us both, and we could get an answer to him right away. However, change orders were also documented in emails, so there was written proof for all of us. I would suggest you send an email after every phone conversation if something changed from the original idea or cost.

8) It will look worse before it looks better. Subcontractors have a way of just leaving their mess behind. It shouldn’t happen, but it does. They will need a place to store tools, so agree on where this can be, if on site. And make sure the house is secure and so are their tools. Ask politely that they clean up after themselves each day and take home their soda cans, cigarette butts, etc., or provide a trash container. If they leave their mess behind, contact the contractor and ask that it be cleaned up.

9) Be a good customer. Don’t get frustrated and yell at or degrade the people working on your home. If they are making a mistake, politely point it out and ask for them to stop and get with your contractor to go over the details. People working on your home are just like everyone else, and they can make mistakes. They are also just like everyone else in that they like to be appreciated. Treats and snacks are always a hit. For early mornings, breakfast burritos and sausage biscuits are always gobbled up. And in the afternoon, I would swing by with cupcakes and lemonade. I couldn’t do it every day, but I tried to take by treats once a week or so.

10) Moving in. Moving is stressful! There will be things that don’t go just where you thought they would. Just set them aside in a closet and give yourself some time to live in the house, and you will find a place for that painting you love. Building and remodeling take a lot of time and effort. Expect to spend an hour or more a day - just on the details of a remodel - and two or more hours a day on a new build.

The key is to be prepared and to stay calm. You will end up with a good building experience and the perfect home for you!