Only a few years ago, it seemed as if everyone was selling their home to buy a bigger and more luxurious one. However, as the economy has changed, families are staying in their smaller homes, saving money wherever they can and making changes to the homes they are already in. There is no doubt that renovating a home can be messy, time-consuming and expensive. Of course, it is rarely as expensive as buying a new home, or as time-consuming as devoting every Saturday to looking at new properties. It’s also unlikely to be as messy as packing up everything you own, hiring movers to take it to a new place and then spending weeks unpacking it all. Renovating your home could also increase its overall value, so it is often seen as an investment that could pay off substantially if you were to sell your home at some time in the future.
When you are considering a home renovation, it is important to have a clear understanding of what you need, what you want and what you can afford. If you need help paying for the new addition to your home, is much better to have that financing in place and available when you begin speaking with contractors.
Something else to keep in mind is that you should consult the home-owners association in your area to see if there are any rules or guidelines that would impact your ability to make changes to the existing space. If unsure about the total amount you will need to finish the job, you may be able to get an approximate quote over the phone to use as a rough estimation to use in financial negotiations. Even after you have a quote, it is interesting to note that it is not unusual for bids to run over, so you will want to have an extra financial cushion in case that happens.
In some areas, workers cannot begin or stop working after certain times or you might need to get permission to change the space. If you cannot obtain permission, it would not happy wheels make any sense for you to pay the consultation fees for a contractor until you can get that information. You should be able to find out what rules would apply to your situation, just by calling or emailing the appropriate office.
Do You Need a Contractor?
Depending on your level of experience and the type of renovating you need, it may not always be necessary to hire a contractor. You might be able to build a deck in your
backyard, enclose a patio or even turn your garage into a small apartment without professional help. If you choose to make the required changes to your home by yourself, you will still need to obtain a permit to do so in most areas and you should be sure of your plans. It is also a good idea to remember that most people do not at least some professional supervision and that it is often more expensive to fix mistakes than it would have been to do something correctly in the first place.
Assuming that you need a contractor, you have several decisions to make. Obviously, you want someone qualified, trust-worthy and experienced. They should also be affordable and able to work within the time-limits that you have established. Try to get personal recommendations, of people to hire and people to avoid, from someone you know who has used their services recently. Ask for, and then check, references for previous clients.
Finally, although getting a good price is always going to be good, a large difference in quotes between contractors for the same service should be questioned. As with so many other things, you are likely to get what you paid for and if you pay a cheap price, you might get cheap labor, shoddy work and a final result that is not to your liking. If you are planning for a renovation, you will probably be in your home for at least a few more years and you don’t want to spend that time regretting the choices you made.
