If you are an average person thinking about starting a remodeling project in your home you might tune into one of those home remodeling shows that are available, many on Saturday mornings. There you would see an entire kitchen or bath totally gutted and remodeled within the hour. After watching it you might think….This is a snap, it’s easy, I can do this next weekend! ……..Better Think Again.
These “weekend projects” involve a lot more than 2 days and a trip to the local home improvement store. In this article I will outline the steps necessary to complete a project that those shows don’t tell you about.
Once the project has been identified you need see what similar projects cost so you will know if your project will fit within your budget. To accomplish this you should visit Remodeling magazines web site and go to the section that has the “cost vs. value report. Make sure you adjust it for the Midwest region. http://www.remodeling.hw.net/2009/costvsvalue/national.aspx This annual report will give you a very good idea of the cost of your project.
To begin with you should complete a needs and use assessment. This assessment will help define the parameters of the project. What do you need (different from what you want or wish it to have) from the finished project and does your plan address all those needs.
Next you should create drawings of the project. Even if you are not artistic you need to complete this step as it will force you to think of areas of the project that you may have overlooked.
Your next step should be to make your product selections, and make sure they fit into the budget. When making product selections be cautious of finishes of various components, such as shower door, vanity faucet, toilet trim and door handles, to make sure they are the same. The same finish can have different names depending on the manufacturer. If you are putting the project out to bid remember to write construction specifications defining things like wall insulation, type of paint, style and color of electrical devices, etc.
Once you have all this information you are ready to have the project bid. My advice for you is a little different than some others. I suggest you interview 2 or 3 contractors, and talk to their references. When you find the contractor that you are comfortable with, ask him to bid the project, according to your specifications. You already know what the project should cost, so you are protected from that standpoint. Don’t make the mistake of squeezing every last dollar out of your contractor. They have to make a profit to stay in business and if you squeeze him too much he will have to cut corners, which is something you don’t want to happen. If you are using a contractor all you have to do is turn him loose.
If on the other hand you are doing the project yourself, select a starting date when you can dedicate 2 or 3 full days to the project. Trust me; things always take longer than you think. I remember when I was first starting out in the business; I would bid the job and always be over on actual time. This happened over and over. I asked a friend of mine who had been in business for a while to have a look at my estimating technique. He spotted the problem right away. You did not include any time for setup, breakdown, jobsite cleanup, buying or stocking the job with material. All these things take time to do and they are part of the job. The lesson here is add time into your schedule for these things.
If after reading this you feel overwhelmed and you need help in this process, I am available to guide you through it, with my project consulting services. I can complete the drawings, and specifications for you and/or I can be available to visit your project and walk through it with you, answering your questions, so you can complete them yourself. As the project proceeds, I am available by phone to answer questions as they come up, or possible job site visits.Contact me for more details about your individual project.
I hope after reading this you understand that it is not as easy as it appears on TV, and it takes a lot of planning and follow through. Following the above steps will ease the stress level that is associated with home remodeling projects.
John Knoelk CGR, CGB
Resourses:
Remodeling Magazine http://www.remodeling.hw.net/
Thursday, July 29, 2010
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