When you work with a renovating professional, you want to be sure that your working relationship is profitable for both of you. You don’t want to be spending the time having disputes every five minutes. To help you out, we’ve found some hints and tips to help you out when working with a renovating professional.
Make it clear what you’re looking for
You’re going to need to make it absolutely clear what you expect from the service straight away. Begin by making lists of what you’ve enjoyed and disliked about each of your rooms, and what you want them to be like in the future. How are your activities in each room connected to their functions? Can they be changed? Making lists like this will help your contractor see what needs to be done.
Be tolerant and expect the unavoidable
Noise, disruption, intrusion of personal space and mess are all likely scenarios when you’re renovating a home. Be sure that you know these are unavoidable, and plan in advance. Take the time to understand the schedules of the workers and be prepared to work around these. Eating food out of the house or even taking some time away are great ways to avoid the stress and noise of a renovation.
Communicate clearly
You must know exactly what will be happening before you start any work. You must ask all questions that you want to, pay attention to drawings and really discuss things with your contractor if you want to ensure that you and the contractor are on the same page. Be around on the days that your contractor is working so that they can contact you if any problems or issues arise.
You will likely spend more than you want to
Quibbling about bills will waste your time and the contractor’s time. Ensure that you know what each item will cost and calculate an extra 10 to 20 percent on top of your final budget in case of unforeseen circumstances or luxuries you have indulged in. Having this wiggle room will ensure you are less stressed about payments and money.
Check out your contractor’s references
Most of us find contractors through recommendations, but if it is truly someone you don’t know, make sure you check their credentials. Can they be easily contacted? Do they pay attention to details? Do their references check out? You’re going to want to check all these things when you’re hiring a contractor. You can also ask if they plan to remove and dispose the waste in the correct manner. They should dispose of rubbish in a way that poses no threat to the environment. Put your home repairs in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing like, My Handyman of Ann Arbor, Saline, and Chelsea.
Make up a detailed contract
Make sure you do everything that is in your contract. When will the renovation begin and end? Have you both allowed for extended dates and payment processes? Your contractor will likely ask for about 10 to 20 percent of the total job as a deposit – if they ask for any more than that, you should be wary. Avoid making any cash deals as these are not recorded anywhere.
Visit showrooms
Do this both alone and with your contractor. When you visit a showroom alone, you can have lots of ideas and get really creative about what you want to do. Visiting a showroom with a contractor will mean you get more of a realistic idea of what you’re looking for. The contractor will be able to advise you on what you can do within your budget.
Be open-minded
This is your project, but it is the contractor who will have more experience in the matter. A good contractor will offer ideas to solve problems from the experience they have had in past jobs. Even if you don’t take the advice on board – and you don’t need to if you don’t want to – it is still a good idea to listen to the contractor and seriously think about what they are saying.
