Let's face it, remodeling ain't easy. Not for you, not for your contractors. Home additions seem to speed along until the roof is on. Bathroom remodels always uncover some hidden mold or plumbing problem that has been overlooked for years. You want new windows, and the weather won't play along. Rather than looking ahead to 2007, let's reflect on 2006 to see what we've learned about remodeling so that we are more prepared for anything that 2007 throws at us.
Start with Price. No matter how much disposable income a person has, no one wants to overpay. So start researching price. You don't have to get the price down to the penny. There are too many variables involved in remodeling to be able to get to this level anyway. What you want to do is get in the ballpark.
A homeowner in Denver needed new siding on her home, and she knew she wanted Hardie Board. She has a small home, and in her mind it was going to cost $2000-$4000. However, she didn't realize that Hardie Board's quality comes at a price, and the job came to just over $17,000. If she had done a little research, asked around, and gotten estimates, she would have had a better idea of what to expect, rather than just picking a figure at random and being convinced that it was accurate.
Energy Efficiency Is Just Plain Smart. When "green" items first hit the scene, they were pretty much reserved for people who were willing to pay to save Mother Earth. However, over the last decade, green and other energy efficient materials and processes have proven to not only reduce environmental destruction, but more importantly they also save money.
Whether these items require less maintenance, don't need to be replaced as often, or because they use less energy, no matter which way you slice it, you the homeowner are saving. The best remodeling options come in the form of energy-rated washing machines and dishwashers, not to mention composite materials and xeriscaping. Given the future of energy costs, energy efficient items are no-brainer investments.
Awareness Is the Key to a Great Remodel. The new kitchen or bathroom or home addition is going to be great, but these remodels don't happen overnight; in most cases they last several weeks, months even. One of the biggest takeways homeowners reported about remodeling in 2006 was that they weren't aware of everything that was coming, and as a result, they felt completely unprepared.
A good place to start is asking someone—a friend or neighbor or family member—how the process went. Not how they chose the type of wood for the cabinets or where they found that particular color of yellow, but what actually happened.
What did they do for 3 months without use of their kitchen?
Where did they put all of the kitchen items during work?
What time did contractors start? When did they finish? Did they work weekends?
Homeowners found that basements, garages, and guest rooms were perfect storage for items out of remodeled rooms. Also, taking mini-vacations—even to hotels right in town—were great ways to reclaim sanity.
Hire a Designer. While all of us think we have the best ideas for how our bathrooms should look or the best way to design our kitchens, two facts remain: contractors work better from professionally-designed plans; designers do this for a living, while you are doing this as an interest.
Don't be afraid to hand over the reins to a designer. They are pros and you can get exactly what you want, make as many suggestions as you like, but when it comes right down to it, they have more experience, more tricks, and more knowledge about what should be and what can be done. Preliminary sketches and drawings are a great place to start, but don't hand something to your contractor that you came up with and think everything is done.
A good design is part of the process of remodeling. A designer should not be looked at as added cost to this process, but rather as an investment in it.
Matt Myers is a freelance writer for the home maintenance and remodeling industry. Formerly a contractor specializing in deck building and casework, Matt has written over 500 articles for both homeowners and contractors.
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