Eight Tips for Homeowners who Plan on Remodeling a Home in the Saint Cloud MN Area—
Home improvement remodeling is a big step for any homeowner—and though you’ll enjoy the payoff of living in your dream home and increasing your property value, it can still be a little unsettling to entrust a general contractor and his or her team with your house. Christine Silver learned an important lesson about remodeling projects and the factors that can cause problems when she hired a friend to update the upstairs bathrooms in her home.
Though a trusted friend who presents a lower bid might seem appealing initially, you also have to consider the long-term costs you’ll incur by working with an amateur contractor. Professional contractors have more experience, do higher-quality work, and can better estimate the necessary time, costs, and tasks for your project. Here, we’ve compiled some top home improvement tips and Christine’s recommendations to help you prepare for this big step in your adventure as a homeowner.
Eight Tips Every Homeowner Should
Follow During a Remodel
Remodeling Tip #1: Always Ask Questions
“When you can’t think of any, ask your contractor what you should be asking,” Christine said.
Find out what your contractor’s estimate includes if you’ll need to plan for additional costs, and how long the project should take to complete.
Tip #2: Get the Details in Writing
As you begin to make firm plans with your contractor, make sure you get all the details in writing. Confirm prices, starting and ending dates, and the materials included in your project. Discuss checkpoints and milestones with your contractor and ask him or her to write down a schedule for you of the expected project timeline.
Tip #3: Get to Know the Subcontractors
In some cases, your contractor may be working with several subcontractors to handle specialized tasks like electric wiring or plumbing. If that’s the case, learn more about the subcontractors so that you’re aware of who is working in your home. Christine also recommends telling your contractor about how well his or her subcontractors are performing.
“Give the contractor feedback on the subs—if they leave a mess, if they break things, et cetera,” she said. “The general contractor might not see it, and the subcontractors probably won’t tell your contractor.”
Tip #4: Make Sure You and Your Contractor Speak the Same Language
When Christine’s friend told her she would need to move out of her bedroom, she figured that meant that she wouldn’t be able to access the room during the day and that he was assuming she wouldn’t want to sleep amid the work zone at night. However, she quickly found out that he really meant she would need to move everything from her clothing and accessories to her furniture out of the room. Clarify any instructions your contractor gives you and make sure he or she also understands your requests and needs during the project.
Tip #5: Prepare for a Mess
No matter how neat, organized, and clean the contracting team tries to be, remodeling is still a messy process. Whether you’re getting new flooring or installing tile in the shower, keep in mind that an initial mess is inevitable and that you can always get everything cleaned once the house is done.
Tip #6: Discuss Arrangements for Your Pets
“If you have pets, talk with the contractor about it and agree on how the pets will be handled,” Christine suggested.
She put a sign on the inner door of her garage so that the crew would know not to open the door and so that she could know her cats were safe inside.
Tip #7: Get Samples of the Pieces You’ve Chosen
In Christine’s master bathroom, the finished tile didn’t necessarily look the way she had expected.
“I like the hall bath that just got the facelift more than my master,” she said. “The tile I picked out came out a lot more beige-y than I wanted, or perhaps it looked like that because of the small space. Overall, the look I was going for isn’t working out.”
Before choosing a particular type of flooring or a paint color, look for the largest sample possible and review it in various lighting scenarios before making a decision.
Tip# 8. Stay Positive
Above all else, it’s important to stay positive even when your project gets tough or stressful.
“I’m really glad I have a roomy shower with nice tile instead of the cheap fiberglass molded tub/shower, and I’m hoping when it’s all finished I will like it better,” Christine said. “I’m happy with the floors I chose, the high quality plumbing fixtures, and glad to replace the low-quality selections the original builders used.”
Though your project may see the occasional setback, the best thing you can do is to retain a positive attitude and keep focusing on the beautiful new home of your dreams that you’ll have once everything is finished.
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Are you thinking about remodeling a home in the Saint Cloud MN area? If so, you need to know that Craig at Schoenberg Construction is one of the best Home Remodeling Contractors in St Cloud and Central MN. He always gives honest, fair bids with no lowball, fake pricing. There’s no sales pressure, EVER! And, Craig and his staff never use cheap materials or engage in sloppy workmanship, plus his company is known as one of the top General Contracting providers in the Saint Cloud Minnesota area because Craig always INSISTS on doing every job EXACTLY right!
Give him a call today at 320-252-0911 for your no-obligation consultation.