Remodeling Without Surprises

Newly remodeled spaces can be beautiful, and make an improvement in your lifestyle as well. Here are a few things you should get more information on in advance of starting your project to avoid cost overruns and other surprises.

The first thing that will help you steer the ship is to find out what similar projects cost (or at least a range of pricing). Ask a close friend if they don’t mind sharing what they spent if they have done something similar. Renovating, building a new home or adding on isn’t like car shopping because most folks do not have the same house and desire an identical kitchen.  The budget for any project can swing greatly depending on size and quality.  One of the most common pitfalls is spending money on design without understanding cost.  Having some general information on the budget you want to use will make the initial design work be more focused.

What changes do you really want to make that will pay dividends in your life for the next 5-10 years? What I mean is; installing a new toilet because the existing one is leaking wouldn’t stop you from a full renovation when the time is right. So if your home is “vintage” there may be some things behind the walls that should be addressed before you try to remove the tile for a cosmetic fix.  Also try to consider what your family will need in the future (Another good thing to consult a friend or professional designer on).  Try not to focus on the now-if the toddlers need a better Cheerio snacking space, think about how a renovation may help for future needs like when their team comes over for a Pizza Party post game.

What other items will be impacted by the renovation? One of my priorities when budgeting for our clients is to make real discovery of the project to prevent cost overruns.  It is so easy to omit things from the scope which will avoid having to understand the cost now.  One very common consideration when we prepare budgets for home additions is how much of the roof is affected.  It may be close in price to do the entire roof and save a lot of time and money in the near future.  If you have some projects that can be bundled and the budget allows, take advantage of those economies while you can.

Don’t breeze over the boring mechanical issues- they are the engine of your home. I have seen many additions where the old heat system was over taxed and failed because the Owner wasn’t consulted on this important part of their home.  Your heat and AC work should be looked at for anything larger than a kitchen or bath remodel.  We have our mechanical contractors look at every project during the budget phase so they can let us know critical information regarding the budget and if there are items that need to be taken care of.  Our mechanics will know if your electric service needs an upgrade before the inspector forces you to buy one.  They know if your boiler can handle the additional load, or if you should consider a few options for heat or air conditioning before it is too late to incorporate that.

In the military we had a cliché that went something like “Poor planning creates poor performance”. I am sure it had a few expletives in there somewhere, but investing in your home should be done with a complete understanding and plan to keep you from becoming the next construction horror story.