04/06/2013
4/6/13 Things to be Mentally Prepared for When Starting a Remodel:
1. Seek out a trustworthy contractor first and foremost that you can do business with for an extended period of time. Honesty goes a long way in remodeling a home.
2. Always figure an initial bid to be 25~30% lower than the final cost of remodeling your home. Many times there are other costs outside the first bid that arise during a project because...
3. There is no X-Ray vision. Even the best of contractors have no way of knowing what the situation inside your walls is like (plumbing, electrical, insulation, etc.) When a contractor is working on a job, they will often run across unexpected things while remodeling that will take extra effort to work around.
4. Be ready for a MESS. Especially with the remodel of kitchens and bathrooms, which can cause quite a bit of inconvenience.
5. Time delays: most jobs will take a third of the time longer than whatever the initial expectation is.
6. Make sure your contractor has all of his materials on hand before beginning demolition. Assemble all the tiles, faucets and other physical materials at the START of the project or you may end having to wait on their delivery with a half-finished home.
