You are dying to get an updated home, and you are very excited for the remodeling process to begin. But you aren’t naive. You have heard the horror stories about renovations, and you intend to make yours go smoothly. So you have done your homework, dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s, and you are confident your remodel will go off without a hitch. However, if one of these common mistakes is part of your strategy, you might want to think again.
Doing the Shopping Yourself
You might think that you can save yourself a boatload of cash by purchasing the materials on your own and just having the contractor perform the labor, but Houzz believes that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Contractors will usually be able to get trade discounts on the materials, but more than that, they have the expertise necessary to know which supplies you can go cheap on, and which ones need to be the name brands. Allowing the contractor to purchase the materials also ensures you actually get what you need for the project — and if something goes awry along the way, it’s all on them.
Not Paying In Full
In order to protect yourself from getting screwed over by your contractor, you just won’t pay his entire fee upfront. That will guarantee he finishes so that he gets the rest of his money, right? Wrong! By not paying all of the money at the beginning, the contractor may be forced to take shortcuts or skip steps because he doesn’t have enough overhead to cover the materials. Either that or he will charge you more to cover that extra amount in case he doesn’t finish at all. Neither scenario is a win for you.
Trusting Your Contractor
It’s very nice of you to hire a contractor and turn the job over to him without a second thought, but doing so is a huge mistake. Why? As HGTV points out, if you don’t know anything about what the project entails you won’t be able to spot a mistake or a shortcut when it occurs. To make sure you know which questions to ask and when to intervene, you should do a little bit of research about the project in advance. That being says, it is crucial to remember that your contractor is the expert, so don’t get too involved or you will just make him mad.
Not Finding a Temporary Place to Live
When you are embarking on a dramatic change it can be tempting to try to stay in your home throughout the process. After all, that means less money is spent on temporary housing and you can maintain a first-hand view of the work being done. However, this decision may actually be costing you more than you would spend on a part-time rental, and it will irritate your contractor. At the end of the day, the crew will have to clean up everything so that your home stays in a livable condition. This means more labor costs for you. And if you were part of the crew, wouldn’t it bug you?
Thinking the Quote is the Final Bill
Even though your contractor gave you a firm quote, it is always a good idea to set aside a little extra for the just-in-case scenarios. The price you received from the contractor only includes the planned work, and, as Consumer Reports points out, there are often unexpected expenses that arise with a large remodeling project. If you have watched any home remodeling shows on TV, then you know this to be true. Some things can’t be known until walls and floors are ripped apart.
Skipping the Permits
Yes, it can be tempting to conveniently forget about the permits you are supposed to get during a remodel. From the fees to the paperwork, no one is arguing that they aren’t a pain. But if it turns out that your plumbing or electrical work doesn’t meet code, you can be forced to redo them on your own dime. Not only that, but you won’t be able to sell your home without all of the proper permits in place.
Remodeling your home is a very exciting and stressful time. If you can avoid the above mistakes, then your renovation is likely to go smoothly, and you will be able to enjoy your new home in no time at all.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2014. All rights reserved.
Debbie Woolard Group
(757) 288-0194
www.DebbieWoolard.com
Excellent Service – Excellent Results
Buyers Agent/Sellers Agent
Our focus is helping people find and exchange dream homes. We are seeking buyers and sellers that desire concierge level service including great communication, extraordinary representation and a continuing relationship for years to come.
You and your referrals will be provided with a great team of professionals to help with each step of the process. We are committed and passionate about negotiating the best possible terms and serving our clients at the highest level. Our goal is to create memorable real estate experiences where our clients become raving fans.
Our clients benefit by having a Certified Negotiation Expert on their side. This provides them with better results, a smoother process and greater satisfaction.
Whether a person is looking to buy or sell a starter home or a multi-million dollar estate, Debbie Woolard produces great results for her clients. She gives clients what they expect and deserve, an experienced realtor skilled in marketing and negotiations.
With Debbie Woolard, you will receive personal service as well as exceptional professionalism. She is well qualified for her work with her strong background of sales and marketing. Having been born here and continuously living in the area, she is familiar with the entire Hampton Roads region.
She has earned the professional designations of Certified Negotiation Expert, Certified Residential Specialist, and e-Pro. In addition she is also a Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource with extensive training in short sales and foreclosures. This uniquely positions her to help those in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. It has also proven to be beneficial to the buyers that are seeking to purchase a short sale or foreclosure.
She is well qualified to help professionals, business owners, military personnel and other clients with their real estate needs. She has been selected to work with both the Military Team and Relocation Team. She is consistently producing outstanding results in real estate.
Her first year in real estate she was awarded Listing Rookie of the Year as well as Sales Rookie of the Year. Her sales and loyal following of satisfied clients have grown each year she has been in business. She is in the top 1% of the agents in the area based on sales volume. Her practice continues to flourish thanks to clients recommending her to friends, family members and business associates.
Her clients state that her actions and attitude are best described with the word “integrity”.
Realtors with the Debbie Woolard Group service Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News & Portsmouth with specialist in seller representation, buyer representation, military relocation, first time home buyers, short sales and real estate investment.