There’s no doubt that preparation is key for home remodels. You need all the right materials, permits, and decisions made before you embark on a DIY home remodeling project. But most people don’t realize that preparing for a home remodel is necessary even when you’re hiring it out. Everything from design concept, to communication and everything in between will all flow smoother if you adequately prepare for your home remodel.
If you are planning on getting a home remodel in the near future and would like to hire a remodeling company to help, these are a few things you can do to prepare ahead of time:
Realistic Budgeting
HGTV isn’t a great reference for pricing. Who you work with, the scope of work, type of materials, and location of your home are going to make costs vary; sometimes quite significantly.The best thing you can do to forecast what your home remodel is going to cost is to start a conversation with a remodeling company like Stonehearth! This blog post is about “preparing” to hire a remodeling company. Remember – starting a conversation with a remodeling company doesn’t mean you’re hiring them! Ask them what you should legitimately expect a project to cost and get their genuine input.
Also, creating a budget shouldn’t just be setting a maximum dollar amount. Determine a range (based on your research and conversations with remodeling companies) that you will stick between. This will keep you focused during a home remodel on knowing when to substitute materials or when you’re allowed to splurge a bit.
Decide on Materials
Oh, we hear horror stories that clients have when working with bad remodeling companies and failing to make decisions beforehand. It’s not a good idea to think “I’ll make my materials choices during the home remodeling process!” If you’re working with a remodeling company that’s not great on communicating process, you may get contractors asking you to pick your materials today because they plan on installing them tomorrow… No fun.Have a vision in mind. What style of flooring do you want? Do you want real hardwood or vinyl? What about tiles on the walls – what color, arrangement, and patterns? Get a good idea of the design concept you want before you hire a remodeler. Remember – these are conversations you can have with your remodeling company before they officially start the project!
Prepare a Living Space Beforehand
This is a huge one. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons people push off their home remodeling plans are that they’re worried about the living situation during a home remodel. And we totally understand why! Not having access to a master bathroom, main living area, or kitchen can be scary to think about. But it’s actually not that big of a deal if you adequately prepare beforehand.Also remember, there are certain project timeline sections of a home remodel that are more intensive than others. It’s not a bad idea to assess when you may want to rent a place to stay, go to a friend’s house, or take a short vacation. Talk with your home remodeling company about what they plan to do when, and if leaving the house may be necessary at certain times. This can help in arranging plans in advance to actual construction work.
Read Testimonials
This will help you a ton in deciding who to work with! Finding reviews and testimonials on a remodeler’s website will educate you on how a remodeler works, what the process looks like, and ultimately what you can expect in your home remodel.It’s not even a bad idea to ask a remodeling company to send you customer testimonials! “Won’t they just send me the good ones?” Well, of course they will. But when you’re hiring a real professional, it’s not about good vs. bad as much as it’s about the process. You want to hear past customers’ experience during the home remodel, what it was like, the accommodation made by the remodeler, and how the process went from start to finish!
If you have any questions about preparing for a major home remodel, always feel free to just give us a call and ask away! We’re always excited to let homeowners know what the process will be like and clear up any uncertainty you may have regarding certain aspect of the remodeling process!
