5 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Remodel

By involving a contractor at the design stage, you can design your home’s new look to be both practical and within your investment. Only a professional and custom remodeling specialist has the experience to foresee the potential cost implications of a difficult site or architectural features. Most remodel specialists provide a design and build service, which means the consultation service is generally included at no extra charge.

> How to Care For Your Pets During Your Remodel

A professional has the right team in place to handle the more complex side of your remodel. It often takes a team including your contractor, their designer, draftsman, and engineer to scope out legal requirements and any permits. Getting your design and specifications right in the beginning will save you thousands and months of wasted time.

Do you have an immovable hard and fast deadline for handover? Do you need to have your major remodel completely finished by Christmas or before a new family member arrives? If you have a fixed deadline, then it’s a good idea to share this with your builder while you’re planning your remodel.

A professional contractor will be able to provide a guide for timeline once the initial design has been completed. This will enable you to visualize how long all the different processes such as construction drawings, engineering and quoting take while you’re planning your remodel. You’ll also see the impact they will have on the start date and ultimately the completion date of your remodel. Another important thing to keep in mind is how complex a major remodel actually is.

Depending on the size and complexity of your remodel, you may have to partially or completely move out of your home for the construction work to take place. If you are able to just live in a section of your house during work, be prepared for construction noise during the day.

> Most Common Requests From Sarasota Homeowners

For a lot of consumers, this can start taking a toll after the first few weeks and the initial excitement has worn off. Discuss options with your contractor and consider what is best for your family and situation.

While planning your remodel, it may appear there is no rush to decide on the color and style of your bathroom tiles before you sign a remodel contract, it’s important to realize every selection decision has the potential to delay your project. Tiles, for instance, may have to be ordered up to four months in advance, so it’s important to make all of your selection choices during the design stage of your renovation.

Once a contract is signed, a contractor will place hundreds of orders with subcontractors and suppliers in order to lock in pricing. If you go to contract with “To Be Determined” (TDB) allowances, it’s quite likely that prices will rise between contract signing and orders being placed.

> Live Well with These Wellness Designs

Making changes to your selections after signing a building contract can incur delays as new orders have to be placed, and delivery times may impact the construction schedule. If a selection choice delays construction, this will lead to a variation and an Extension of Time (EOT) added to your potential completion date.