Designed basements are now a popular way to create some added space in one’s home. However, you need to make it resourceful and well-planned keeping in mind your budget. Hence, a cost estimate for finishing a basement is the first step to your plans.

If you hire a designer, architect or interior decorator to do the job, the cost and time will depend on the company he or she represents. Small companies will charge less but take longer to do the job, while bigger and reputed firms will ensure speedy work at high cost. It will cost more if the company specializes in customized basement plans.

Design wise, the more basic the basement plans the less the cost. Some research about basement finish can help track key areas where you can minimize costs. To that extent, you can create a complete sketch of the entire basement, as it exists now and how you would want it to be.

The 2005 Cost vs. Value Report of the Remodeling Magazine states the national average cost estimate for finishing a basement to be just over $51000 and a return of 90.1% of the renovating expenses at resale. While in a 2004, Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report, it has been stated that the average cost per square foot to finish a basement is less than half that to construct an addition.

More generally, you could peg the estimate at $27-$50 per square foot, including the finishing of a bedroom, bathroom, boiler area as well as your living space. However, be sure that this estimate will vary depending upon the features and materials you choose to finish the basement.

Structurally the cost estimate for finishing a basement will depend on the following factors:

Basement size:
500 Square Feet with standard finish: $15500 to $18500 (including bathroom).
1000 square feet with basic finish: $26000 to $29000.
1000 Square feet with added facilities: $30000 to $35000.
1000 Square feet with specialized facilities: $41000 to $100000.

Bathrooms: The bathrooms costs are highest per square foot. Hence, the smaller the basement the more the cost per square foot if you have a bathroom, as the estimate must apply to the entire square footage cost. It is vice versa for large spaces over 1500 sq. ft. Moreover, advanced bathroom fittings can cost anything between $1000 and $8000.

Paint: Your choice of paint will also affect the cost estimate for finishing a basement. Waterproof painting for instance will cost you more. In addition, the choice of paint will also determine the play of light in the rest of the basement. You need to choose colors that will add warmth, sense of space and brightness to the basement area.

Flooring: The type of flooring will also determine your expenses. The most popular, tile or wood flooring generally costs between $1000 and $7000

Lighting: Effective illumination is extremely important in a basement, since it receives less daylight below the ground. Additional lighting generally costs between $200 and $2000.

Exclusive facilities such as solid surface counter tops, wet bars, fireplaces, home theaters, architectural add-ons, steam baths, sauna, etc, can collectively cost about $2000 to $3000. A wet bar can be estimated at $2000 to $7500, while a home theater at $2500 to $15000.

Special window provisions are also necessary and the more the windows the better it is for letting daylight in to get rid of the dingy feeling in a basement. Window set-ups can cost around $250 to $2000.

Moreover, there will be additional costs to get a permit for renovating a basement according to the building code in your area. You need to get the basement inspected for compliance with the code so that you do not get into any legal problems if you sell your property in future. This apart, there are separate permits and inspections for plumbing, electrical, mechanical and fireplace compliance and they too add to the cost estimate for finishing a basement.

by Manuel Kupka  from www.finishedbasementideas.com

Remodeling can be very taxing on the homeowner and the remodeler.  The most challenges come from budget constraints, plans that are not finalized, or the wrong person for the job.  Let’s review how to completely screw up your remodel.

The Unrealistic Budget.

If you don’t have enough money to start a project, then you probably not ready to start a major overhual.  If you’re under budget you either can’t pay anyone to finish, or you won’t be able to purchase the materials to finish. Some people start to substitute cheaper materials thinking they will stretch the project. That’s like adding more water to your scotch to make the drink bigger. You just end up watering down what was good to begin with.  Too much money has its problems also; people with too much money sometimes add so many cool and neat things the job gets lost in translation. Enough is enough.

Incomplete Plans

Maybe this messes up more jobs than any other reason. Poor planning can be both the contrator’s and homeowner’s respondsibility.  A good contractor can plan the heck out of a job an get things done right and on budget.  However, some contractors do not plan anything.  I don’t know how they do projects like they do sometimes, but I would like to be a fly on the wall and watch this happening.  Let’s say you want a kitchen remodeled but you haven’t even picked out fixtures or cabinets yet.  It probably isn’t a good time to rip out the old kitchen.  You and your pro should work together to come up with a plan.  And think about it really hard.  And make sure it is what you want.  Oh yeah, and be realistic too.  A good project takes planning and communication of both parties.  Good planning will save time and money and keep the drama down to a minimum.

Contractor is not up to the job.

You don’t have to work for Nasa to be a remodeler, but it is also good to know your limitations.  Know your limits, research, and educate yourself about what is going on with your remodel.  Make sure your remodeler is the right one for the task you have at hand.  See if that person has done projects like yours before.  The last thing you want is a framer trying to do drywall or a plumber running electrical wires.

Some remodel tasks are dangerous for unskilled people to do. If you’re trying to remember which wire is the hot one, pass on doing any electrical changes and hire a pro. The difference between an amateur and a pro always shows up in the finish. I have had many homeowners proudly show me the remodel they did themselves. I’ve seen a few well done weekend warrior remodels, but I’ve seen a lot more that didn’t need the homeowner telling me they did it with friends over a few weekends. And while were on the weekend with friends remodel, leave the drinking for last, after the tools are put away.

How to screw up a remodel

Here’s a guaranteed way to mess up. Start your job with part of your budget because your in a hurry, forget the planning stage because you love being creative, then figure you’ll do everything good because it looks so easy.  Don’t go starting into demo without at least talking to a contractor.  We offer free advice to homeowners.  All you have to do is call.  But we can’t stand over you watching you work unless you are paying us to do so.  If you think it is more than you can handle, leave your work up to the contractor.

So, my last words of advice are to take it slow, figure out your plan, consult not just one but several contractors, and figure out if you have the funds to complete the project in a timely manner.

When I come into your home to see the latest project you want to take on I am never over taken by how out dated your kitchen is or the condition of your bathroom.  I don’t look at the water damage on your ceiling drywall and think less of you.  After all, I am here to fix these problems, and fix them so well that it was like they never happened.  I don’t look down on you because something in your home isn’t up to today’s standards.  I look at the opportunity to give you a home you can enjoy and be proud of.
However, I have a confession.  I would be embarrassed if you came to my house.  I have those same issues.  I have a big crack in the drywall in my living room ceiling from shoddy work by the former home owner.  I have a big patch of bare subfloor in my kitchen that I had to replace when the icemaker line decided to leak.  My bathroom is a throwback to the seventies.  There is some ugly linoleum flooring in a few key locations in my home.

The truth is, the contractor’s house always gets finsihed last.  After all day slaving to make your home beautiful, I come home too tired to work on mine sometimes.  I will admit, I do house projects.  I like my house because it is a fixer-upper and I have owned several homes that I eventually made spectacular showcase houses.  I also have finished some projects in this home, including a delux office with spacious built in desks and a media center with a built in 72 gallon fish tank.  I turned the closet into a file storage and publication organizer that would make the clean sweep people jealous.  I did this room first because I spend so many hours here working on your estimates and designing your dream projects.  I wanted it to be comfortable.

As far as the rest of the plans for my house, I want to redo the bath and the kitchen, install all new hardwood flooring, and build two additions to it.  I also need to repair and side the garage (shop).  I’ve got big plans for this house.  And as soon as I complete them I will probably sell the house and look for my next fixer, because I like to be in the middle of the construction.  It is home to me.
So, if someday you decide to hire me, and you are curious about my digs and drive by, just keep in mind that it is a work in progress.  And I promise that I am changing the roof line, getting rid of the awful blue siding and landscaping the front yard.  The garage will eventually be a place that makes my neighbors green with envy and the bathroom is going to be like a modern spa.  But right now, I am working on your place so you can have the home of your dreams.

Some good areas to focus on when remodeling are:

Kitchens: Updated Kitchens can dramatically increase the value of your home. Not only is it a wise investment for many but for most, what you put into your kitchen remodel, you get in return. Options are endless with more products than ever in the market place with new appliances and countertop options on the rise as well. New cabinets will be one of the bigger deciding factors for the overall look of your kitchen. Do not be overwhelmed by the vast amount of choices because there are professionals that can make this whole process run seamlessly. If you already have newer cabinets and want to spruce up your kitchen, then adding new flooring and a backsplash is a good way to improve the overall look of your kitchen. The right lighting can also add a dramatic look to your kitchen.

Baths: Updated Baths are also a great way to increase your home’s value. A Master Bath remodel is one of the best ways to increase the value of your home. Remodeling an existing bath is a simple way to give an updated look to your home. For most bath remodels, it is wise to replace everything because it is outdated and can turn potential buyers away upon resale of your home. For others that may have tiles that are newer, you do not need to replace the tiles. Grout cleaning or grout replacement is another alternative to give your existing tiles a new and fresh look. You can update a look by simply adding new moldings, mirrors, lighting, new sink/counters, fixtures, and toilets. Accents such as area rugs, decorative paint finishes, and lighting some candles can create a beautiful oasis.

Living & Family Areas: Living/Family areas are some of the best areas where you can add some personality to your home. The Kitchen, Living & Family areas are some of the most used spaces in the house. Spice up the room with a new Fireplace mantel, wainscoting, and/or some crown moldings and start to hear the complements roll in. Built-Ins are also a fantastic way to add value because they have a wide possibility for use and storage. Besides your home being the envy of your town, you are increasing the value by just adding some simple touches. Brighten up the space with fresh paint and do not be afraid to pick a bold color. Buy a new lamp and some throw pillows (accent colors are important) and Enjoy!!

Basements: Utilizing unused space such as a basement can increase the square footage of your home. Anywhere you can gain livable space you should take advantage of it. Basements have great potential being utilized as a home gym to a home office. Many remodel their basements to use for their children’s playroom. A great use for space in your basement could also be a Wine Cellar. Basements are a great way to add some extra space in which otherwise is used to store unused items. As you can see, the possibilities are endless..

Exterior: Curb Appeal is very important in the overall aesthetics of your home. It is the first thing people see when they pull up to your home. First, you should always keep a manicured lawn and keep your grass well hydrated during those warm summer months. Planting some flowers and shrubs are some quick ways to help aid in the process of adding curb appeal. Painting the exterior of your home or simply just cleaning up the exterior with a power washing can dramatically help. Adding shutters to the front of your home and/or garage, installing a decorative fence, and adding trim to your home (around your door, Etc.) are all great ways to increase the curb appeal as well.

Sometimes when I am meeting with a prospective client, I get the feeling there are questions on their mind that they are hesitant to ask. Here are some of the things I think people are afraid to ask about.

Will it cost more than you are telling me?
Yes, it could. There are two good reasons the cost of a project might increase after the contract is signed. Both occur on almost every job; we call it “creep”. Number one is that we found something unexpected when we started demo work (like rotten studs inside the wall) and number two is that you changed your mind. It could be something you eliminated initially to save money and now you decide you want, it could be something you want to change after you see it in place, like the location of a window, it could be a choice to upgrade materials as you go. We do our best to give you the most accurate estimate we can so that you will not run into a price increase.  However, you can not foresee everything that may come up.

Will it take longer than you are telling me?
I hope not, but it could. You probably can think of a few things outside our control-weather, City processes-that could delay the finish date. You can also delay your job by waiting too long to start selecting the items we need to order for you, like faucets. The things you’d think we can control, like workers’ or subcontractors’ schedules, are often out of our control. When our best carpenter sprains his wrist playing with the kids on Sunday, the work I have him scheduled to do at your house on Monday isn’t going to get done on time. In my opinion what’s more important than changes in the time frame is whether we do a good job in communicating with you about them and whether we can roll with the punches to keep the job moving forward.

Are you going to make money off my job?
Yes, or at least, I plan to. This is a good thing for you. Look at it this way-if I’m not making money on the projects I do, how long can I stay in business….long enough to finish your job? Besides that, if I’m not making money here, how much time and energy will I devote to your job? How can I pay enough to keep good employees? How can I afford the insurance coverage that protects you as well as my company? Believe me, the contractor who isn’t making money on his jobs isn’t the one you want working on your house.

What can I do to help my project run smoothly?
If I had to say just one thing, be flexible. Remember that construction is an inexact science. The other thing you can do to help is to select your fixtures early. Remember that plumbing fixtures aren’t made up of just the parts you see when everything is complete. There are valves that need to go inside the wall early on in the construction and if those items aren’t picked out and ordered on time, the whole job can be delayed. The other big thing that makes a job go smoothly is communication. Please talk to me, and don’t wait until the end. Whether it’s questions, concerns or compliments, I need to know. I can’t fix something if I don’t know there’s a problem, and I never want you to wonder if you did the right thing hiring me.

Is my job important enough to you?
Yes it is. We turn away projects that don’t interest us or aren’t a good fit with our resources. The thing about your job is that I know you are going to tell your friends and neighbors about your experience with me and our company. These are the people I want to do business with next, and your job could be the thing that convinces them to call us, or not. That sounds like a pretty important job doesn’t it? My goal is to put everything I have into each job when I am working on it, so that at the end of the project, you will be happy and tell others.

Right now is the perfect time to walk through a checklist of ways to save money on your home. Starting on these things as early as possible will allow you to start saving money sooner rather than later.

Here are eighteen things to check on or do immediately that will reduce the energy and maintenance costs of your home over the long haul.

1. Check the insulation in your attic - and install more if needed. If you have an unfinished attic, pop your head up there and take a look around. You should see some insulation up there, and there should be at least six inches of it everywhere (more if you live in the northern part of the United States). If there’s inadequate insulation up there - or the insulation you have appears damaged - install new insulation. Here’s a great guide from the Department of Energy on attic insulation, including specifics on how much you should have depending on where you live.

2. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius). This is the optimum temperature for your hot water heater. Most people do not utilize water that’s hotter than that, and thus energy used to keep the water that hot isn’t effective. Lower the temperature, save some on your energy bill, and you’ll never skip a beat. 3. Toss a water heater blanket over that hot water heater as well. While most modern hot water heaters are well-insulated, some are insulated better than others and many older heaters aren’t insulated well at all. A small investment in a blanket for your water heater will slowly and gradually save you money on your heating bill over time by keeping the heat in the water instead of letting it spread slowly out into your utility closet.

4. Install ceiling fans in most rooms. Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to keep air moving in your home. Because of the air circulation effect, you can get away with keeping your thermostat a degree or two higher in summer and a degree or two lower in winter, netting a rather large savings. A while back, I wrote a guide to maximizing ceiling fan use - most importantly, the air directly below the fan should be blowing down on you in the summer and should be pulled upwards away from you in the winter - you can use the reversal switch on your fan to switch between the modes.

5. Wrap exposed water pipes with insulation. Exposed hot water pipes lose heat as they move water from your heater to your faucet. Insulating them makes a two to four degree difference in the temperature of the water and also allows hot water to reach your faucet faster. Check the pipes into and out of your hot water heater first, as the first three feet out of the heater (and the last few feet of inlet water) are key. Use good quality pipe insulation for the job - it’s actually quite simple. Find out more about water pipe insulation at the EERE website.

6. Install a programmable thermostat - and learn how to use it. A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule automatic increases and decreases in your home’s temperature. This lets your house naturally warm (or cool in the winter) while you’re at work or asleep, saving quite a bit of energy use, and then when it comes time for you to actively use the house, the thermostat automatically adjusts the temperature of your home back to what you prefer. Such devices save money on cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.

7. Hang a clothes rack in your laundry room (or, better yet, an outdoor clothesline). A clothes dryer can really eat up your energy costs, but it’s convenient for many people. Battle that convenience (and save money) by hanging a clothes rack from the wall in the laundry room and use it for some items - t-shirts and underwear dry great on clothes racks. If you can hang up 20% of the clothes in a load on this rack, you can get away with running the dryer 20% less than before, saving you cash. Even better: if you can, install a clothes line outside where the wind can catch it and hang most of your clothes outside.

8. Check all toilets and under-sink plumbing for leaks or constant running - and check faucets, too. Do a survey of the plumbing in your home before you settle in. If you find a toilet is running constantly, it’s going to cost you money - here’s how to easily fix that constantly-running toilet. You should also peek under the basin of all sinks in your home, just to make sure there aren’t any leaks. Got a leaky faucet? You should repair or replace any of those, because the drip-drip-drip of water is also a drip-drip-drip of money.

9. Replace your air handling filter. When you first move in, you almost always need to replace the air handling filter (don’t worry, it’s easy to do - it takes about ten seconds). Go down to your air handling unit, find where the filter is (it’s almost always a large rectangle), and mark down the measurements (printed around the edges). Then, go to the hardware store and pick up a few of these, then go home and install one of them, replacing the old one. An outdated filter not only doesn’t filter as well, it also has a negative impact on air flow, meaning your air handling system has to work harder to pump out lower quality air.

10. Make sure the vents in all rooms are clear of dust and obstructions. None of the vents in your home should be covered or blocked by anything - doing that makes your heating and cooling work overtime. You should also peek into all of your vents and make sure they’re as dust-free as possible, and brush them out if you see any dust bunnies. This improves air flow into the room, reducing the amount of blowing that needs to happen.

11. Mark any cracks in the basement with dated masking tape. Many homes have a few small cracks in their basement walls from the settling of the foundation and the weight of the house. In a stable home, the small cracks aren’t growing at all - they’re safe. If they’re growing, however, you’ll save a ton of money by getting the problem addressed now rather than later. Take some masking tape and cover up the end of any cracks you notice inside or outside, and write today’s date on the tape. Then, in a few months, check the tape - if you see a crack growing out of the end of the tape, you might have a problem and should call a specialist now before the problem gets out of hand.

12. Install CFL and LED light bulbs in some locations. CFL and LED bulbs can save you a lot of money on energy use over the long haul, plus they have much longer lives than normal incandescent bulbs. Consider installing some in various places - we usually use CFLs for hall lighting and LED bulbs for closet lighting (though LED bulbs are improving all the time…).

13. Choose energy efficient appliances, even if you have to pay more up front. Unless you were lucky enough to buy a fully-furnished home, you’ll likely have to do some appliance shopping. Focus on reliability and energy efficiency above all, even if that seriously increases the cost you have to pay up front. A refrigerator that uses little energy and lasts twenty years is far, far cheaper over the long run than a fridge that runs for seven years and guzzles electricity. (If you’re worried about the up-front cost, check out tip #17.)

14. Set up your home electronics with a SmartStrip or two. Looking forward to getting your television, cable box, DVD player, sound system, and video game console set up? When you do it, set things up with proper surge protection (to protect your equipment). You might also want to consider a SmartStrip, which allows the on-off status of one device (say, the television) to control whether or not there’s power flowing to other devices (say, the DVD player or the video game console). Having the power cut automatically from such auxiliary devices can save a lot of money over time, especially since many such devices eat quite a bit of power as they sit there in standby mode, constantly draining your money. 15. Air-seal your home. Look for any places where air may be leaking directly into or out of your home. These aren’t just air leaks - they’re money leaks. Thankfully, fixing small air leaks is pretty easy - here’s a great Department of Energy guide to caulking and weatherstripping, which will keep such air leaks from costing you.

16. Plant shade trees near your house. Shade trees naturally cool your home during those warm summer months, reducing the amount of direct rays that hit your house. Lowering the external temperature of your home saves significantly on your cooling bills during the summer, plus it increases your property value. Plant them now, so they’ll grow and shade your house sooner.

17. Take advantage of tax benefits for any improvements you make. For starters, there’s the first time home buyer tax credit, which is essentially an interest-free $7,500 loan from the federal government for new homeowners. This is perfect money to help you with fixes you may need to make when you move in, like buying good appliances or putting in shade trees. Similarly, if you make energy-based improvements to your home in 2009, you can receive up to $500 in tax credit for that purchase, essentially making things like insulation tax free. Your state may have even more benefits, so be aware of all of these when you invest money improving the efficiency of your home.

18. Develop a home maintenance checklist - and run through it for the first time. One final tip - create a home maintenance checklist. This list should include regular home maintenance tasks that you’d want to do on a monthly or quarterly or annual basis. Then, make it a habit to run through the items on this list each month. Doing so will extend the life of almost everything in your home, saving you buckets of money over time.

These tips were brought to you from The simple dollar at  http://www.thesimpledollar.com.

I recently went to bid on a project in what I can only describe as a “Contractor Open House”.  The couple was planning to purchase a house and wanted to get bids on various jobs they wanted to have completed before they moved in.  They got together with the realtor and staged an open house for different contractors to come see the work involved.  They had a handout sheet describing the work they wanted done and gave one to each company that showed up.  They were also available to answer questions about the work and listen to suggestions.

Having a contractor open house is a great way to get many bids on a project you may be considering and also a great way to let your prospective hires know that they have competition.  While we were there, many other contractors showed up.  Now the home owners should be getting several different bids from each contractor and they can choose who will be doing what at their convenience.  It can get a little hectic depending on how many contractors you invite to your open house so it is best to be prepared.
The first thing you will want to do is prepare a detailed description of the work that you want done.  It is best to seperate it into categories.  If you have an idea of what fixtures or features you want, now is the time to put these down.  The more descriptive, the better.  Seperating each job by room is a good place to start.  If the job includes lots of different rooms, having a floorplan of your house is also a good plan.  If you can not get a floorplan, then at least get measurements of each room.  This is especially helpful when you want flooring jobs done.

Another helpful handout you could give the contractor is an example of fixtures or materials you would like to use.  You can go to Lowes.com or Homedepot.com and download pictures from there or get model or item numbers for fixtures you prefer.  If you aren’t sure exactly what you want you can be more vague and describe your taste for new items you want.  For example, if you would like to update your bathroom, describe the styles you prefer (ex brushed nickel fixtures).   Also, having pictures from catalogs or design books to illustrate the results you would like can help.

If you do have a contractor open house, try to spend some time with each contractor so you can get a feel for that person’s personality.  You not only want a company that does great work at a good price, but you need to know that you can work with this individual.  They may have some great ideas that could save you money or give you more bang for your buck.  They may also notice things about the job and have suggestions to offer that you may not have thought of.

If you have some work you want done and a 3 hour time window you can block out in an afternoon, you may want to try a contractor open house.  You’ll get several bids all at once and hopefully find the right match to get your project done.

Here is a story from a blog about an exterior door install…

How long is reasonable to wait for an exterior door to be installed? 1 month after the purchase date? 2 months?

Here are the facts in a study case:

1. Ordered door + installation from big box store Sept 28
2. Initially told delivery to the store around mid-November
3. A week later received a call from big box store saying delivery late November
4. Late November arrives. Called big box store who said it’s on the next day’s delivery
5. This continues 4 times, each time it was not on the next day’s delivery
6. Called again yesterday morning.
7. Call not returned so called again yesterday late afternoon. Told, again, door is on next day’s and because the delivery is so late the installer used by big box store is not taking any more installations until into January
8. We are not pleased
9. Went to big box store’s web site looking for Customer Care / Complain department phone number (i.e. don’t want to deal with store any longer)
10. The phone number on the web site was wrong (it was another department of the big box store) but nice lady gave me the right phone number and transferred me to the Customer Care department
11. Gave nice lady the details above (+ order number, store location, etc.) who put me on hold
12. Nice lady gave me over to another nice lady (her name was Crystal) who had some authority.
13. She told me she would call store the next day (i.e. today) and:

• If door received she would call the installation company to see if door could be installed before Christmas
• If door not received she would get another person with even more authority to call the manufacturer

Ah, the adventures of suppliers keeping their word to their retail customers who communicate stuff to their own customers who end up having to deal with all this.

Stay tuned.

Oh, and yes the glass insert for our en suite shower is now a full week late in being finished being made as well. I wonder if we will have the shower working by Christmas as well!

This is from the web site  dailyhomerenotips.com.  This is another example of why you should always know who is contracting your job and why you should have a reasonable expectation of when it will be done…

You have finally reached the decision to do something major to your dwelling, and have come up with a working plan and goals. Congrats! You have decided to take on a project. For whatever reason, your house needs a professional work over. Now, where do you go about finding the right person for the job?

When it comes down to it, builders build and remodelers remodel. Believe it or not, building a house from scratch is often a lot easier than remodeling.  With remodeling, there are always suprises.  Remodelers need to deal with the challenges that come up when renovating a home.  We never know what we are going to find in a wall or with the electrical or plumbing.

Pros and Cons of Builders

If you are doing a serious addition or a basement finishing, a builder can handle it.  They often use many specialty sub contractors and can collaborate with designers and architects to come up with plans they can work from.  They typically have good relationships with suppliers and are stable enough not to leave you hanging due to financial problems.  Sometimes they are able to get great discounts on materials and pass the savings on to you.  They wouldn’t be in business long if they didn’t know how to keep a project flowing and stay on schedule.  They are easy to find by looking in a phone book, asking Realtors, or cruising around a new neighborhood and seeing their signs.

However, many builders don’t know the ins and outs of older homes.  They often stay too busy building new homes to take on your remodeling projects.  Sometimes they have higher overhead, which can cost you more money.  Communication may be difficult because it is mostly their sub contractors that you see day to day.   They also may take longer to do your work because their sub-contractors will have to become available for each phase of the work.  This isn’t true of every builder.  I know some great design/build firms that do renovation and new construction.  Like all things, it is a good idea to check a builder’s references before hiring.  If they don’t have any references for similar projects, they could be moving into an unfamiliar remodeling jobs to pick up more work during a soft housing market.

Pros and Cons of Remodelers

For older homes in need of an update, or a kitchen or bath renovation, remodelers tend to have the upper hand.  Remodelers, like builders, can have good relationships with suppliers and sub contractors also.  More often than not, their sub contractors tend to be more professional because a remodeler often works in occupied homes and tends to work with subs that are trustworthy and reputable (not four rufians in a beat up pickup truck).  Small remodeling firms can help your bottom line with lower overhead and you will often find them on the project, if not actually working the project.  The good ones are busy but are more likely to take on your project in a time schedule that you can live with.  They don’t turn their nose up on small projects.  They know what to anticipate in older homes and have often learned quite a few tricks on how to remedy surprises that usually sneak up on builders.  They can be found by word of mouth, online, in the phone book, or by talking to your local lumberyards and home stores.

They also have their downsides.  Not all remodelers are reputible, so always check references.  Sometimes they are not altogether financially stable.  This can be a problem when they run out of cash midway through your project.  Not all of them are able to provide design services or handle really big jobs.  Some of them do not have the skill or support to write up a good estimate, and your project could end up costing you more in the long run because of their inabiltiy to accurately bid.   Anyone can get a magnet on their truck and a few tools and start their own remodeling business, so it is a good idea to make sure they are equiped to handle the scope of your project.  Also, professional remodelers don’t make you get your own permits or buy your own materials.  That is a sure sign that you have a sub par remodeler.

In the end…

Whether you end up looking for a builder or a remodeler, what really matters is that you find someone who will give you the service and results that you want.  With anyone you hire to work on your home, do your research.  Find a firm that will listen to what you want and need and offer you advice and suggestions.  This is a process.  You need to gather information to make an educated decision.  No matter how you categorize an individual or a firm, they need to be able to do the task you hire them to do.  Don’t hesitiate to ask a potential company what they consider themselves to be if it isn’t clear.  It is your home and you have to live with the results.

Remodeling is the best and cheapest way to have the home you want without moving. No secret there.  But often people aren’t ready to have their kitchen torn up or bathroom out of commission while contractors are doing the remodel. This is a necessary evil, but if you prepare for it domestically as well as mentally, it will make the experience less painful.

Controlling the Mess
If you are the type of person who is always running behind everyone with a dustbuster and a wet rag, then having a constant mess in your house will bother you more than most. A good idea to keep your sanity is to get some carpet pieces and lay them on your floors wherever the contractors will be walking. This will keep dust and dirt off your floors while they are walking back and forth to their trucks, and then you can put them away when they leave.  They also make a great stick down plastic for carpet.  We often use this on our jobs for the areas we need to use.

If it’s possible, determine a spot where your contractors can make a mess. If they need to saw a board or sand something, anything that will kick up dust, if you can contain the dust, there will be less to clean. If they can use your garage, this is often the best place for this kind of work.  Sometimes something needs to be sawn or sanded in place.  This is when a shop vac comes in handy.  (Note:  Don’t hire a contractor who doesn’t own a shop vac!)

They should sweep up every day and neaten the work area daily, but it won’t be spotless.

Contractor Clean-Up
Many people like to have the mess cleaned up after each day, which makes sense because no one wants to live in a messy home. However, if there are several people who spend 30-45 minutes at the end of every day cleaning up their mess and storing their tools, this will add significant time to the project. Think about having them clean up at the end of every week or some such arrangement. Depending on the length of the project, cleaning every day could add as much as two weeks onto the project and to how long your house is a mess.

Consider the Contractors
Although this is your house, your remodel and your mess, the contractors are just trying to do a service for you. They are not there to track mud on your carpet or dirty your home, although sometimes these are the side effects of a remodeling project. Think about what is reasonable to ask of your contractors, not to mention what will help them to work more efficiently and quickly. Allow them room to do their jobs, and they will finish just as soon as they can.

A contractor should be considerate of you also, and the good ones keep the home as clean as possible.  We tidy up our tools and sweep up at the end of the day in the common areas.  Sometimes we leave rooms closed up if we just plan on coming back the next day to make more of a mess.  However, we do our best to cover things in plastic and put down floor protection.  It is okay to ask your contractor, during the planing phases, what they plan on doing to cut down on the mess.  This is the time to find out.

On a personal note, I think I am somewhat immune to it as I am around it all the time.  Our house always has something under construction, and the contractor’s home always gets done last, so I am used to it.  A dirty job site in other peoples home bothers me more than it does in my own at times.  However, it is somewhat inevitable.  If you are going through this right now, hang in there!  It will soon be over and you can give your house a good scrubbing.