Planning a Renovation? Read These Seven Tips First!
Even though Mix & Match Design Co. focuses mostly on decorating, I’ve done my fair share of consulting on renovation projects and have done several big ones in our own homes over the years. This usually means bringing in contractors and tradespeople, which brings a project to a whole new level! I know we’ve all heard horror stories of renovations gone wrong, but I do think that there’s a lot you can do as a homeowner to set yourself up for success and avoid surprises so that the collaboration goes smoothly. On time and on budget is always the goal, right?
Whether you’re planning a small bathroom renovation or adding a big addition, there are lots of things to consider.
Here are my top seven tips for kicking your renovation off on the right foot:
1. Do as much planning as you can before you call for quotes.
The more you can plan ahead of time, the more accurate your estimates will be, and you’ll know you’re comparing apples to apples. To that end, spend some time creating a “project scope” document that outlines your project in as much detail as possible. Make a list of what you want to do and any must-haves. It might seem like overkill to do that now, but I promise it will serve you extremely well in the long run and streamline your project.
Alongside that scope document, be sure to include a floor plan of what you want the space to look like when it’s finished. You can either do this by hand or use a software like Homestyler to draw out your space plan. Include placement for things like windows and doors, and any additional architectural elements. There’s nothing like seeing what you want to do to help the contractor visualize your project! Depending on the kind of project, you may need to bring an architect in to draw up some official plans to submit for a permit, but you can get the process started by drawing it yourself! That way, the contractor will be able to know the actual square footage and get a ballpark number on certain building materials.
2. Be specific with your material selections for accurate pricing.
You probably won’t have control over pricing for certain construction materials like lumber for framing, drywall, etc., but you can make choices about things like what kind of siding (vinyl or Hardie plank?), grade of kitchen cabinets (stock, semi-custom, or custom?), whether you want solid doors or hollow-core, what type of flooring, windows, etc.
Also, if you’re planning on purchasing anything yourself (e.g. a new door for an entrance or even cabinet hardware), make sure to make a note of that so the contractor doesn’t include those items in their estimate.
3. Ask about fee schedule, estimated timeline, and start date.
These logistical questions are important to know about from the beginning. They’ll also set expectations so that you and the contractor are on the same page - it provides some good accountability and helps you plan! If you need to be out of the house for some period of time for example, you may want to plan to work with a contractor who can do the project over the summer when kids are out of school vs. during the school year.
4. Have a budget in mind, but be prepared to be flexible.
Every contractor will ask what your budget is. The hard thing is that sometimes you, as the homeowner, have no idea what it should cost, so providing a budget can be challenging. Instead of giving them a number, start by asking the contractor what a ballpark range would be for a typical project like yours. This is where that scope document comes in handy! If you have that ready to hand over, they’ll have a much easier time giving you an accurate estimate and you can decide if it’s within your budget.
I find that most folks enter a renovation project with the idea of “if it costs less than X, we’ll do it.” It’s good to have your maximum number in mind, but I putting the ball in the contractor’s court first. Be ready to be flexible - things usually cost more than you anticipate - but you may find you’re willing to move forward as long as it makes sense for you and your goals.
To give you a real-life example, we recently finished a second floor addition for our house and got bids from four contractors - they came in anywhere from $35,000 all the way to $80,000. That’s quite a range! Because we handed each of them the same scope document though, we could compare them, ask questions, and make a smart decision on who to hire from there.
5. Ask about communication.
Setting clear expectations about communication is huge for making sure the project goes smoothly. Ask how communication happens (calls, emails, texts? All of the above?) and when they’ll communicate about different things like when subcontractors are going to show up, or, if there are delays/problems, how are those handled.
6. Try to check references or get recommendations from friends/neighbors of contractors they like.
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but see if you can check out some of their work or talk to other folks who have hired them in the past. A personal recommendation goes a long way!
7. Decide if you’re going to “GC” the project and hire subcontractors directly, or hire a GC to run the project.
Depending on the size of the project, you may be able to act as a general contractor on the project - I don’t mean as a formal, licensed GC, but rather act as the project manager. This means that you’ll hire the subcontractors, manage the scheduling, get any applicable permits if necessary, and handle some of the logistics of getting the materials. This usually takes more work, but if it’s a smaller project or you have some experience managing other projects, you may be able to save some money this way!
For larger projects though, you’ll often want to have a GC manage the project for you. Leaving it to the experts is often a good idea in that scenario - they’ll be able to bring in their regular subcontractors and get the job done right.
