Home Improvement Startup Tips
Each year people spend millions of dollars on home improvement projects. If you are considering a large project that will cost a lot of money there are ways to insure that the investments you make are worth it in the end. If not careful, you can waste a lot of money by investing in the wrong skills, the wrong products and not getting the right help to get your project done.
Have a Plan
Your first step is to start with a plan. Before visiting the home improvement store, take time to carefully plan out your project and do the necessary research. Depending on the size of the project, you may need to get help from a trained professional such as an architect to guide and work with you.
Make a commitment to stick to your plan, avoid impulse buying and limit or avoid what's commonly known as 'scope creep' - "while we have that wall torn down, let's extend the kitchen out further and add a gourmet 8-burner stove".
Gain a firm grip on what your budget is and what your buffer is in case something unexpected comes up (ex: the flooring under your toilet needs to be replaced). With the average home being 35 years old, you can be assured that no matter how good your plan is you can anticipate at least one unforeseen situation to arise during the life of your project.
Who Will Do the Work?
Many people are comfortable doing the work themselves while others prefer to hire a professional. Now more than ever, it's easier for homeowners to do their own projects given the amount of information provided on the internet, TV (HGTV, Discover Home Networks, DIY network, etc.) and home improvement stores such as Home Depot (www.homedepot.com) and Lowes (www.lowes.com) which even offer homeowners how-to classes.
Homeowners that don't have the time or skills to take on an improvement project or repair can hire a professional. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, you may need to hire a team of people (architect, structural engineer and contractor) or contractor alone. We've all heard horror stories about bad contractors so it's important to do your research and due-dilligence before signing any contracts.
While there are many ways to find contractors, probably the best and most reliable way is by word-of-mouth. Ask around at work or talk to your neighbors that have had work done on their homes. Simply picking contractors out of the Yellow Pages is like flying blindly and not all contractors advertise in the phone book.
How to Hire the Right Contractor
Gather names of several contractors, interview them and have them provide quotes (bids) for your project. Ask them for a list of recent projects (and customer names) that match the scope of your project. Call those homeowners and ask them how the contractor performed, such as:
- Did they start and complete on time and on budget ?
- Did they start your job then stop coming regularly thus leaving your house in chaos?
- How did they handle changes to the initial quote (due to unexpected situations or scope creep)?
- How well did they communicate with the homeowner during the life of the project?
Take time with this selection process because the more bids you get the more opportunities you have to save money and the more information you gather, the more confident you'll be in selecting the right contractor for your project.
By: Paula Wozniak
