Home Improvement & Garden TipsInterior and exterior decoration

Home renovation can be a stressful undertaking. Not only is a home most Americans’ biggest and most important asset, it is also a huge, ongoing emotional investment. Your home defines your world and your personality, and truly becomes the center of your existence.
It is wise to deliberate carefully about renovations. All disputes over the renovation plan must be settled before the work begins or you are just postponing an inevitable (and probably heated) argument. Everyone in the family should have a voice in this undertaking, as it truly is a family affair.
With those caveats in mind, you should look forward to your renovation with both excitement and a sense of purpose. The following list could have had three, eight or even 20 entries, but if you stick with the basics and exercise self-control, the following five keys can help guide you to, and through, a successful home renovation.
1. Good relationships mean good business – A home renovation will be a lot less stressful if you have a solid, trusting relationship with your contractor. Trust doesn’t arise between people instantly, but there are ways to speed the process, such as “third-party trust,” meaning referrals. If you don’t already know and respect a builder in your area, ask the people you trust about the contractors that they trust. Get referrals, and interview the prospects to get at least somewhat of a “feel” for them. The late President Reagan was famous for chiding former Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev during their negotiations with an old Russian saying, “Trust but verify.” In your case, it means getting referrals, checking credentials, trusting your instincts – and calling references. Nothing builds trust in a contractor like good, positive reports from previous customers.
2. Accurate budgets are crucial – You need to understand how to budget for the job, and what is really involved, financially, in your home renovation. The better understanding you have of your budget, and the more accurate the estimates you include, the less likely your job will exceed your expectations. Although your contractor can supply some good information here, you should maintain authority over the budget yourself and not give anyone – not your spouse, your family as a whole or the contractor – the “keys to your wallet.” Do your homework, and follow the budget.
3. Home renovation is messy – Prior to the start of actual construction, remove all valuables and breakables from the affected areas. Unless the garage is part of the plan, you might consider storing items there. If the whole house is involved, think about renting a storage unit. While this will cause some short-term dislocation and require some sweat from the family’s brows (or more paid help), renovations are inevitably messy and accidents will happen. Take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the safety of your valuables, fine furniture, Persian rugs and other possessions.
4. Stick to the payment plan – One easy way to ruin your relationship with your contractor, and slow down or terminate your renovation project, is to deviate from your payment plan. If you are developing a timetable for the contractor’s work, you should also prepare, and adhere to, a timetable for the payments. You should be proactive in this matter, and never allow communication to deteriorate to the point where the contractor has to ask for money. Plan out every detail and every dollar, and follow the plan.
5. Extras: There’s always something – When developing your renovation budget, leave some room for the unanticipated extras that inevitably come up in the course of a home renovation. In addition, once you start renovating, you may think of other improvements or changes you wish to make. This means building some flexibility into the financing, as well as the project plan and the timetable. Strike a balance between firmness and flexibility so that you don’t go off on a tangent and lose control of the cost or the schedule.
Like most big undertakings, a home renovation can be somewhat scary. Don’t hesitate to speak with friends, relatives, coworkers or neighbors who have been through the same thing. Listen carefully, take notes and don’t leave any question unanswered or concern uninvestigated before finalizing your plan and your budget.
This is “the center of your existence” that you are dealing with here. Show the home, the family, the contractor and the process itself the respect each is due. Don’t be in a hurry, don’t make assumptions and, above all, do not waver in your determination to see the project through to a successful conclusion. Along with these five keys, consider too the “five P’s” – proper planning prevents poor performance!

Home Renovation Guide provides free information and advice on all aspect of home renovations from garages and landscaping to windows and doors – we have the information you need to get the job done right.  Visit them today.

When you bring contractors, carpenters, plumbers and assorted workmen into your home, you are opening up your whole life to them. Not only do you need to confirm that they are competent professionals, you must assess their integrity, as well. You want to know that you can trust them to do the job right, as well as respect your home and its contents.
You can avoid most serious problems with a little planning and foresight. You want both capable and honest workers in your home, and can increase your chances of a successful and stress-free renovation by using this list of the top 10 questions to ask contractors before hiring them.
1. Insurance and bonding – Make sure your contractor is fully insured before you let him start your job. The company and/or the employees should be bonded, and you should ask for the particulars of the insurance coverage early in your negotiations.
2. Warranties – You will want to know what kind of home building warranties are provided, on both the work itself and on the materials used in the project. You should keep good records of any warranted work or materials so that you are prepared for any problems down the line.
3. References – Checking contractors’ references is crucial. Not only do you want to hear testimonials about their work, you will want to discover if they are they part of any homebuilder or tradesman associations. Checking references means speaking with other homeowners for whom the contractors have worked, as well as consulting the state licensing board and the Better Business Bureau about any complaints.
4. Portfolio – Take a good look at the contractors’ portfolios and make sure that you are satisfied with the level of their previous work. Drive by some of their current and finished projects to see how their work looks “up close and personal.”
5. Job supervisor – Make sure that you know who the onsite supervisor will be for your renovation. What is the person’s experience? Will they speak and make decisions for the contractor in his absence?
6. Project timeframe – A timetable is crucial for any big job, of any kind, so you need to ask specific questions about when the job will start, how long each phase will take and so forth. This information will be part of your project plan, so you need to get it early and get it “set in stone.” Of course, you need to be flexible (things happen, after all), but if you do not have a detailed timetable, flexibility will simply turn into delays.
7. Budget – You will want to calculate the cost for your home improvement as accurately as possible, naturally. Make sure your contractor has a plan, too, and breaks out the costs of materials and labor. Find out right away what type of payment plan is expected, as well as what sort of deposit is required. Needless to say, keep all receipts.
8. Subcontractors – If the contractor uses subcontractors, as most will for electrical and plumbing work (at the least), make sure to get the same kind of information about them as you did on the contractor. You also need to keep the communication flowing between and among all the different parties, or you risk deviating from the project plan.
9. Appliances and other hardware – It is your house and your money, so you do not need to cede the authority for buying materials and appliances entirely to the contractor. It is perfectly understandable that you would want to get the best prices for the components of the project. The way to avoid problems is to spell everything out in advance. If the contractor is too insistent on using particular suppliers or distributors, it may be because they have some kind of “arrangement” with them. Keep everything on the up and up by keeping everything out in the open.
10. Permits – You need to decide who will be responsible for getting the proper building permits and dealing with inspectors. The contractor’s expertise here is essential, although you may wish to be in the loop here.
Like any other sizable endeavor, a home renovation can be complicated and tricky. The best overall rule for managing this kind of project is clear, continuous communication. Nothing should be decided or done in the dark, and everything should be undertaken in accordance with the plan, the budget and the timetable.
It is mostly a matter of common sense and self-discipline. Make the plan and stick to it as closely as possible, while still allowing for some mid-stream changes if necessary. Remember that the goal is to enhance your family life by making the center of it, your home, as comfortable, welcoming and secure as you can. Stay positive, keep your wits about you and press on, deliberately and with a sense of purpose. Consider your home renovation another adventure in life, and make your mind up to enjoy it!

Home Renovation Guide provides free information and advice on all aspect of home renovations from information on a variety of topics to our contractor directory – we have the information you need to get the job done right.  Visit them today.