Don't Let a Remodel Turn Your Life Upside Down
by Joanna Posner

If tackling a remodel is on your list of things to do this year, but your neighbor’s tales of budget overruns and stalled schedules have you reconsidering, fear not. With careful preparation and attention to detail, you can proceed as planned.

But, you may ask, where do you begin? Daniel Mackey, owner of Daniel Mackey Construction Incorporated, who is also the regional vice president for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), says the very first thing you’ll want to do is identify a budget. From there, you can handpick your remodeling professional.

Whether you choose to work with a designer and contractor separately, a design/build firm, or a contractor who has a go-to designer, you’ll want to fine-tune your interviewing skills to find the right remodeling team with the proper qualifications. In other words, do your due diligence so you don’t get stuck with a fly-by-night contractor.

Mackey recommends doing a thorough background check, including contacting the Contractors State License Board to verify if the person is a licensed professional; checking for both liability and workers’ compensation; and if the remodeler is affiliated with national trade organizations, such as NARI or NAHB (National Association of Home Builders). Mike Callahan, owner of Callahan General Contractors, agrees. “Use somebody that is a member of the Better Business Bureau and ask for references from the people they’re currently working with.”

Mackey’s wife Debbie, president of the NARI San Jose chapter, points out that you might have to interview 20 people before coming across the ideal candidate. After all, credentials aside, you want to feel you can trust the person who will essentially become a part of your family. Says Debbie, “As a homeowner, you have to ask yourself, ‘Am I going to feel comfortable coming home to this person every day and is this the person I want to expose my children to?’”

Another critical factor in choosing your remodeler is ensuring that you’re on the same page, whether in regards to the budget, the schedule or the most minute design detail. If you get all of the particulars worked out before you even sign the contract, budget and timeline issues won’t surface as they would if you only had a preliminary plan in place. Debbie emphasizes that even the smallest design choices, such as what color paint you’ll use, what sink you’re putting in, what tile floor you want and what texture will be on the walls are the details that need to be laid out before you will truly know how much the remodel is going to cost. Even as the remodel is underway, communication still plays a big part. When Callahan tackles a kitchen remodel, he’s constantly communicating with his clients, telling them when the countertops, cabinets or appliances are going to be in place so they know when they can use their kitchen again, which puts them at ease.

While giving your home a makeover can disrupt your day-to-day living, it is still possible to adjust to the disarray and stay in the home to save money. But how do you know when it’s time to move out? Mackey says it really comes down to a subjective issue: What’s your lifestyle, what are you like and can you tolerate being displaced for a certain period of time? Regardless of whether you stay or go, it’s important to keep the light at the end of the tunnel in mind — which is, of course, your new and improved home.

Article Resources