Managing Remodeling Chaos
What it takes to get done on time and on budget
By Pat Mertz Esswein, Associate Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, November 2005
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When your home is turned into a construction site -- with dust, noise and a Porta Potti parked in your driveway -- every extra day feels like an eternity. These strategies will help manage the chaos.
Get your act together The better handle you have on your wish list, your budget and the timing of your project, the smoother things will go once the project begins. You'll also help prospective contractors make more realistic estimates of their costs and time.
To jump-start your thinking before meeting with an architect, design-builder, or kitchen or bath designer, try filling out the client questionnaire posted by Heiztman Architects or the shorter questionnaire at www.markcanadaarchitects
.com/custom.htm.
Pick a partner, not the lowest bidder. The traditional method is to solicit three bids from contractors and to go with the lowest one. However, money isn't everything. Peter Bourget, a design-builder in Atlanta, suggests that you first find several contractors who offer prices in a range that you're comfortable with. Then interview them and pick the one who best understands what you want and with whom you communicate well. If a contractor has had a good working relationship with your architect on past projects, that's another recommendation in his favor.
Expect the unexpected. Surprises are inevitable, and remodelers find most when they first tear into walls and floors. Bourget calls this phase "the period of discovery," when problems such as termite damage and poor woodwork are uncovered. That's why he tells clients to expect an extra week of work for every month that's originally scheduled.
Make timely selections. That's builder-speak for picking components, such as windows, fixtures and appliances, well in advance of construction. The idea is to get products on site before the scheduled subcontractors arrive to install them. Kitchen cabinetry typically has the longest lead time -- six to eight weeks. Dillydally and the whole project can take longer. The selection process is harder than you might expect. In years past, you'd look at ten different doorknobs; now you may choose from among a thousand. How to sort it all out? Visit Web sites, such as http://www.faucetdirect.com, to survey the field without spending time and gas trekking all over town.
Don't pile on. Builders agree that the most expensive and time-consuming words in remodeling are "While you're here, would you...?" Bourget says that his clients typically run 10% to 20% over budget because they add items from a longstanding "honey-do" list.
Hold out. Your contract should provide for a final payment, after all the major phases have been completed and paid for. That way, you'll have leverage to ensure completion of the project to your satisfaction.