Remodeling Dos & Don'ts for Home Interior Exterior Kitchen Bathroom Basement Dane County Madison WI
Holmes Publications
November 17, 2009
www.madtownhandyman.com
Some Dos and Don´ts YOU need to know when hiring a Handyman Service / Contractor to work on the Interior or Exterior of YOUR home.
As a homeowner thinking of renovating your home, it is important to balance wants/needs of your family with wants/needs of future buyers of your largest asset. As you start thinking about making changes to your home, it is important to understand some of the most common advice from the pro´s for the Do´s and Don´ts of your home improvement projects.
Dos –
1. Do your research on how to save money on your materials. Busting the budget is everyone's biggest fear when it comes to purchasing materials. With some strategic thinking about design, materials, and timing, you can cut costs without cutting corners. The two best ways to accomplish this is to make sure you are able to work with a contractor who will pass their material cost on to you with-out marking them up. Once you find a contractor that will do that, wait until materials go on sale, have the contractor purchase the material utilizing their contractor rates and you will save big on your materials.
2. Do make upgrades that give you a return on your investment. Not all remodeling projects are created equal. According to most studies, most people buying a house look at kitchens and baths first. So while these rooms can be the more costly to redo, they're more likely to pay for themselves. Anytime you can improve or make the actual living space bigger, you´re making an improvement that gives you a return on your investment.
3. Do make sure your Handyman or Contractor has proper Insurance. Making sure they have proper insurance coverage when work is being done on your home often just means seeing a copy of their policy. The goal is to make sure the policy covers anyone working on your home from an injury and material standpoint. Also make sure the policy protects the existing house and the work being completed. This sounds easy, simple and no big deal, but ask any insurance agent, and they can tell you horror stories. Remember to make sure anyone working on your home has workers' compensation coverage. If they don't carry it and someone gets injured, you're liable.
Don´ts –
1. Don´t put off your home improvement project any longer. There has never been a better time to get that project completed. In the early 2000´s, homes rose in value and that made it a no-brainer to take out a home-equity loan for your remodeling project. When home prices stop rising and start falling it can actually be just as good if not a better time for the home project. Slowdowns hit the construction industry hard and turned home improvement into a buyer's market and that makes it a great time for a project. You now have two great advantages. The first is Contractors have slowed down and not only have availability but they have actually had to lower their price. The second advantage is that building material prices have dropped. These two factors allow you to not only save money on labor and material, but also to get the work done in a timely manner as contractors are not as busy as they once were.
2. Don´t prepay for your project. You should never pay more than 10% down on any work. If you have a large project, it is common to make progress payments when specific parts of the job are completed per the predetermined agreement. When ever you pre-pay for work that is not completed yet, you are asking for trouble. Once the contractor has your money, his desire to get your job done correctly and on time has been dramatically reduced. The best time to pay is after the work is complete and you are completely satisfied. Once the money has changed hands, the contractor does not have the same desire to make sure your needs come first. Make sure you understand the payment plan before you hire a contractor.
These are only some of dos and don´ts when having work done on your home. You can ask all kinds of questions like; do you have on time scheduling? Do you have a live voice on the phone 24/7? Do you follow-up after the project to make sure I am still happy? Do you offer Free Estimates? And the list goes on and on and on. Do your due diligence and find the right contractor for you home repair or improvement needs.
For a FREE Consultation or a FREE Estimate for your home repair or remodeling needs visit our web-site www.madtownhandyman.com or call 608.274.4390 today.
Some Dos and Don´ts YOU need to know when hiring a Handyman Service / Contractor to work on the Interior or Exterior of YOUR home.
As a homeowner thinking of renovating your home, it is important to balance wants/needs of your family with wants/needs of future buyers of your largest asset. As you start thinking about making changes to your home, it is important to understand some of the most common advice from the pro´s for the Do´s and Don´ts of your home improvement projects.
Dos –
1. Do your research on how to save money on your materials. Busting the budget is everyone's biggest fear when it comes to purchasing materials. With some strategic thinking about design, materials, and timing, you can cut costs without cutting corners. The two best ways to accomplish this is to make sure you are able to work with a contractor who will pass their material cost on to you with-out marking them up. Once you find a contractor that will do that, wait until materials go on sale, have the contractor purchase the material utilizing their contractor rates and you will save big on your materials.
2. Do make upgrades that give you a return on your investment. Not all remodeling projects are created equal. According to most studies, most people buying a house look at kitchens and baths first. So while these rooms can be the more costly to redo, they're more likely to pay for themselves. Anytime you can improve or make the actual living space bigger, you´re making an improvement that gives you a return on your investment.
3. Do make sure your Handyman or Contractor has proper Insurance. Making sure they have proper insurance coverage when work is being done on your home often just means seeing a copy of their policy. The goal is to make sure the policy covers anyone working on your home from an injury and material standpoint. Also make sure the policy protects the existing house and the work being completed. This sounds easy, simple and no big deal, but ask any insurance agent, and they can tell you horror stories. Remember to make sure anyone working on your home has workers' compensation coverage. If they don't carry it and someone gets injured, you're liable.
Don´ts –
1. Don´t put off your home improvement project any longer. There has never been a better time to get that project completed. In the early 2000´s, homes rose in value and that made it a no-brainer to take out a home-equity loan for your remodeling project. When home prices stop rising and start falling it can actually be just as good if not a better time for the home project. Slowdowns hit the construction industry hard and turned home improvement into a buyer's market and that makes it a great time for a project. You now have two great advantages. The first is Contractors have slowed down and not only have availability but they have actually had to lower their price. The second advantage is that building material prices have dropped. These two factors allow you to not only save money on labor and material, but also to get the work done in a timely manner as contractors are not as busy as they once were.
2. Don´t prepay for your project. You should never pay more than 10% down on any work. If you have a large project, it is common to make progress payments when specific parts of the job are completed per the predetermined agreement. When ever you pre-pay for work that is not completed yet, you are asking for trouble. Once the contractor has your money, his desire to get your job done correctly and on time has been dramatically reduced. The best time to pay is after the work is complete and you are completely satisfied. Once the money has changed hands, the contractor does not have the same desire to make sure your needs come first. Make sure you understand the payment plan before you hire a contractor.
These are only some of dos and don´ts when having work done on your home. You can ask all kinds of questions like; do you have on time scheduling? Do you have a live voice on the phone 24/7? Do you follow-up after the project to make sure I am still happy? Do you offer Free Estimates? And the list goes on and on and on. Do your due diligence and find the right contractor for you home repair or improvement needs.
For a FREE Consultation or a FREE Estimate for your home repair or remodeling needs visit our web-site www.madtownhandyman.com or call 608.274.4390 today.
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