Tips to Having a Great Time Renovating Your House
As much as you are improving the look of your house, house renovation can be one of the most stressful parts of owning a home. Over the years, you’ve probably heard many horror stories about home buyers caught off guard by unexpected costs, lousy work, and delays. In the worst cases, the contractor would disappear with the money, leaving the homeowners high and dry. Choosing the right contractor is a hard job by itself, but once you’ve made your choice, getting the contract right is another way to help avoid problems in the future. Whether doing a condo remodel or any other remodeling project, here are tips to ensure you have a great time handling the project. Avoid upfront payments It goes without saying that if you pay upfront, contractors or designers who aren’t honest could run away with your money. If the work turns out to be bad, getting your money back will be harder. To stay safe, pay as little as possible upfront, and ensure you have a good payment structure that works in your favor. A great way to do it is to make payments in parts, like 10% when the floors are done, 40% when the kitchen is done, and so on. You should only pay for the work once it’s done. You should avoid paying more than 20% to start work. If you have to pay more than that, ask your contractor why they need such a hefty payment upfront. It will be better if you add a schedule to these milestones so that the contractor has to meet both the schedule and the standards. Ensure all defects are fixed beforehand. Even when working with the most experienced contractors, problems might arise. You might assume that the contractor will fix all problems before handing over, but some contracts need to be clarified. Some contracts say a problem can be fixed within a certain amount of time (up to 30 days after the job is done), while others may not even mention the problem. Pay attention to the fact that some contracts put all responsibility on a subcontractor. For example, if there is a problem with the electrical work, the contract might say that you have to talk to the electrician on your own. Always ensure that defects are fully dealt with and spelled out in the contract to your satisfaction. Don’t forget that the last payment should not be due the contractor has fixed until all the problems. Have written proof. Don’t count on verbal promises or confirmations because you can’t prove them later. Whatever your contractor agrees to or changes, it must be in writing. You can do this through email, text messages, or written documents. When things are written down, they are not only binding but also less likely to be misunderstood. Ask about warranties What happens if your cabinets start to bend after only a year? Or if the tiles are already beginning to lose their color? Some materials may come with a warranty that lasts a lifetime, while others may not have any warranty at all. Whether buying materials or working […]
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4 Areas To Focus On When Remodeling Your Retail Store
If your retail store is old and worn out, you should consider renovating it to attract customers. While it’s important to remodel your store, remember that you shouldn’t go at it haphazardly—you should highly consider your customer’s desires and sensibilities. Work with your retail store contractors and pay close attention to the customer experience. For the best outcome, pay close attention to these areas when renovating: The store entrance This is where your customers will be getting in, so it needs to be attractive to look at. Remember that your customers will make the buying decision based on how they feel when they are in your store. Since the entrance serves as a transition from the outside world into the retail environment, it should have an inviting look. As a rule of thumb, use cool colors that make the customers feel comfortable. If you regularly have a large line of customers, it would be wise to have a few chairs to sit on as they wait for you to serve the others. The walls and ceilings You might have the impression that your customers don’t care much about how your store walls and ceilings look, but this isn’t the case. As we mentioned above, your customers make the buying decision based on how they feel when they are inside your premises. As a rule of thumb, you should work with your contractors and create an inviting vibe. In most cases, you don’t need to do much, as applying a fresh coat of paint is enough to transform your space, but if your store is old and the walls have holes, you have a lot of work. Besides painting the walls, you can also apply wallpaper, graphics, or even graffiti, depending on the nature of your business. For the best outcome, consider the walls and ceilings as blank canvasses that can help capture your customers’’ attention. Remember that you don’t need to make dramatic changes or incur dramatically expensive to make a dramatic impact. Lighting fixtures Lighting can significantly change the look and mood of your store. For example, you can give it a sleek, soft, modern, natural, industrial, or even loud mood depending on the lights you use. There are all types of lighting fixtures ideal for different applications that you can use. If you aren’t sure about the right ones to go for, get the input of a professional. As you are installing the lights, pay close attention to the energy needs. You don’t want to install lights that consume too much of your energy, making them unsustainable. As you create the mood and theme of the retail store, you need to ensure that you also save some money so go for energy-efficient lighting fixtures. Flooring Floors often get damaged, and the situation worsens when your store is old. A damaged floor is an eye sore and often a sign of an unkempt space, so you must keep your floor in top shape. If there are holes, you should seal them. For that perfect look, install flooring material that is attractive to look at and durable. Luckily, there are […]
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