Are you thinking about remodeling your house? There are plenty of tips to consider to get it right. What are some tips to consider when remodeling a house? Here they are as given by home remodeling architects:
Know your why
Why are you remodeling the house in the first place? This is important as it determines how you will go about the remodeling and the materials you will use.
Most homeowners remodel their houses for two primary reasons: to improve the home’s look and to sell it.
If you are remodeling for selling, you should pay attention to the parts of the house that add the most value. These are often the bathroom and kitchen area. You also should focus on turning the basement, attic, and other unusable areas into usable spaces.
As a rule of thumb, when you are remodeling the house to sell, avoid high-end materials such as granite and marble as chances are you won’t recoup your investments. To be on the safe side, go with beautiful but cheaper materials.
On the other hand, if you are remodeling the house to improve its looks to be comfortable and proud of your living situation, there is no limit to what you can do with it. As long as you are happy with the remodel, go with it.
Have a budget
The last thing you should do is start your remodeling project without a budget and say that you want to see the amount of money that the project will consume. This is wrong.
Before you even begin your project, you should know the amount of money you should expect to spend on the various renovation costs such as labor, building materials, decorative finishes, building permits, and so on.
If this is the first time you are doing it, get help from an experienced professional and come up with a budget. To avoid surprises later, have a 10% reserve of your budget for unexpected expenses that might arise later.
Do your research
Once you know about the materials you want and the amount of money to spend on each, begin your research. Right off the bat, get in touch with several experienced renovation contractors in your area and request estimates. This way, you get to compare the prices charged by the contractors.
Of course, you should settle with the contractor providing the best service at the least cost.
The other thing you should do is visit your local material stores and see what is available. Compare the prices from the different stores and settle on the one that makes the most sense to you.
Work with experienced contractors.
Your remodeling project will look as good as the contractors you hire, so ensure that you hire good contractors. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the contractors have at least three years of house remodeling experience. They also should be members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and be in good standing with the Better Business Bureau.
There are plenty of ways to find the ideal contractor to work with. One way is doing a Google search and compiling a list of promising technicians then getting in touch with them.
The other way is asking for recommendations from friends and family.
Regardless of how you bump into the contractors, always interview them to gauge their prowess and size their attitude. You obviously should work with an experienced professional that is fun to be around.
Having a successful interview with the contractors isn’t enough—you need to ensure that the contractors don’t have a history of disputes with prior clients and subcontractors. You need to contact the state’s consumer protection agency to find this out.
Parting shot
These are some tips to consider when you are looking to remodel your house. Ensure that you know what you want, have a clear budget for the project, take your time to research the options available in the market, and work with experienced and certified architect builders Washington DC.
By putting these tips to work, you will have a fun and easy time remodeling your house and get the home of your dreams.