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How To Choose Best Builder For Your Dream House Renovation?

Choosing a Contractor

When doing a home renovation, the most important aspect -believe it or not- is choosing a contractor for your task. This task can be overwhelming, with the number of contractors on the market nowadays and all the offers. It is difficult to find someone who you can trust to do your work. That is why we took it upon ourselves to guide you through this delicate process. Here are a few tips on how to choose your contractor.

Know exactly what you want

Before choosing a contractor, you have to know what you want to do first. We do not mean the technical stuff, but an idea on what you want to do or perform. Take your time and do your own plan. Know what you want to do and when do you need it to be done. Discuss it with your family and collect their thoughts on the process. Having a plan helps you during the renovation process, if you find that your contractor is not following it, you know it is time to cancel their contract and choose another company. It also helps you determine your budget, and how would you spend it.

Ask your relatives and neighbors

Home renovation projects tend to have their own voices. In this industry, the word of mouth is the number one trusted source of marketing among its customers. If a contractor did bad work, you would know from their previous clients, similarly if they did good work. That is why it is beneficial if you ask your relatives and neighbors for good recommendations. If you see your neighbor’s home has been transformed beautifully ask them for the contact information of their contractor. You may say this an outdated technique, however, it is still a very successful one.

Check your contractor’s online reviews

In this day and age, you can find -literally- everything on the internet. It is a great idea to turn to the World Wide Web to check on a company you are going to work with. Visit your contractor’s web site or social media accounts. Read their customers’ reviews. More importantly, check how they handled complaints and bad reviews. If you find that, the contractor has ratings above average, and handle complaints professionally; then they are your person. If you saw that they handled complaints poorly, well, this is a red flag, and be prepared to receive similar treatment if you choose to do work with them.

Do not choose the first contractor on your list, but speak with several

It is recommended that you get the contact information of several “good” contractors. After checking their online reviews and asking about them. Try reaching out to talk with them. Do not confine yourself to only one contractor. Instead, get multiple bids on your project. Even if you feel satisfied with the first bid you got, do not go with it unless you have talked to several contractors first. Receive several bids, see what each bid offer, compare them to each other and weigh your options. Then go with the bid that best suits you. You can perform interviews personally or on the phone.

Some of the questions you may want to ask:

  • The charge rate of each company?
  • Whether or not they have worked on a project the size of yours previously?
  • Their license?
  • What are their specialties?

Naturally, you would have many questions other than the above, those are only some guidelines.

When interviewing contractors, ask each one of them to provide you with a detailed bid containing costs for labor, materials, and any other relevant expenses. Show the contractors your blueprints, discuss your plan with them, tell them your vision and what exactly you want, and then tell them your budget. That way you can compare bids and select the best for you. Generally speaking, any bid should be divided into:

  • 40% allocated to labor and relevant expenses.
  • 40% materials and tools and overhead.
  • 20% the profit margin.

Check out the BBB Ratings

When you are interviewing the contractors, ask them for the official registered name of their business. That way you can contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and ask about the contractor. The BBB can help you decide by viewing the different complaints this contractor got before and how they handled it. Moreover, the BBB is the place you go to when you have a problem with a contractor that needs solving. In addition, knowing the official name of the contractor’s company helps you to know whether their license is still valid or not. Remember that having an unlicensed organization performing on your property may have legal consequences.

Review and sign the contract

After receiving the bids from the different contractors, you have contacted. It is time to settle for the one perfect for you. Once you have chosen it, start the negotiation process. Make sure that the contract is as detailed as possible. Do not leave anything out of it. Even breaks and days off must be included in the contract. Remember, this is the legal thing that binds both of you together and guarantees both of your rights. A final thing to say, good communication with your contractor is the number one rule for a job well done.

what is a home renovation

What Is A Home Renovation?

Home Renovation

Home renovation is the concept of remodeling your home. It is a process done by adding, removing, or reshaping an existing home interior, exterior, and may extend to make other adjustments to the property itself (garden, or garage). When it comes to home renovation projects, there are many things that your construction company can perform for you.

Home renovation projects may include:

  • Installing or upgrading heating, ventilation, and HVAC systems (AC systems).
  • Installing or upgrading rooms with necessary or luxuries additives.
  • Increasing the capacity of the existing electrical systems.
  • Increasing and maintaining plumbing systems.
  • Waterproofing underground spaces and basements.
  • Soundproofing rooms like bedrooms, bathrooms, and office areas.
  • Replacement and tear-off of roofs.
  • Installing new windows or upgrading existing ones.

Moreover, home renovations can extend to maintenance and repair work including:

  • Repairs done to the foundation and chimney.
  • Fences repairs.
  • Repairing old wallpapers.
  • Furniture polish.

Home renovations are a great way to create new areas around the house, like turning a basement into a home theatre or an office. Additionally, you can create more space by adding a complete extra level to your original roof.

Home Renovation Industry

The home renovation industry is a growing business in both the USA and Canada. As a matter of fact, the home renovation industry is considered one of the oldest industries on the face of the Earth. Some records date back to the first century B.C. when Sergius Orata invented the hypocaust. Which is an underground heating system, that was used throughout the Roman Empire. According to statistics, the home renovation industry amount to approximately $300 billion in the USA, and approximately $48 billion in Canada. The average cost per project in the USA is $3,000 while an average of $12,000 in Canada.

Home renovation as an industry was popularized among people in the USA and Canada by the time “This Old House” premiered on TV starring Bob Vila. After that, the topic of home renovation became the subject of so many movies, especially the family-friendly ones

how to start a home renovation

How To Start A Home Renovation

How should you start your renovation projects?

When you decide to renovate your house, it is not always an easy task to know where to start. Also, if you want to renovate your house so that you can stay there longer is different than wanting to renovate your house to sell it at a higher price. Each of the previous has a different approach to it. Before putting a plan for your renovation you have to consider the following:

  • Your reasons for the renovation process.
  • Your needs.
  • And, your budget for the renovation process.

Knowing these three points beforehand will help you tremendously when you are putting your plan for the renovation process.

Additionally, before starting the renovation process, it is recommended that you assess your house. Hire someone professional to check your house for you. They know exactly what they are doing and will evaluate your property the right way. After they finish, they will give you a list with their assessment of your house’s systems, roof, plumbing, electrical panels, and will let you know whether or not your house has any dampness or leaks.

After receiving the assessment report, you should be able to know what needs to be done to your house system. If your heating and air conditioning system is causing a problem, you can know whether to replace it or temporarily fix it. That depends upon your goals.

If you are going to renovate your bathroom(s), make sure that your plumbing system can tolerate the updated usage and increased pressure. If you are renovating your house to sell it, remember that not fixing plumbing issues and leaks lower your property’s value tremendously.

Do not dismiss the importance of windows and doors. Upon receiving your assessment report, if you find some fault in any of your windows or doors you should consider renovating them. Double glazed windows and solid doors are expensive in the short term, but long term-related, they can come very handy, live much longer, and increase your property’s value when you are trying to sell it.

If you are looking to renovate your kitchen, try to make sure your kitchen is ready to be energy efficient. Try to install some energy savings solutions, like bigger windows for more natural lights, install energy-efficient appliances. That choice not only would decrease your electrical bill, but also increase your home’s value if you ever wanted to sell it.