Is the purported craziness of home remodeling preventing you from having the home of your dreams? Yes, construction can be noisy, messy and a bit of an inconvenience, but when you choose the right design/build team and you are prepared - it won't drive you crazy at all.
Home Remodeling in Chicago Doesn't Have to Drive You Crazy
After multiple decades in the business, we know exactly how to survive a remodel without going crazy. At the core, it requires the right builder, clear communication and realistic expectations. Here are some of the more detailed steps that will help you get to the finish line with a sane perspective.
- Choose a builder with a solid reputation. Ask anyone who has gone crazy during the renovation process what their final straw was and the answer is typically, "the project was way off-schedule, over budget and/or took forever." If your two-week renovation stretching into four, you're bound to go a little berserk. Always work with a design/build team that has a solid reputation and make sure you check their references and online reviews. If timeliness is important to you, select a builder who has a reputation for sticking to the timeline they provide.
- Be strict about your own budget. Sometimes what drives customers crazy is their own inability to stick with the budget. Once the floodgates open, "Okay...we're doing this," they just turn a blind eye to their original budget intentions and select finishes and accents that are a little outside the budget here and there. Those "here and theres" add up - and that's stressful. Know your budget, plan for a 10% to 15% contingency and then stick with it.
- Get a detailed schedule. It's your home and you deserve to know the schedule. Excepting unforeseen structural issues (which happens - particularly in older homes) the schedule should move pretty much - well - on schedule. Of course, things can run a bit longer but not so much that it's a major inconvenience in your life - or enough to make you crazy.
- Set a clear communication pathway. Make sure you know exactly who you will be communicating with throughout the remodeling project as well as how and when. Will you get a status update daily? Weekly? How will any change orders be dealt with? What delays will they add to the schedule? Do you have a special event you need to attend or prepare for while your home is being remodeled? The more information your contractor has the more clear the budget, schedule, and other stress-causing factors can be, which will ease your mind.
- Understand the the finishing details can take the longest. It can seem like bones of the remodeling project went up so quickly, surely they're ahead of schedule, right? Not typically. The finishing details often take the longest but they are the ones that ensure your Chicago home remodeling project look exactly like you want it to when the last tile is cleaned and the doors are shut behind us.
Before you sign the contract and your project begins, take the time to check references thoroughly and ask them the questions we refer to above: Was your design/build team professional, talented, responsible, and did they perform as expected? Did the project stay on budget from the contractor's end? Were you provided with a schedule as well as any schedule changes? Was the project on schedule? If not, how far off and why? (remember that customer change orders will add time to the project and that's not the contractor's fault!) Was the contractor communicative with you, explaining what to expect and keeping you updated along the way? The more you prepare yourself - and keep an open mind - the less chance home remodeling in Chicago will actually drive you crazy. Choosing exactly which paint color to paint the walls....now that's a different story. Contact Kitchens & Baths Unlimited to begin planning a Chicago home remodeling project that will turn out better - and less crazy - than you ever anticipated.
