If you’re planning to remodel in 2023, here are some suggestions to ensure you’re successful. Whether you’re updating a kitchen, renovating a master bathroom, or getting beautiful hardwood floors installed in your home, remodeling can be a complicated and lengthy process, and from a contractor’s perspective, selecting a good fit is a big deal because you may be working with your contractor for months, depending on the size of your renovation.
Get it in writing! There are still contractors who insist their word is their bond and if that’s the case, they should be happy to sign a contract. Your home is probably the biggest investment you’ll make, so protect it and ensure nothing is overlooked, from ensuring that the contractor’s qualifications and experience are up-to-date and that all aspects of the project – from materials used, the timeline for completion, payments due, and any warranties provided – are all documented. All documents should be agreed upon, reviewed, and signed by both parties to avoid potential conflicts before, during, and after the work.
Do your research! While it’s important to get recommendations from friends and family who have worked with similar contractors in the past, it’s also useful to read online reviews from various social media platforms, from Houzz.com to Google. This will give you an idea of what kind of work a contractor did and how satisfied people were with the results. We have had prospective customers ask us for a short list of clients to interview about our work and we offer to open up clients’ homes so prospective customers can see the results of our work in person, prior to their project. If you are hiring multiple trades, ask about the order of each project: should cabinets or floor coverings be installed first and why?
Consider the cost! While price should be part of your decision-making process, it shouldn’t be the only factor when selecting a contractor. When getting quotes from different contractors, make sure they include any additional costs such as permits or specialty tools needed for certain projects. Moreover, ask each contractor questions about their processes and experiences so you know exactly who will be completing the work (and who will be in your home!) and how they plan on completing the job in a clean and timely fashion.
Expect the unexpected! If price is your only consideration, you may be surprised to discover additional costs associated with repair or replacement if/when unforeseen problems arise during construction, installation, or even during finish work. Make sure that whatever company or individual you hire carries appropriate liability insurance so that both parties are protected in case something goes wrong during the job.
To sum up our recommendations: when looking for a contractor, do your research (including asking around for referrals), get bids from multiple companies/individuals but don't pick off price alone, and understand what insurance coverage is included (or not included) in their quote and make sure everything is in writing before starting your project. If you follow our suggestions, you should be in great shape to find the right contractor for your upcoming home improvement project.
We are happy to recommend our skilled professional partners, so please don’t hesitate to contact us through our website with your request and we will be in touch soon.
Enjoy these before (left image) and after (right image) photos of a current project that we just finished working on in Evergreen! There is plenty more to be completed by other contractors (trim, paint, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, doors) but the new flooring, stairs and handrail completed by Artistic Floors by Design are finished!
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