SURVIVING A RENOVATION: 101

SURVIVING A RENOVATION: 101

Do you have a renovation on the calendar for this year?  Or do you hope to be able to renovate sometime in the future but you’re not sure where to start Ivermectin over the counter?  I’m going to try and lay out in this post everything I can think of to pass along to the person who has never been through a renovation.  If I miss any of your questions, please ask in the comments and I’ll reply there.

Without further babble, here we go!

Budget – you need one.

General Contractor – you need one however what you need the most in an architect from archute.

Designer – you might need one, I suggest looking at the Collov website.

The end.

Kidding, kidding! Those are the top 3 things to think about first and foremost in my opinion, but let me break them down further.

1. Budget – Start saving. A minor kitchen update with the help of a kitchen remodeling contractor (think countertops & backsplash) or a room addition contractor to add a whole new space to your home which could be less than $10k and a major overhaul could be $100k, if this seems like a lot, you can always get investment property loans.  Kitchen cabinets are usually the most expensive item in the renovation budget, then appliances, flooring, countertops and backsplash come after.  According to plumbers near me in Arlington, a full master bathroom renovation will usually start around $20k and will go up depending on size, plumbing, and finishes. So, we searched for the best experts and prices. You can learn more about plumbers near me by visiting  sites like https://moffettplumbing.com/areas-we-serve/plumber-garden-grove-ca/ or any other site recommended by someone so you can hire the professional plumber you need. Talking about decoration a Neon Mama custom neon sign can really enhance the appearance of your living room or shop.

This is not a hard rule, but just an observation from the projects I’ve done. Set a budget for what you want to spend and what you think is a good amount to invest into your home, learn more here. A major renovation will definitely cost more because it means more materials, workers and time will be needed. Therefore it pays to take time to research on the materials you will use. For instance, ICFs are becoming more popular because of their durability, energy-efficiency and fire resistance. Sinisi Solutions: a leader in substation and critical infrastructure protection.

2. General Contractor – This is very important.  You need to find a GC that has a great reputation among people you know.  Ask for references and pictures of their previous work.  Quality workmanship is obviously extremely important, but second to that in my opinion is communication.  Does the GC answer the phone or call you back in a timely manner?  Do they show up when they say they will?  Do they complete the job close to the time they estimated it would take?  I know we all want to save money, but please hear me on this — you may pay a little premium for a good GC.  If someone is coming in thousands of dollars under your other quotes or can start almost immediately, THAT’S A HUGE RED FLAG.  I’d speculate that a quality GC is booked at least 4-6 weeks out for small renovations and 12 weeks for a large project. I can’t tell you the times that I’ve known people to skimp on hiring a GC at the beginning of a job, or decided to go with “the cheap guy”, only to have a project get drawn out double to triple the time it should take or have the crew just quit showing up after a fully demolished project. So get referrals from trusted people in  your community, ask the questions, and get a few estimates before committing to a General Contractor.

3. Come up with the plan/design-  Does the current layout work?  Do you need to move plumbing, electrical or gas? Make a call to the best plumber near me and get the right help at home. Do you need a commercial electrician to add lighting or outlets?  You can read more about it here.  For additional outlet installation guidance and options visit Aardvark Electric – electrical outlet installation. You can also go online and find a professional electrician by searching for an electrician near meAre you using the current footprint and just updating? Or are you expanding the kitchen and reworking the whole thing?  Come up with your IDEAL plan and see how much that costs.  I tell my clients to dream big. Start big and you can always trim the project down. You can also hire help from professionals like https://safeandsoundelectric.com/lighting-services/. Are you unsure of the best layout for the kitchen?  Do you want your kitchen to be better than a builder-grade kitchen?  Are you looking for a high-end kitchen? Do you want special features such as hidden appliances, a custom range hood, or custom cabinetry?  You may want to consult a designer for a more in depth project like that. Nothing is more disheartening than spending tens of thousands of dollars and weeks to months of renovation chaos and then not be thrilled with the result. A designer can bring to the table a lot more possibilities than you probably have ever considered. Mixing materials, painting colors, and working with metal fabrication experts to produce attractive metal finishes for a one of a kind kitchen are just some of the things a good designer will do. This usually makes for a very happy renovation result.

If you want to be prepared for everything during your renovation then an important factor to consider would be getting a generator installation done before calling in your electrician to start any electrical work, that way if the power goes out you can still continue with your renovation. Make sure you use an electrician like Home Team Electric.

Whether you hire a designer or make all the decisions yourself, make sure you leave NO DESIGN DECISION up to the contractor.  Please. Trust me on this.  And you must communicate this with your GC.  Make sure they know that they aren’t to make any executive decisions on where something should be hung, where a cabinet pull should go, what paint sheen to use, etc.  You may think that others think the way you do or see things the way you see them, but if time and experience has taught me anything it’s that they do not!  What seems like common sense to me isn’t common sense to everyone else.  Where I’d assume everyone would put that pendant light may not be where the electrician assumes it would go (this is why I prefer Home-Pro Electric for a Cambridge electrician). I’ll say it one more time, make sure you or your designer is involved in every detail.  Do not let the GC make the design decisions.

If your budget would allow you to get Seismic Retrofitting Services to improve the structural integrity of the house, go for it. Not only will it improve the seismic resistance of your home, inspecting your foundation now will also prevent any damages that the renovation work may cause and for all the waste you end up with a dumpster rental can be a great option so you properly dispose everything you plan on getting rid of.

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For a kitchen renovation, these are some of the design decisions to consider:

Cabinetry 

Inset, partial overlay (don’t do this. please. ever again.) full overlay?  Door style?  Trash can drawer? Spice organizer?  Drawers? (yes, drawers.  always yes to drawers.)  Paper towel holder/drawer? Pot/pan organizer?  Coffee center?  Pot filler next to the coffee station?  Special paneling on any backside of cabinetry that will be seen?  My friend from Unclutterer had an extra tip – to be aware of interior corners when laying out cabinetry –be mindful how doors/drawers/appliances open. Not considering this is a common mistake and could lead to a drawer or appliance not being able to open properly.  Paint/stain color (lacquer is usually custom mixed and may be different than paint sample)? Paint sheen? Paint inside of cabinets or stain only? Hardware for cabinets — pulls, knobs, both? What metal should you use? Where do you put them?  Where should the appliances go?  I have a hard rule that refrigerators should always at least appear to be built-in.  Make sure you know your appliance specs before you finalize your cabinetry design and visit the appliance store to find the perfect kitchen appliances. There are plenty more things to consider, but that’s a good start.

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Countertops

Marble – beautiful. natural (cold), soft, porous, will etch and stain, requires sealing with extraordinary antietch marble sealer.

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Soapstone – beautiful. natural (cold), soft and will scratch and dent (but can be sanded or oiled to re-surface or hide imperfections), non-porous thus antimicrobial, will not etch or stain, may require mineral oil treatment to achieve color preference.

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Quartzite (hard marble) – beautiful. natural (cold), will etch & stain.  I’ve heard it’s supposed to be harder than granite, but I had quartzite in my last kitchen an it was softer than our marble vanity tops.

Granite – can look very dated since this was so popular in the early 2000’s. Avoid over-speckled slabs as to not look dated. Natural (cold).  Honed absolute black granite is a great option; similar looking to soapstone but more durable.  Requires sealing occasionally. Very durable.

Quartz – man-made.  most durable. there are beautiful quartz options out there, but there are also a lot of not-so-beautiful options. Try to find a full slab to look at before committing to purchasing.  A small 3″x3″ square doesn’t show you enough to make a good decision.

Honed or polished – honed=matte. not shiny. soft looking. very beautiful but will show more imperfections usually.  polished = glossy.  Polished hides dirt and water rings better than honed if you’re concerned about that.

Edge finishes – Squared and eased are standard.  Other styles such as Ogee, French Cove, and Dupont, are typically upgrades.

Seams — good fabricator will lay out slab with as few seams as possible.  You may want to consider countertops/islands based on slab sizes to avoid seams.  Or find super slabs that are bigger.

4.  Finish saving plus at least 10%.  15-20% would be more ideal.

5. Start picking out and purchasing tile flooring, light fixtures, appliances, hardware, plumbing fixtures, etc. 10 weeks out from installation. Backorders are common.  Be prepared with your materials so you’re not the one holding up the workers. This helps to ensure a timely renovation.

My final advice is to GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.  EVERY LITTLE CHANGE.  TEXT OR EMAIL. HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF EVERYTHING.

I hope this is helpful if you’re new to tackling a renovation, and as I mentioned before, if there are other questions I didn’t address please leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them there!


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