Avoid The Renovation Trap: 5 Steps to Getting the Job Done Right

Get The House You Want Without Spending Too Much

Why Renovate Instead Of Building?

When economic issues are keeping you from making the move up to a larger, more accommodating home, maybe the thing to do is add on that extra living space you’ve been needing.  Or perhaps a new master suite with the huge tiled shower and spa tub is just the ticket.  While you may not be willing, or able, to spend the money on an entirely new home to get those things, you can usually recreate the space you live in to achieve the same results with a lot less outlay of money.  If you decide to take on a renovation or expansion, there are some things to keep in mind that will keep you sane through the entire project and give you what you want.

For over 21 years, I’ve been involved in the residential building and remodeling business.  Throughout the time that I’ve worked, building houses and performing renovation work, I’ve been witness to a lot of poor workmanship and delayed projects.  Often what has happened is that a homeowner will attempt to undertake a fairly large remodeling effort, only to find they have gotten themselves into a real mess.  Every project has setbacks, challenges and deficiencies, however there are steps you can take to prevent getting in over your head.  Follow some simple guidelines and you will achieve a result you can be proud of.  Let me share some of my experience with you and give you 5 steps to achieving your dream in your next renovation effort.

I – Set Your Objective

Determining your objective is crucial.  Weigh the merits of what you want versus what you need.  All of us can imagine living in a mansion with the finest of amenities and furnishings, and unless you have determined what you need, you can easily get off track and spend much more than you should.  It is important to get the job done without going broke otherwise you might end up with a half-completed project and no money.  I’ve seen this before, so determine your objectives, weigh the costs and stick with them through the planning process.  The time to decide the scope of work is at the beginning of the project, not in the middle.

Determine what you can’t live without.  Do you really need the expensive light fixtures right now, or can you wait?  Plan for future upgrades.  One way you can do this is to pre-wire for an audio/visual system and leave the components for a later date.  By thinking through this process, you can save yourself money up front, and keep from having an unfinished, or over budget project, or worse yet, both.

Something important to note here is that any item not easily replaced, like a shower valve in a tiled shower wall, or the tile itself, needs to be carefully thought out for cost and appeal.  If something can easily be replaced, like a commode or the carpet, don’t go overboard to start with.  You can upgrade your expectations when you see how actual costs are trending.

II – Form A Plan

This may seem like a no brainer, but I’ve been amazed,over the years, at the number of people who attempt to undertake a fairly large project without a finalized plan.  Without a plan, you cannot measure progress, cost or compliance and you certainly cannot give the sub-contractors working for you any solid information.  Without a plan, you are constantly being called upon to explain things or make decisions and the project becomes a full time job with a lot of stress. 

A plan does not have to be complex, it can be simple and effective.  There are three elements to a simple plan and they are:

1. Drawings showing dimensions and relative look of the finished product.  You don’t need an architect, just a tape measure and some 11″ x 17″ graph paper.  If you can’t draw a straight line with a ruler, you might want to ask for some help, but get your idea down in black and white and make copies.  Your sub-contractors need something to guide them and it can’t always be you making decisions on the spur of the moment while everyone is waiting for an answer.  There will always be questions, but with some decent drawings, there will be a lot less of them.
2. A cost estimate for the project.  To determine the projects’ cost, you will need a cost estimate for each phase.  Determine the phases and get at least two quotes for each phase, from reputable sub-contractors.   Use these quotes to formulate an overall project cost estimate.  It is important to have this so that you can track expenditures and see where you can cut costs if necessary.  Without the cost estimate (and the Objective mentioned above) you can, and probably will, exceed costs and blow your budget.  It’s very easy to get talked into more expensive choices in the “heat of the moment”. Stick with your objective and stay within your budget.
3. The final element to any plan is the time factor, or schedule.  Although you won’t be completely accurate in creating a full project schedule, with the drawings and objective completed, you should be able to get a fairly close estimate of the overall time for each phase and develop a general project timeline. The reason this is crucial is that if you are wanting to be using your new facilities by Christmas, you can’t leave it to chance that you will have the project done by then, you need know when the start and finish dates will be.  By developing a timeline, you at least have a targeted finish date. 

III – Get Quotes Early

When you’ve determined what you need (your objective) and have completed a plan, it’s time to start getting quotes; notice I did not say estimates.  You need solid, accurate quotes and you need to hold the sub-contractor to his or her quote.  There are times when costs will exceed the quote, and these should be addressed immediately before work continues, but for the most part, each sub-contractor must be made aware that the quote he/she is providing you is the amount of money he/she will be paid, with no variances except in circumstances which are clearly outlined.  Again it’s important to state, if  you’ve developed your objective and plan, getting accurate quotes should not be a problem.  Any sub-contractor that won’t provide you with a fixed quote should be eliminated from consideration.  There are plenty of good, reputable sub-contractors who will be glad to do the work for a set price.

One area where a variance in a quote is justifiable is when you are working on a home and find extensive moisture damage or termite damage that needs to be repaired.  When this happens, stop work, get the cost for fixing that problem, make a decision and move forward.  The higher costs may be justified by un-forseen situations like those above, however never allow someone to bill you more than his or her quote and try to talk you into paying the higher costs.  Each sub-contractor should know enough about his or her trade to provide accurate quotes for work he/she usually performs.   Get the quotes in writing and have potential areas of variance listed in the quote.  Any sub-contractor worth dealing with is going to appreciate the details being worked out ahead of time.

Get quotes early because most reputable sub-contractors are not standing by ready to work within a day of giving you the quote.  You have to schedule the work as far in advance as possible and keep them posted on progress so they are aware of when they need to begin work.

Make certain the quotes you recieve contain the length of time to complete the work and make it clear that financial penalties will be incurred if the phase takes longer than quoted.  Keep in mind, though, the length of time cannot always be controlled.  There will be unforseen and allowable variables (like termite and moisture problems) in the length of time some things take.  However I have heard horror stories where projects took a lot longer than necessary to complete.  For instance, I knew of a man, building a 5,000 square foot house who had drywall crews, being paid hourly, hanging around for four months when it should have taken two weeks. Don’t let this happen to you.

IV – Don’t Let The Sub-contractors Run The Job

One of the worst mistakes you can make during the entire process, and one that is easily avoided, is allowing sub-contractors to run the job.  You are the person in charge, it’s your home and you will live in it.  As the homeowner, you should take the time and make the effort to research the process so that you are familiar with what is happening on the job.  When allowed to control the flow of the job, the sub-contractors may push to do what is convenient for them and will not necessarily have your best interests at heart.  This isn’t true of everyone, but there are some who will tell you what they want you to hear in order to get what they want.  You must always remain in the drivers seat.  If a subcontractor will not listen to your requests, or tries to make excuses for why he or she cannot do what you want, hire a different subcontractor. 

And finally…..

V – Bring In An Independent Consultant If Needed

When all is said and done, executing a large remodeling or renovation project is time consuming and management intensive.  When you have sub-contractors who are skilled, careful and honest, it makes the job go more smoothly with less hassles.  There are times, though, when you just need to have some confirmation and direction to help you through the project.  This is when hiring an independent consultant/manager can be a life saver.  A well experienced consultant/manager is one who has had experience in both field operations and project oversight.  He, or she, will have the ability to assess the quality of work and all aspects of the project and should, for a reasonable fee, give you a detailed report on the status of the project at any given moment.  Having another pair of experienced eyes on the project can also help point out potential problems before they are too late to easily correct. 

An independent assessment can sometimes not only save you headaches, but time and money as well.  It may even be in your best interests to sign with a consultant/project manager to oversee the project for you on an ongoing basis.  Fees can range from 2% to 5% of the total project cost and can keep you from going over budget by that much or more.  Considering the overhead you will pay a builder to contract the entire job (10% to 20% or even more), the 2% to 5% you pay a consultant/project manager will be a deal.  Sometimes the money a consultant/manager can save you with their experience will cover the entire cost of their fees.

When hiring a consultant/manager, check credentials and references.  Is he/she licensed, insured and recommended?  Does he/she have testimonials or referrals?  The qualified consultant/manager can run the job for you from beginning to end leaving you time to put your feet up and daydream of your new digs, while the work gets done smoothly and efficiently.

Final Thoughts

As a final note, remember that every project is simply small pieces put together in the right order.  With proper planning and preparation, you can handle any renovation effort.  Contrary to popular opinion, most of the subcontractors engaged in making a living, are honest, hardworking people and will give you the work you are looking for.  By planning carefully and following these simple guidelines, you can be certain you won’t lose control of your renovation project.  You will finish on time and on budget.  So go ahead and start planning now, you could be using that new kitchen or soaking in that big spa tub sooner than you think for less money than you might think.