Taking on a home remodeling project offers promise and excitement for the whole household. After all, you might be adding livable space to your home or reinventing an outdated room, such as a kitchen or bathroom. With such great rewards awaiting your home, there come risks as well.
Pets intervening into the work zone or sneaking into hidden areas that will be soon be sealed away. Ripping open a hole in the wall to repair a pipe. Delaying renovations due to miscommunication with contractors. These are only a small sample of remodeling nightmares that could occur.
To avoid any catastrophes, here are some tips on avoiding a home remodeling nightmare.
The One-Man Show
So many remodeling nightmares arise from hiring the wrong contractor to work on your home. If you hire a one-man show, he might try to stretch himself too thin and not be able to complete your work in a timely fashion. This is somewhat understandable, in that single contractors need to try to take on multiple home remodels simultaneously. However, when a single person tries to juggle too many tasks, some around bound to fall through the cracks.
Be especially wary of working with one-man contractors when you have a deadline you need to meet. Construction projects so often encounter setbacks, but those can be multiplied when you are depending on a single worker to complete the job.
Project Walkthrough
Home remodeling hinges on so many details. You may not even be aware of some of these details, so be sure to discuss the project with your contractor in gritty detail. Make sure you both understand exactly what is expected and required in the project.
You might also discuss potential pitfalls and problems. For instance, your contractor might find that there is rot in a few wall studs or the subfloor. Some contractors have even found squirrel nests in home walls. However, if you have thoroughly discussed the plan of action face-to-face and over email, you and your contractor can be better prepared for potential setbacks.
Contractors Insurance
Make sure that your contractor is fully licensed and insured. Every contractor is a human being and capable of making mistakes. If they are insured, then you have recourse in case the remodeling project turns into a nightmare.
When you discuss estimates and details of a project, make sure that you see a copy of the insurance policy that will cover the work and that even the hired workers will be covered by a worker’s compensation policy.
If a worker is injured at your home and his boss is unable to cover his medical expensed, he may turn to you for compensation. Given the power tools involved in any home remodeling job, this is not a position you need to be in. An ounce of forethought and prevention will pay off in spades later on.
Keep this advice in mind when choosing the perfect contractor for the job. It may be time-consuming, but it is best to conduct thorough research on the remodeling company before undergoing the project and running into many setbacks in the future.
Contact Square Deal Remodeling to schedule a free visitation to our design showroom. We Portland-based team of designers and craftsmen take pride in our award-winning services, taking in full attention to detail with our customer’s needs and preferences.