Save Time & Money Before You Renovate

THINKING of renovating your home? Avoid

disappointment and problems, by following a few critical steps before starting:

1. SET A BUDGET FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT Before I even meet a client or go to their home I’m often pressed to give a “ballpark” of what a renovation will cost. It’s impossible. Full renovation costs can vary wildly depending on the type and quality of materials you choose and the labor you hire and even where you live. But many people need to have a place to start thinking of how much it will cost them, so they’ll often start by contacting a contractor and asking him to come to give them an estimate.

The key here, is the word “estimate”. Let’s say you want to remodel your basement and describe what you think you want to a contractor. You tell him you’d like to turn the basement into a TV room with a separate bedroom , a three-piece bathroom, storage area and utility room and ask him to give you an estimate as to what it will cost.

Some contractors might figure it out based on a square foot price, which is in turn based on the majority of their experiences renovating homes. If they most often do work in a mid-price range, they might base the estimate on $50-$75 per square foot. If you have a basement that’s 25 feet wide, by 35 feet long, you have a room that’s 875 square feet that’s a project estimate between $43,750 - $65,625.

That’s a pretty big variance and makes it difficult to know how much to budget. But he can’t be more accurate than that with the information you’ve given him, because without knowing the exact materials you want like the exact type of flooring, lighting, plumbing fixtures and built-ins, his estimate is going to be an educated “GUESS-timate”. It’s “loosy-goosey”.

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Save Time & Money Before You Renovate

A more practical way to approach it is to ask yourself how much you can afford and how much are you willing to spend? If you need financing, before you do anything else, it’s best to find out what kind of financing you’re qualified for. Also think about how long you plan to stay in the house, and whether it and the neighborhood are worth investing in. You don’t want to over spend on a renovation and find that your home then becomes the most expensive one on the block, but then you don’t want to underspend either, because very inexpensive materials won’t last and will look shabby in a shorter period of time, reducing the pleasure you get from the space and reducing the marketability of the house if you’re hoping to sell.

BASEMENT AFTER 1

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Once you’ve decided on a budget, then you should make a list by room of everything you want to do. Do it logically by starting with the floor, then the walls, then the ceiling. Don’t forget to list things like the type of flooring (i.e. if it’s wood, say whether it’s oak, maple, walnut, etc), whether there is old wallpaper to strip off or new wallpaper to put up and if you want to replace the lighting, what kind of lighting you’d like (i.e. decorative ceiling fixtures, or recessed cans). Then you can approach a contractor for an estimate once you have your list. Ensure you plan for at least a 10-15% cushion over and above your budget for unforeseen expenses. If the renovation that you’re planning is a kitchen, you can find a detailed budget guide on page 10 of my book, Renovation Bootcamp®: Kitchen http://www.RenovationBootcamp.com

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© Robin Siegerman 2012 www.RenovationBootcamp.com

Save Time & Money Before You Renovate

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2. Select a designer If you’re doing a kitchen renovation it would be a big benefit for you to hire an independent kitchen designer to plan and specify the project. Kitchen companies that sell cabinets can probably do drawings and a cabinet specification list for you. Some do it for free, and some will apply their fee to the cabinet price when you make your purchase. However, most won’t give you a copy of the drawings before you sign a contract for the purchase of the cabinets, making it impossible for you to get competitive quotes, which is the idea. Going to 3 different kitchen companies means 3 different designs and prices. That’s comparing apples with kumquats and you won’t be really sure what the differences are until the kitchen is done, then it’s too late to make changes.

Independent designers will design and release the finished drawings and specifications as part of a design fee. At that point you can get quotes from cabinet companies and get accurate competitive bids. This is apples to apples pricing.

Be prepared to pay an initial consultation fee for an independent designer to visit your home but ask if it will be applied to the overall design fee if you decide to go ahead, or consider online design which can be done no matter where you live and could save you thousands of dollars. Check out my Online Design Program at http://www.RenovationBootcamp.com

Be upfront with your designer about your budget. They will then be able to design realistically, saving time and money in the end. Some people feel that since they have a good idea of what they want, they really don’t need someone to design it. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see on a regular basis. Not getting a professional to design your renovation is like needing a filling in a tooth and deciding you can do it yourself! I’m a big believer in getting specialists to do what you need. You may think it’s going to cost you more money, but in the end, it will often save you many thousands of dollars and buckets of time and aggravation.

Save Time & Money Before You Renovate

If your renovation isn’t a kitchen, but is some other room in the home, it would still be a huge benefit for you to engage the services of a designer. Some people are afraid that if they hire a designer, their home won’t end up looking like it belongs to them but that it came straight out of a magazine feature, but that’s not necessarily the case unless that’s what you specifically ask for. A good designer will give you a survey to determine your likes and dislikes, your habits and those of your family so they can be sure that the design and the choices they offer you are tailored to your desires and budget.

If your remodeling project is a kitchen, you can get a copy of my copyrighted Use & Needs Audit in the Renovation Bootcamp®: Kitchen workbook at http://renovationbootcamp.com/shop/renovation-bootcamp-kitchen-workbook/ This completed questionnaire will give a designer everything they need to know to come up with a plan and product specification list that is exactly what you want. It will also help you refine your thinking and get really specific.

If you haven’t done a remodel before, it’s very difficult to know how specific you need to be, but the rule of thumb is, the more information you can provide about the exact materials and products you want, the more accurate your quote will be and the closer you’ll get to getting exactly what you hope for.

A designer will do a site measure, do a set of accurate construction drawings, a written scope of work which details what needs to be done and who is responsible for which part.

Some people aren’t sure if they need an architect, interior designer, decorator or engineer for their project. There is a full description of the various professionals and what they do in Chapter 2 of Renovation Bootcamp®: Kitchen, available as an e-book at http://renovationbootcamp.com/shop/renovation-bootcamp-kitchen-ebook/

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Save Time & Money Before You Renovate

3. Select a contractor Ask your designer if they have a contractor with whom they work on a regular basis. It works well to work with an established team rather than bringing in your own trades on a piecemeal basis. Like any job, communication is key. And trades who haven’t worked together before won’t have an established method of communication, which could result in greater chance for error and friction.

The best way to select a contractor, is to interview a few whose names you’ve gotten from people you know. Ask them what their process is, if they have their own team, how they quote a job and ask for references. If there is one particular contractor you feel comfortable with above all others and he comes well recommended, this is a very good indication that you’ll do well to work with him. Then share your budget with him, indicate you’d like to work with him, give him a copy of the drawing package to quote on then negotiate from there. You’re far better off finding someone you feel good about than going for the lowest price. Remember the old saying: You get what you pay for.

Alternatively, to get competitive bids from outside contractors, give each one a copy of the drawings and written scope of work to get – here it is again – apples to apples pricing.

If there are materials you haven’t chosen during the design phase, the contractor will give you an “allowance”. This means he’s allowing a certain amount for that item. If you ultimately pick something more expensive than he’s figured, it’ll cost you more. So it’s in your best interest to have everything selected and itemized during the design phase so that everyone gives you – yup – apples to apples pricing.

What are the specific questions you should ask? Find out on page 91 of Renovation Bootcamp®: Kitchen. http://renovationbootcamp.com/shop/renovation-bootcamp-kitchen-ebook/

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Dining room after

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Dining room before

Save Time & Money Before You Renovate Page

Following these steps in this order before you get started will ensure you’re happier, will get the best price and the process is more organized.

• Robin is the author of Renovation Bootcamp®: Kitchen -- Design and Remodel Your Kitchen Without Losing Your Wallet, Your Mind or Your Spouse. Don’t renovate your kitchen without this critical guide. Find charts, checklists, measuring template and 20 years of professional experience all in one book! To order the e-book and workbook, go to www.RenovationBootcamp.com

• For the Online Design Program, you have custom design at your fingertips no matter where you live! Depending on the level of service you want, we’ll include

– The Renovation Bootcamp® Workbook containing the Use & Needs Audit™, a measuring template, shopping checklists

– Concept floor plan and elevations

– Virtual sample board with shopping list and web links to where you can get the recommended products

– The Renovation Bootcamp®: Kitchen Planner e-book, phone consultations and personal e-mail correspondence to ask any questions you need help with.

Find the online design program at http://renovationbootcamp.com/hire-us

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