home additions, home renovations

Ask these questions before starting a home remodeling project.

Many families eventually reach a point where their home no longer meets their needs. Home remodeling is often a better choice than moving to a new home. The costs of buying a new home and moving can be extremely high. By remodeling, not only do you save on all the expenses related to moving, but you may also increase the value of your current home, thus potentially offsetting the cost of your renovations. Before you begin your addition plans, you should consider and answer the following five questions.

What Do My Addition Plans Include?

When planning home additions, you need to determine the scope of your project. If you are not sure of what exactly your addition should include, it will be difficult to tell your contractor about how you envision the finished project. Without a pre-established scope, it is likely you will go over budget and your project will take longer as you are making plans and adding to the remodel on the fly. This is where a good home remodeling company comes in handy because they can help you determine what to include in your project.

How Much Can I Afford to Spend?

Whether you have saved for many years or are financing your remodel, you need to set some guidelines for spending. Prior to your remodel, you should get estimates and prices on materials to help give you a baseline for your budget. If you have champagne tastes, but only a beer budget, you may have to scale back your plans.

Work with your contractor to go over addition plans.

What Are My Contingency Plans?

Unfortunately, no plan is fool-proof. You may come across a budget-busting expense, such as an unexpected repair, or you could simply fall in love with higher-end materials than you initially planned. If any such situations arise, you need to have a plan B. Are you going to cut back on other aspects of your remodel in order to fund the new expense? Or are you going to simply spend more than you initially budgeted? Planning for contingencies in advance can help save you from additional stress during home remodeling.

Who Is Working on My Home and What Is the Schedule?

Many remodeling companies will assign a foreman to your project who will bring in a team to complete the work. You should be sure the company has the skills and expertise to complete the remodel. In addition, verify the schedule of when workers will be at your home. If you’re a family of late-risers, you may not want workmen at your doorstep early in the morning.

How Long Will My Remodel Take?

You will need to set realistic expectations as to how long each part of your project will take. Many times the homeowner’s expectations and the reality don’t meet. Your contractor will give you an estimated completion date, but it is important to understand the date could change, especially if you need to special order materials or if unplanned repairs pop up during the course of your remodel.

If you are interested in home remodeling in Massachusetts, contact us. We can help you explore the possibilities and determine your addition plans.