Home Improvement

Copyright (c) 2008 Gary Belk

You’ve heard the horror tales and possibly lived through your own. The home remodel that was supposed to take six months, ends up taking a year or more. And the budget? Well, that was pretty much shot by the third month. The architect and the contractor (when you can find either one of them) are pointing fingers at each other. Subcontractors forget what day they’re supposed to show up. And the materials? Wasn’t the flooring supposed to be bamboo, not pine?

This is the world of remodeling. A process that’s guaranteed to make your every moment, either asleep or awake, a perpetual nightmare. For many people this can be like entering their own Twilight Zone. A hellish place of missed deadlines, cost overruns, and headaches that start at the pupils and sear through the brain. This is not a excellent place to be. And now, you don’t have to be in it.

Why? Because design/build firms around the country have taken the remodeling process and turned it on its head. What was a gruesome task has been transformed, through proper plotting and administration, into a pleasant experience that saves time and money.

This is the world of design/build. An approach to remodeling that goes all the way back to the Egyptians, an approach that unifies and integrates every element of the remodeling process, from initial design to final completion. All under one roof, all in the hands of one company, and all with 100% accountability. If it worked for the pharaohs, you better believe it will work for you.

The beauty of design/build is in the simplicity of its structure. For comparison here is the way most remodeling jobs are currently handled.

With a regular remodeling job, the client typically consults with an architect who would draw up the plans for the project. Once a design has client approval the plans go out to bid to several general contractors. When the bids return, more often than not the client is surprised to learn that the architect’s initial estimate for the design is off by 50% or more. At this point the client’s architect must revise the design and resubmit the revised design to the general contractors so that they can revise their bids. This process may go several rounds, several thousands of dollars and often makes tension between all involved. This is a situation that lends itself to playing the blame game. If at the end of this excruciating process one of the general contractors is selected the process moves on to the next step. The contractor gives the client his contract and timetable. And voila, it starts! T’s crossed, I’s dotted, one nice straight line from beginning to end. The client assumes he’ll be enjoying that new addition, kitchen, whatever in a few months. The money is budgeted and the client can hardly wait. But in this case ‘wait’ may be the operative word.

Shortly into the job, the electrician tells the general contractor that he’s run into problems, because the plans weren’t drawn right (“problems” is a word the client is going to hear a lot). The contractor contacts the client who then has to track down the architect. Construction, of course, stops. Playing phone tag with the architect, who by now has went on to other jobs, comes next. And when he is finally reached, he’s really miffed that a subcontractor could possibly reckon his plans were anything less than perfection. Excellent lord, what’s the world coming to! And now the imbroglio heats up in earnest.

The electrician gets into it with the architect, the contractor wrings his hands in despair, and the client stands helplessly by. Finally, of course, agreement is reached on how to proceed, usually with no one assuming any responsibility for the error much less the delay.

But that’s far from the end of the tale, because by now the general contractor’s subs have all gone off in different directions while the job was stalled. New work schedules, new supply delivery schedules, and just about new everything have to be re-figured. And it goes on, and on, and on. What doesn’t keep going on is the money budgeted for the remodel. It may be pretty much gone, period.

This scenario may be repeated may times before the job is finally finished ‘ late, over budget, and with probably a dozen compromises along the way. in summation, “the horror, the horror”. Now the typical design/build scenario: The client comes to the design/build firm with their thoughts and concepts. The in-house design team which may include both an architect and an oterior designer, take the client’s needs and desire in to consideration and comes up with the design. It’s that simple, and the design process costs ½ as much as going to an architect.

But it gets even simpler. The in-house design team passes the blueprints on to the estimator who gets the best possible prices from suppliers and comes up with the total cost, and a construction timetable. Usually this is then presented to the client as a fixed price contract. And because the design/build firm is the general contractor on the remodel, everything is checked and double checked to make absolutely certain that everything will run smoothly and efficiently. They designed it ‘ now it is time to build it!

Since the process is under one roof with one primary source for accountability, the likelihood of squabbles, missed deadlines and cost overruns is much less likely.

Anyone who is contemplating remodeling plans in the future really owe it to themselves to sit down with a design/build firm in their area to talk about their project. Prospective clients should question to see pictures of jobs that the design/build firm has done, and get testimonials from clients who have had jobs completed.

It doesn’t make any difference if you are plotting a kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel or a new garage. ft. addition. The design/build approach will ultimately save that client money, time and aggravation (probably a lot of aggravation). And, of course, the remodel has a much better chance of being the way you want it – on-time and on-budget.

Garage remodeling is when you transform that nearly neglected part of your house that your wife and children do not even dare to enter. Remodeling of garage is more efficient today because of recently developed garage organizing and storage systems. Remodeling of your garage is very vital aspect of the home remodeling. It is probably the quickest way to add much needed space to your home.

If you are considering any sort of home repair this may just be the one that should be first on your list, because it is often the most visible exterior element of a home. Its no wonder that garage remodeling is getting a closer looks from homeowners. How to deal with a cluttered garage is an issue faced by every family at some point and garage remodeling and organization are among the most well loved solutions. Therefore, the first vital step in garage remodeling is to empty out the garage completely of its contents.

Door

The garage door is beginning to get more attention from todays homeowners as garage remodeling is becoming more vital to them. To give you some thought of what you might be looking at, a new garage door usually costs somewhere around ,000, and a garage storage system is another ,000. For garage door tips, consider changing your ancient garage door. Newer garage doors are more secure and make better use of technology for safety and security.

An ancient door and opener could be a real threat for your children playing near the garage. The door needs to be maintained every now and then to ensure its continued safe use. When a door and opener gets really ancient, periodic maintenance gets even more expensive as some worn out parts would have to be replaced. The best way to go is to replace that ancient door and opener with a new one. Aside from looking better and saving on maintenance costs, these doors and openers contain better technology than the ancient one you have right now.

Nevertheless, a home survey found that the garage door is now the most used exterior door when entering the home for both men 44 percent and women 42 percent. The front door was close behind as the second most used exterior door. Wood composite garage doors can also be embellished with stylish details such as unique trim designs, gorgeous woodgrain patterns, decorative hardware, multi planked grooves and a variety of window inserts to help bring more natural light into the garage.

Floor

But, for more extensive and lasting renovations that include insulation, flooring, soundproofing, electrical wiring and plumbing, you will probably need to hire a general contractor who can plot and oversee your garage renovation. Garages are notorious for being functional, yet unattractive, dull concrete floors, rough looking exposed beams and a general lack of organization are often the culprits. Some careful storage plotting, a small drywall and may be a bit of epoxy floor covering can truly make a less than incredible garage into something worth showing off. As part of your garage remodeling process you may wish to give attention to the garage floor.

Generally speaking, these floors are made from concrete and often detract from the appearance of the garage due to various stains. But, there are a number of methods that can be utilized to give attention to the garage floor. One of these methods can be the application of paint to the garage floor. Another method of sprucing up a garage floor is through the use of a durable garage flooring product. It is strongly suggested that if utilizing this method of refinishing the garage floor that professional installers be contracted with.

Space

While garages main use is to store the car, you can also use the garage as a storage area. If you are thinking about expanding your garage area by diminishing the garden area, then this thought works for you. If a potential home buyer has always wanted their own work space, your garage remodel could be the thing that sells your home. The nature of your work space will determine what renovations are needed. Be sure to build a play space, whether it is a poker table, pool table, ping pong table or football table, a remodeled garage can be a mecca of home entertainment. Whether you need to de clutter the garage itself or want to use the space to transfer items out of the main part of your home, the garage is a common place for home storage.

Conclusion

While kitchen and bathroom remodeling continue to lead the way in home improvement projects, garage remodeling is beginning to come its own as more and more homeowners choose to use their garages for more than just storing their vehicles. Garage remodeling can be a home improvement strategy that provides many benefits to homeowners.

They can be remodeled into a new store place where you can make out some place for storing other homely accessories. Garages are very vital part of the house and have equal importance such as the other sections of the house. Garage remodeling is probably the quickest way to add much needed space to your home. Garage remodels do not average the same rate of return, although they do certainly increase the value of your home.

Got your heart set on a kitchen remodel? Well, before you place your foot on the gas and proceed full steam ahead, there are a few matters you need to attend to. The Peoria Journal Star recently outlined a list of “things to do before you start your kitchen remodel.” Among the advance kitchen remodeling tasks The National Association of Home Builders recommended in the article are the following.

1. “Carefully consider changes.” Among the question you might want to question yourself are: What aspects of my kitchen simply need updating and what parts need to be really replaced? Where will foot traffic be navigating in my kitchen? Where would I like my furniture, appliances and lighting fixtures placed? What colors appeal to me? Then, browse an online showroom for kitchen remodeling thoughts, inspiration, choice, help and advice.

2. “Measure.” The ancient adage “Measure twice, cut once” still rings as right today as ever. Start out with the incorrect measurements and you could be throwing a lot of money down the drain. The width depth, height and door clearance for all new items you’ll be putting in your remodeled kitchen are vital numbers. An online kitchen remodeling center will walk you through the process of measuring your existing space.

3. “Road test your remodel.” Visit a kitchen remodeling super center and question for sample flooring, tile and countertops and try them on for size. You’re going to be investing a excellent deal of money in your kitchen remodel, so you’ll want to make sure you can happily live with the finished redesign for years to come. A kitchen remodeling team of experts can help you design a kitchen that makes your life simpler.

4. “Cover all the basics.” Don’t get so caught up in the excitement that you forget to consider “a timetable, price and payment schedule, as well as detailed specifications for materials.” Checklists, cost estimates, help in selecting a professional and financing options are just some of the help you may want to seek out from a professional kitchen remodeling source.

An online commenter to the Peoria Journal Star article provided a few additional pre-kitchen remodel tips.

• Talk to various experts, like a contractor, a kitchen designer and an interior designer, for different takes on kitchen remodel solutions. Next to selecting the style and quality of the components you will use to make your super kitchen, nothing is more vital than the selection of professionals to work with you. The most gorgeous kitchen cabinetry and the most costly counters and appliances can result in a less than satisfactory finished product when improperly designed or installed.

Making the right choice of contractors is a challenge and deserves plenty of attention and a large helping of ancient-fashioned common sense. Your friendly, knowledgeable kitchen remodeling team of experts can provide you with guidelines that can help steer you in the right direction.

• “Set your initial kitchen remodeling cost budget with an online calculator.” Kitchen remodeling can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Depending on the amount of remodeling to be done, costs can generally be broken down to the cost of labor, mechanical and fixtures. Place aside some extra money for unexpected costs too.

First thing is determining what type of remodel you are seeking? For example: Bathroom remodel, kitchen remodel, or maybe you want to have an addition built? Make a list of all the things you want to have performed on your home. This list will help you when you start obtaining estimates from the many contractors you will be interviewing. If you have a friend or relatives who just had their home remodeled, you might want to use their contractor and save a lot of time. It will be time consuming locating the right contractor, but in the it will save you many nights of sleep knowing you have the right person remodeling your home.

Remodeling is never easy, especially if you are living amongst the construction. One way to help take some of the guesswork out of a project is to get remodeling estimates. By getting remodeling estimates you will have a better thought going into the project how much time and money will be involved. If you are financing the project, your lending institution may request a copy of the estimate and can even require that you have more than one completed.

Remodeling estimates can be done a number of ways depending on the size of your project and your preference. You can hire a remodeling contractor who would contact all the other workers needed for the project and would place all the remodeling estimates in a grand total. This works well unless you have a specific carpenter or plumber that you want to use and they do not work with contractors. Having an overall contractor also does not work if you are plotting on doing some of the work yourself.

If you are going to be contacting each person that you are going to need for the project question them for written remodeling estimates once they have come and seen the area that they will be working on. Some electricians and plumbers will give verbal estimates over the telephone. These remodeling estimates are worthless because there is no way that they can be accurate.

If you live in an area that has several people that can complete the tasks needed, get more than one estimate. Always question the person to be as complete as possible with their remodeling estimates. Make sure you have agreed on who will buy what. If you plot to pick out fixtures and appliances, find out who is responsible for arranging the deliveries. You need to coordinate that the items needed by a particular worker are available when they are needed.

A significant cost that many people do not consider when they get remodeling estimates is to have the cost of debris removal figured in. Carpenters and other professionals can usually arrange to dispose of remodeling debris cheaper than the average homeowner. Most people involved in the remodeling business will bring up the issue of debris removal, but it always pays to question.

Remember with remodeling estimates that the quotes are just estimates. Most times unforeseen costs and time issues become a factor in the project. With the cost of material constantly going up, nearly daily your estimate could rise accordingly? Always keep this in mind! Keep in mind the end product will be worth the inconvenience that you go through during the project.

People might buy a home foreclosure that requires some repairs before it is considered suitable for families to live in. They learn quickly about buying home remodeling items such as sinks, bathroom countertops, and toilets that might make the bathroom useable, and for the kitchen, people reckon about buying home remodeling items such as double-sinks with sprayers, new appliances, and a new light fixture that will light up the stove burners with elegant lighting.

When buying home remodeling items, people focus on two issues, quality and price. There are many appliances that will typically perform the same but it is the individual styles that people look before the continue buying home remodeling items in this type of price range.

The appliances might have a glass top that does not show burner fixtures, and would truly add to the value of the home. These cooking appliances are a large fixture in any kitchen and are considered carefully when people go buying home remodeling items.

The dishwasher is another item that many homeowners prefer to have, even if they do not use it all of the time. There are other people that plot to use it everyday because they feel that the heating elements will kill germs better than washing dishes by hand. All of these concerns are considered when people plot to go buying home remodeling items.

There are a large assortment of home lighting fixtures that need to be placed throughout the kitchen, and others that are perfectly suited for a bathroom. When buying home remodeling items for the kitchen, lighting sources can be found that fit over the stove, under the counter areas, and over the sink area.

When buying home remodeling items, people try to find discount coupons that can be used to save additional home remodeling budget funds. These discount coupons might be from the retailer, or from the manufacturer. People review all available discount coupons to make the right choice when they are buying home remodeling items.

There are home remodeling classes that homeowners can take that will teach them how to apply some of the grouts, wall textures, and wall papers items that they find when buying home remodeling items. The items will make a dramatic difference in any room of the home where they are used, and people want to do the job right on the first attempt. When buying home remodeling items, people want to be sure that they know how to make a professional end with the items that they buy.

When people are buying home remodeling items for the bathroom, especially countertop and cabinetry, they want to take the time to measure the bathroom area correctly. Otherwise, they might not have enough room to place the bathroom fixtures and furniture items that they found while buying home remodeling items.

All fixtures are considered when setting up a budget to use when buying home remodeling items. From cabinet handles, to shower and curtain rods in a bathroom, to the knobs that will be used on certain cabinets in a kitchen. Some people prefer to use magnet closures on cabinets that are opened and closed everyday. When buying home remodeling items, the small details must be considered at all times.