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Renovating your house is substantially more difficult than building one. Remodeling causes the place you are living to become a construction site. You live with the project happening around you until it is completed. Once the work begins, it will feel more like destruction than construction for a while. You’ll find yourself yearning to breathe air that’s not full of the dust that settles all over everything and enjoy the comforts of your own kitchen or bath once more. But the benefits you will reap from the final result will be well worth the trouble.
Communicate
Frequent and open conversation between you and your contractor will help keep you in the driver’s seat of your project, give you the chance to exchange ideas, and ultimately help to make the experience a positive one for everyone involved. To make sure that this happens, some things are very important for you to do:
· Find out whom you should call if something unexpected comes up after business hours. If a reputable company is doing your remodeling, there should be someone in charge and responsible for situations like that. Get his/her contact information.
· The company should also have someone that they can call in the event that they cannot reach you. This can be a spouse or family member close enough to know how and where to find you if it is urgent.
· Also ask who would be the backup for each contractor working on the project if that person is sick or absent. Save that contact information where you will be able to find it. Make a place in your home where the workers can leave messages for each other. This needs to be a place that can’t move or get lost. A white board that is stationary would be a better idea than a notebook that could be misplaced or not seen.
· Make sure you have insurance. Look for a company that specializes in construction/worker’s compensation. Targetinsuranceservices.com outlines all the different types of liability issues and it’s important that you understand them. You may not expect any problems, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
· Never be afraid to let those working on your home know what you are thinking. Speak up immediately if problems arise.
· A very good way to make sure that the final result ends up being what you envisioned is to attend the pre-construction meeting. This not only gives your renovator the opportunity to discuss their policies and procedures but to detail how your work will advance. It also helps you and the people that you have hired to make arrangements and be prepared for any setbacks or unexpected situations that may occur. This is a meeting for all participants to make known their expectations and agree on the final outcome.
Be Prepared
The hustle and bustle of a renovation project can lead to a helpless feeling. The disruption to the daily flow that you were used to can leave you quite out of control. The best way assuage this feeling is to prepare well, remember that the process won’t last forever, and focus on the progress being made instead of the end result. Understand ahead of time that this is going to be a bothersome annoyance and equip yourself for it. Major work on your home can and will turn your life upside down.
