Winter is the Perfect Time to Start Planning Your Home
Remodeling Project
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The long, hot summer has come to an end. The
kids are back in school, your garden has been tilled
over, and that vacation you enjoyed so much back in
June is fading into your distant memory. Before you
know it, the flakes will be flying and temperatures
will plummet.
Now that winter is on our doorstep,
what better time than the present to put your heart
and soul into planning a major remodeling project! It’ll
give you something to look forward to in the dreary
months ahead.
A good place to start is by gathering
ideas. Remodeling magazines are one place to turn. They
are typically filled with articles outlining the latest
and greatest ideas. Other good sources of information
include home shows, which are plentiful in the wintertime,
and tours of model homes.
Once you’re sold on the
idea of remodeling the kitchen, bathroom, or some other
room in your house, the next step is to hire a contractor
who will take all the ideas you’ve gathered, and
run with them.
“Deciding who to hire to
do the different aspects of your job requires careful
consideration, and a good place to start is by checking
out the person’s references and reputation,”
says Dennis Day, a spokesman for the Associated General
Contractors of America (AGC), the largest and oldest
construction trade association in the United States.
He says you’ll want to do
the following:
* Verify the contractor’s
licensing and insurance.
* Make sure the contractor has
at least five years experience and is an expert doing
the type of work you need.
* Contact the Better Business
Bureau to see if information on your candidate is available.
* Ask how many jobs like yours
the contractor has completed.
* Ask for examples of work the
contractor has done on other projects.
* Ask the contractor for references
from ten current and/or past clients who have had work
similar to yours done. Most business comes to a good
contractor from referrals, so investigate these references.
Randomly call at least three.
“You should ask the people
you call if they were satisfied with the job done, if
there were any delays in the work schedule, if workers
showed up regularly and on time, and if the work area
was well-maintained. It would also be good to know if
the contractor held firm to time and cost estimates,
how questions and complaints were handled, and if the
person you’re talking to would use the contractors
again,” says Day.
The contract you sign with the
contractor should include clear information on all aspects
of the job including the scope of the work, specific
materials to be used, start and projected finish dates,
and the progress payment schedule. Be sure all parties
understand the terms of the agreement or contract. The
contract can be used for your protection if the project
is delayed, incomplete, or damaged.
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