|
By Jana Ward
Any homeowner planning to remodel, wants nothing less than a
professional job. Who wouldn’t want the best quality in terms of
workmanship and materials when it comes to improving their most
prized, and quite often their most valuable, asset? But when it
comes to selecting a remodeler, too many buyers conveniently forget
the time-proven adage that “you get what you pay
for.”
The dilemma that confronts many homeowners is their desire
for a top-notch job at the lowest possible price. With price as
their primary focus, they ignore other criteria that may carry more
weight in producing a successfully completed project and a smooth
working relationship with the remodeler.
It’s understandable that price is a major consideration when
it comes to remodeling. The cost of remodeling has increased as the
demand for remodeling grows. Higher lumber costs and scarcity of
skilled labor are just two factors contributing to price hikes. A
national trade magazine, Remodeling, reported in a recent Cost vs.
Value survey that a mid-priced major kitchen remodel, the most
popular remodeling project, costs $38,800. For a minor remodel of
the same 200-square-foot kitchen, the cost is $14,800.
Homeowners need to understand that remodeling is first and
foremost a service and not merely a product. This service
encompasses the intangibles that make up the process of remodeling -
how everything comes together and results in a satisfying experience
and an acceptable finished product. A professional job can’t be
defined by just by the materials and products that go into
it.
The nature of remodeling as a service becomes even more
pronounced when you consider that inevitably you’ll be sharing your
home with the remodelers’ crews for weeks or even months, depending
on the scale of the project. All remodeling involves some degree of
inconvenience, but inconvenience can easily turn into a nightmare if
your remodeler doesn’t put your family’s comfort and concerns first.
Rather than selecting a remodeler based on where one bid
falls compared to others, shift your focus to finding a professional
remodeler; then go about getting a bid on your job. If the bid is
higher than what you budgeted, work with the remodeler to decide
where you can cut back or what you can postpone to keep the project
on budget. For example, you can always have the remodeler frame in a
fireplace to be installed later, but he can’t upgrade the company’s
customer service if there wasn’t any to begin with.
Some important characteristics you should be looking for to
ensure that you hire a professional remodeler are:
 Experience – Ask
how long the remodeler has been in business. Longevity suggests
financial stability, which is necessary for the remodeler to finish
the job and still be available if problems crop up after the job is
completed. Also, the more jobs the company has completed, the more
expertise the remodeler will bring to your project and the hidden
surprises that remodeling typically entails.
Reputation – Look
to the remodelers’ former and current customers to gauge the
company’s reputation. Obtain the names and phone numbers of
customers you can call to get their impressions of the company’s
work and customer service. Call them and make personal visits to see
the work they had done. Even better, get references from customers
whose projects were similar to the one your family is planning.
Also, go visit one of the company’s jobs in progress to evaluate how
they manage the construction process and how tidy they keep the job
site. Ask whether these homeowners would hire the company again.
Business Credentials -
A good place to start your search for a remodeler is with your local
builders association and its affiliated Remodelors™ Council. Groups
like these help to keep their members informed about new products,
construction techniques, business practices and industry issues.
Participation demonstrates a remodeler’s commitment to
professionalism and to the remodeling industry. Many trade groups
also confer professional credentials, such as Certified Graduate
Remodelor (CGR), to those who meet their requirements, which is a
positive indicator of the remodeler’s reputation.
3 License and Insurance - Ask to
see a copy of the remodeler’s license, if your state has such
requirements, and call the licensing agency to find out if there are
any unresolved complaints against the company you might hire. It is
also important to verify that the remodeler carries workers’
compensation and liability insurance. Have the remodeler show you
copies of both insurance certificates to protect yourself from
liability in situations involving job site injuries or property
damage resulting from the work being done on your
home.
| 