Things you need to do to have a renovation project go smoothly

Everyone dreams of having any renovation project go smoothly and finish on time and on or under budget. Yet very few fall into that scenario. Taking a close look at how the process evolves will reveal the pitfalls many fall into.

It all begins with an idea .You spend a lot of time imagining the different paths you could take to reach your goal until it finally becomes a solid concept. Most ideas have lots of interesting components.

The first step to turning your idea into reality is to communicate clearly to the one who will make it happen. The General Contractor and the subcontractor’s understanding of what you want is key.Here is how to make it happen.

Invite the general to review your ideas in order to have a proposal to begin work. It is your responsibility to present the ideas clearly and concisely. Sometimes an architectural drawing is helpful or needed to pass codes. The project will get off on the right foot if you take time to separate the components(electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, flooring, etc) and summarize each project part room by room. This takes a bit of time but will help the general clearly understand the project and give you a comprehensive price.

Many times this meeting goes something like this… the contractor is invited to the space and instead of a complete list of tasks, is given a quick walk through with you the client waving hands gesturing a grand scheme that aligns with your imagination. This is a huge pitfall! In fact the contractor will only retain about 40 per cent of your idea. You will receive a proposal that is incomplete.

Proposal in hand you skip the details jumping to the end to review the cost. You should be reviewing all the line items carefully and asking for clarification. Not everyone can decipher an architectural drawing so ask a lot of questions if you don’t understand what the intention is. It is way smarter to ask the questions than to be very surprised by what is constructed. This happens way too frequently and represents a loss of time and money.

Once everyone is clear about the project and the proposal is signed, it’s time for work to begin. Before any demo starts make certain that the contractor gives you a schedule of when he will need the items you are providing. It is best to then adjust your ordering to not coincide with his schedule but everything you are responsible for should be onsite two weeks before the schedule. This helps to cover back orders and incorrect shipments. This schedule also helps everyone know that the project is proceeding on time so there is a predictable finish date.

***if you are doing a complete renovation that includes opening walls take photos of the completed mechanicals . You will find this helpful in the future.

Neatness counts. This is very true on several fronts in any construction project. Put it into your contract that the space must be vacuumed at end of everyday. This will save wear and tear on your heating cooling system and minimize the dust in the ductwork that has to be cleaned at end of project. A storage area should be set up for all the new parts as they arrive. Keep all the lighting together and clearly label intended location, and the same goes for plumbing fixtures, hinges, knobs , etc. also provide a space for each contractor to store any tools so they are not leaving tools around randomly.