It seems everywhere you look someone is sharing their horrible experience with a home renovation project. And don’t get us wrong, when done improperly, something exciting can quickly become a nightmare. But with a few decades in the industry, we’ve picked up a trick or two to make for a stress-free project, especially when working with a general contractor.
Experience a stress-free renovation project
Be clear from the start
We know you’re eager and excited to get started. Once you’ve dreamt something up, it’s hard to focus on anything else. But do yourself a massive favor and fully flesh out the idea before getting started. Ideally, you should have a definite idea of what you want before you even start to interview general contractors. You want to be certain that they have the chops to bring your exact vision to life. And it’s difficult to do that when working with vague ideas.
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Discuss everything. A good general contractor should come to you fully prepared to communicate every step of the way. You should be fully involved in the project from start to finish, never left in the dark wondering. Likewise, you should come into the project fully prepared to communicate along the way as well. Getting and staying clear about expectations throughout the project is imperative.
Get everything in writing
Once you’ve decided on the man (or woman) for the job, get everything, everything, in writing. You’ve done your research, you’ve looked at their past work, you’ve read their reviews, you are pretty dead set (and probably excited) that you’ve found the perfect person for the job. And you’re probably 100% right. But contracts somehow have gotten a bad rap over the years. A contract, with everything outlined, protects the project and the relationships involved. They’re a good thing!
Have an emergency fund
If you’ve watched even just one episode of a renovation show, you had to know this one was coming. In a perfect world, everything would go down without a hitch. The plan would be perfectly executed and every dollar could be precisely allocated. And when you work with a truly experienced contractor, that is a far more likely experience mostly because they know what to anticipate and prepare your budget for. But no matter how much experience one might have, things happen. Homes and properties have long, sometimes hidden histories. And there truly is just no sure-fire way to know exactly what you will encounter along the way. So we always recommend having an emergency fund to work with in case something does come up.
Inspired? Check out some of our other content!
- How to plan a remodel project
- How Covid-19 is affecting the construction industry
- Charlotte Design Trends
We are Meridian Design Build, Ltd. a Charlotte construction company that provides every client with comprehensive, timeless results with an unwavering commitment to quality, character and integrity. Ready to start a project?
Schedule a consultation.
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