Why do delays occur and what can you do to avoid them?
We’ve all experienced frustration or know someone who’s been frustrated with delays during a home remodeling project. Some homeowners have some real horror stories to share about their experience, this may be leaving you hesitant in even pulling the trigger on your home project needs. Still, you find yourself scrolling the internet with questions. Maybe your mom’s getting her bathroom remodeled before the holidays, or you’re trying to have a deck built before hosting an important celebration. No matter the reason, you’re here to try to understand what you can do to avoid delays in your home project.
The truth is we can’t fully avoid delays. Like any situation in life, growth comes with growing pains. New beginnings, changes or completely starting from scratch, regardless of what or where you’re starting, you are sure to experience discomfort and growing pains. This is true for home projects as well. Whether you’re remodeling your bathroom, making minor changes to an existing room, or simply starting from the ground up, you are sure to run into hiccups along the way. This can be frustrating for many homeowners but it’s simply the truth. There is far too much out of our control and far too little say we have in these things. For example, we can’t control material delays, try as we may, being frustrated with a supplier doesn’t really get us anywhere, they too are waiting for your materials. And weather Delays, we have no say in the weather and how It can affect our projects schedule. So, what can we do? Is there even a way for us, the homeowner, to help keep our home projects running smoothly? The answer is Yes! I’ve listed 5 tips on how you as a homeowner can play a key role in helping your home project run smoothly.
1. Choose the Right Contractor!
I can’t stress this one enough. Choosing the right contractor is the foundation for every home remodeling question out there. The right contractor should be properly licensed and insured, know all your Counties permit and inspection requirements, be well organized, and have great communication skills. A company that meets all these requirements will know when to pull permits, schedule inspections, and order materials in the correct time frame to avoid any delays.
2. Communication!
Communication is essential in every part of life, home projects is no exception. Your contractor should get a well-detailed idea of your budget and what you’re hoping to get done, get together a contract with allowances and a scope of work, and give you an idea of what the project will look like start to finish. Communicating any known issues so they can be factored into the estimate is also very important. This will help avoid change orders (not only can they become costly, they can also extend the projects projected end date). This will also allow you to view you allowances and pick materials within your projects budget. How does choosing materials play a factor here? That brings me to tip #3
3. Long lead times and Decision Making
Shopping for custom cabinets, doors, or counter tops isn’t as simple as a next day order on Amazon. Lead times for Materials are often unpredictable, picking your samples, paint colors, and materials all before the projects start date is a great way to avoid project delays. You don’t want to wait until the day before fixtures are being installed to decide what you’d like. Making your design decisions before the start date alongside an organized contractor will allow for a smoothly running timeline. If you find yourself to be more indecisive about design options an interior designer could be a great choice for you. Ask your contractor, it’s likely they can get you in touch with someone trusted.
4. Getting the right contractor, at the right time
Waiting to get a contractor involved until after you’ve reached out to an architect and had drawings made etc.… can be a costly mistake. It’s not uncommon for architects to be off on material and labor cost. So, you’ve paid for plan, and you hand them over to your chosen contractor only to find out its 40% more than what you were expecting. The project train starts rolling just to come to a quick halt. Choosing the right contractor early can save you from having to have plans drawn multiple times, in turn saving you from paying for plans twice.
5. Timing
It’s important to consider time as a projects factor. If you’re wanting a bathroom remodeled before Christmas, waiting until November to call a contractor probably isn’t the best idea. Or waiting until summer to get the ball rolling for an outdoor project for that matter. Plus, a good contractor probably has a really backed up schedule, it’s not uncommon for them to have months long waiting list. Its good practice to be in touch with a contractor roughly 3 months before you’re hoping to have a project started.
We hope these 5 tips can help you effectively avoid any delays in your upcoming project. keep an eye on our blog for other helpful tips and fun facts about the contracting world. Thanks for reading and as always, have a happy remodeling journey.
– China Siperko