5 Tips From A Contractor
Home remodeling and renovation can be very expensive.
Especially when dealing with more ambitious projects like home additions, it’s natural as a homeowner to try to cut costs and reduce spending wherever you can.
However, from a contractor’s perspective, we are also doing everything we can to accomplish the job in the most efficient way possible.
When it comes to taking parts of the project into your own hands, you have to be careful that you don’t compromise the project you are trying to contribute to.
Here are some do’s and don’ts from Maya Construction Group – a contractor in the know:
DO Plan Ahead
It’s your house, and your project, so it’s up to you to know what you want.
General contractors can only take care of the stages of the build if you have all your decisions made ahead of time.
Unless you hired an interior decorator, your contractor won’t be able to make decisions about color schemes, materials, hardware, etc., for you.
This can lead to delays from days to weeks, which is all coming out of your pocket.
DON’T Buy Your Own Materials
You make think you save money because the contractors mark up the price, but they also get a wholesale rate on most of their supplies.
Selecting and buying your own construction materials can be a huge headache that doesn’t even save you much if any money at all.
DO Build During The Off Season
Like most other industries, construction has certain times of the year when there is more demand than others.
In this case, beginning your renovation right after Christmas can save you up to 10% of the sticker price.
DON’T Go With The First Estimate
Shopping around may seem like an obvious way to save money, but it really goes hand-in-hand with planning ahead.
If haven’t properly planned and researched your project before looking for an estimate, you could end up with a deal with a lot of hidden costs.
Getting at least five remodeling quotes should give you an idea of the accurate scope of your project, and help you make a better decision in the long run.
DO Do It Yourself (If You Can)
We’re not saying you should take over the entire renovation by yourself, but if you pitch in you can accelerate the process and even learn something along the way.
If you are handy with a paintbrush or a drill or anything like that, ask your contractor how you can help them out. It is your house, after all.
And as always Maya Construction Group of Chicago is ready to help you with all your construction or remodeling contractors needs.