Too Few Address These Common Fears and Concerns In Remodeling

Remodeling. It’s simple work but full of hidden meaning for some people. When people think about remodeling, they often get very nervous. Some of the questions I’ve heard include:

“How much money will it cost?”

“How do I find a good contractor?”

“How do I make sure I’m not ripped off?”

“How can I make sure that once the job is started, it’s finished in a reasonable amount of time?”

“What’s this remodeling project going to do to my schedule?”

“How will this project affect my children’s nap times?”

And these are just the questions that people have asked. Many times when I’m talking to a potential client, you can tell that they are very scared about a remodeling project, but they don’t want to talk about it. Well, let’s talk about it here.

No single blog post can cover this entire subject, but I’ll hit some of the main points.

One of the most common articles you’ll see in any home improvement magazine or web site involves how to find a good contractor. The articles all pretty much say the same thing: get references on your contractor, see a previous project, check the Better Business Bureau, etc. These are all good ideas and should be done by any homeowner who is talking to contractors. The problem is that this is only the beginning of the process.

Once you have found a contractor who gets over the basic hurdles, start asking deeper questions:

“How do they communicate during a project?”

“Are they comfortable using e-mail?”

“How do the handle unforeseen problems?”

“How do they handle billing and payment?”

Once you’ve started to ask these questions you’ll get a better feeling for the contractor and how they operate. Also, unlike many other types of work, the remodeling process is a personal one. Depending on the scope of the project, the remodeling team could be working in your house for weeks or months. Don’t be afraid to ask to meet the lead carpenter who will be on your project. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the contractor “personal” questions. Asking why they are in this business and how they got started will often give you some valuable data to decide if they are the right contractor for you.

Now let’s talk about the biggest fear of all during a remodeling project - money.

Many people are concerned about spending money. Hopefully if you’ve found a contractor who is reputable and trustworthy, your fears about having the contractor leave with your deposit money have gone away. But still there is the fear that the costs of the project will spiral out of control. We’ll deal with the overall cost of projects in a separate blog post, but here are some ways you can lessen your anxiety.

First of all insist on detailed plans and specifications. Any good contractor will want to have these as well. These make sure that everybody is on the same page. Beware of the contractor who says “We’ll work that out when we get there.” That is often an indication that they have no idea how it’s going to work and you are going to pay more later, you just don’t know it yet. The plans and specifications take the guesswork out of the project and serve to lessen the chance of any confusion later on.

As the homeowner, you should be part of the process. Your contractor will ask you to make selections at certain times and need information from you on a schedule to keep things moving smoothly. If you do your best to get the information back to the contractor, the process will be much smoother. This will help you feel like you’re participating as well as to make sure that the contractor is looking ahead on your project.

Last and most important – ask questions. The second corollary is – there is no question too stupid or silly.

If you have any concern about how a project is progressing, ask your contractor. If it’s causing you concern, ask right away. I’d rather be asked 100 questions to help the client feel at ease than have them hold back that one question that is causing them anxiety. Whether it’s the location of the light switch, why the water is shut off or what is that pink stuff in my walls (insulation). A good contractor will welcome the chance to allay your fears and make you feel more comfortable. Also, it’s your home, you are invested in this project more than any other person on the planet. You may have noticed something important so don’t be afraid to ask.