PLANNING, PREPPING, AND GETTING IT DONE
is an important number to consider. After all, you don’t
have to wait until you’re ready to move to enjoy new
kitchen cabinets or a spa tub in the bathroom.
KEEP COLLECTING REMODELING IDEAS
With budget in hand, dream about what your remodeled
space will look like. Have you been to a home improve-
ment store and looked at fixtures, floor coverings, or ap-
pliances? Do you know what your style is? Many design
experts suggest starting on Pinterest .
Use the Pinterest search engine to look for things like
“farmhouse-style kitchens” or “master suite designs.”
This image-driven platform delivers photographs linked
to websites that you collect and “Pin” to your own virtu-
al bulletin board. Once you collect a few you like, study
them for common themes or elements. They’ll help you
and your contractor work together to achieve the look of
your dreams.
SET A DEADLINE
If you’re working on a specific deadline, it’s important to
have this date in mind when interviewing contractors
to make sure they can fit you in their schedule. “The
contractor should ask when you want the job complet-
ed,” says Gauldin, whose contracting company earned a
2020 Best of Service Award from Houzz. Even if you’re
not in a hurry today, set a deadline. It’ll set the pace for
the job and keep everything running smoothly.
When planning a remodeling project, remember there’s
an order to things. Maybe the install guy can have his
part done within the month, but the plumber is six
weeks out. Use a calendar and plot each stage of the job
to make sure everything fits together.
STEP 2: DO YOUR RESEARCH AND
GET ESTIMATES
Once you’ve put your dreams on paper, it’s time to
look for someone to make them come true. But before
you start looking for your home remodeling soulmate,
ask yourself which, if any, aspects of this job you can
tackle yourself. According to NARI’s 2019 Remodeling
Impact Report, 12 percent of homeowners contributed
some do-it-yourself (DIY) labor to their projects. If this
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describes you, you’ll want to find a contractor willing to
work with and around a DIYer.
The report also showed that 36 percent did the project
themselves, 35 percent hired a professional for the entire
job, and 14 percent hired the labor but purchased the
materials.
ASK FOR REFERRALS
Did your friend Janet recently remodel her kitchen?
Ask her who did the job. What about your neighbor
or co-worker? “Most of our leads come from previous
customers,” says Gauldin. If you can’t find someone
through people you know, check out the listings on
places like HomeAdvisor or the NARI website .
CHECK REVIEWS AND CREDENTIALS
With a list of potential contractors, start your research.
Read their websites and look for similar jobs in their
portfolio of work. Read the testimonials. See if they’re
members of trade organizations like NARI or the
National Association of Home Builders — proof they’re
invested in their profession, says Gauldin.
Find out if your contractor is licensed for the scope of
your project and if they’re insured. Gauldin recom-
mends checking your state’s licensing page online. There,
he says, you can find out if they have the proper certifi-
cations and if they’ve ever been fined.
Use the information you uncovered to pare down your
list to two or three contractors you’d like to interview.
REQUEST ESTIMATES
Contact two to three choices for estimates. “An estimate
will require a site visit,” says Gauldin, “which may or
may not include subcontractors.” They should take lots of
photos and measurements and then send you a sketch to
approve.
“It’s the contractor’s interpretation of what the home-
owner wants,” he says. Once you approve the sketch, he
can bid the job. “It can take three to six weeks from first
visit to quote in hand,” Gauldin says.
ASK QUESTIONS
It’s a scary proposition to invite a perfect stranger into
