The glaring glow of the Remodeling Era sits upon us like the noon day sun on a hot summer afternoon as the economic climate has brought many to reconsider that move-up option, electing to stay put and remodel their existing home rather than taking any risk.

This is good as it provides a great deal of much needed work to a battered construction labor force, as well as to such professionals as architects and engineers for those structural and larger types of projects.  Although it also unearths the worst of matters as well, thus owners need to be savvy in order to avoid problems.

Rule One: the two most important aspects of any remodeling project is A) establish a budget and understand that if you’re budget is $10K then you need to plan to initially spend $9K as any construction project, new or remodel, will typically cost you 10% more than your budget, B) have full comprehension as to what your priorities are in relation to what it is that you wish to do.

Most people believe that if they have a budget of $10K then that is what they will spend – WRONG.  The problem with any remodel is that neither the owner or the contractor know exactly what they are going to run into when opening up walls, removing cabinets, etc. Thus the need to set aside a 10% fudge factor is there to help maintain your budget and yet achieve your most ardent priorities.

During economic times such as these you will also have the owner who has the idea embedded within their mind that as a result of hard times people are willing to do things cheap, and thus they can beat a contractor down.  This is a fallacy, as good contractors will typically walk away from a beat-down regardless of the economy, as there is no reason to tackle a project if they cannot make a profit.  As a result, the contractors that will endure a price beat-down are those who conclude that they will skimp here or there in order to make things work and still come-out with a profit, albeit a very small profit.

The owner’s dilemma is that they won’t know where it occurred until after the warranty has expired.  These types of owners are those who, through the course of performing their own business, are confounded as to why a customer of theirs would elect to go another route with someone else than utilize their services/products, saying to themselves “they’ll be back as we have a better service/product.”

Find entities that are reputable, whether they’re an architect, engineer, or contractor.  Gain insight as to what they have done in the past that may be similar to your project, and who they did the project for. Ask questions.  Avoid the temptation of the price beat-down, obtain a couple of itemized proposals and compare apples-to-apples, allow whomever to live with their price so that they in-turn can provide you with the expectations you had and had agreed for them to provide.  Provide yourself with security and put everything in writing, thus avoiding any issues of assumptions on either party.

As for obtaining the most inclusive itemized bid proposal from a contractor, make sure you know exactly what it is that you want, and realize that a faucet from Home Depot is not necessarily the same product when purchased through a distributor.  There is a reason why Home Depot, Lowe’s, COSTCO, etc. are less expensive. You get what you pay for, and whether it is a product or a service there is no way of getting around this.  If you’ve seen something in a distribution warehouse don’t believe for an instant that the $50 difference is due to the fact that one of the do-it-yourself warehouses purchases product in volume, although it does provide them with some leverage. Often times it is due to the parts that you are unable to see as the product is manufactured to their specification rather than the manufacturers specification.  This I know as I have been purchasing construction products for over thirty years as a Purchasing/Procurement Manager.

Again, know what it is that you want and remember that deviating from your specifications will only have you regretting matters later.  Take the time to do your homework and you will be better off. Jumping into matters without doing so and you will only regret it.

When it comes to kitchen and bath remodeling, where there is no structural work involved, look around for a good entity that has a showroom so that you can view the end products before they are selected.  As for those who indicate they provide ‘free’ design services; when was the last time you received anything of value for ‘free?’  The same goes for this, as they will typically bury the cost for this service in either the product or the labor; just know that you are paying for it somewhere.  The more honest someone is about issues such as this the more reputable they will typically be during the course of your project.

Although everyone wants to typically update the aesthetics, this allows them to overlook the important aspects of any remodeling project: efficiency.  What work can be done to improve the well being of your home and subsequently your pocket book; that is where thinking should begin.  It would be great to come home and see a new tiled floor, or new cabinets and countertops, or appliances, but rarely will any of these actually improve the efficiency of your home quite like that of ‘home weatherization,’ which should be the number one priority.  Eliminate and/or reduce the cost to maintain your home and in turn reduce your carbon footprint by greatly reducing your energy consumption. This should be the first thing that anyone considers.

If your home is using more than $0.10/square foot in energy per month than this has to be your number one priority. New windows will fetch a greater reward in the long run than that of new cabinets/counters.  The money you save from weatherizing will pay for the later in short order.  Have an audit performed by a BPI professional, in some cases it can be as simple as changing-out windows, sealing around outlets and HVAC grilles as well as new weather-striping around exterior doors. With the rebates that are available through Federal and State governments, as well as many utility companies, this is definitely the right direction in which to focus.  In the event that this does not provide you with quite the energy efficiency you were looking for, take a look at the bigger picture: exterior wall insulation.

In some cases removing and replacing the existing batt insulation holds the key to true efficiency. This holds true for both the exterior common walls as well as the ceiling/roof area.  Batt insulation is outlawed in many developing nations due to the inefficiency of the product as batts lose their efficiency when they’re compressed, and I’ve yet to witness any installation where they were not compressed in order to place them between studs or in the ceiling. Thus, before you or the original owner of the structure ever stepped into the residence it was already performing substandard to the intent.

Removing and replacing with blown-in insulation can often times raise the insulation factor two to three times, thus making for a very well insulated structure that you will notice with the first months utility bill(s).  When doing so make sure that the product being used is GREENGUARD certified for no volatile organic contaminates, thus ensuring that no off-gases will be endured over time causing and/or creating health issues down the road.

Solar is a great way to off-set your utility bills, but it should actually be the last thing you do as what sense does it make to neglect to weatherize your residence and put-up solar panels? It’s like putting the proverbial cart before the horse.  Remodeling can be fun, just make sure you go about matters in the proper order so that you can maximize your ROI and enjoy matters to the fullest without sitting back later saying “We should have …”.  And always remember to use professionally licensed entities that are both bonded and insured. If not you have no one to blame but yourself if matters should get sideways. You will have no recourse and the one who perpetrated the misdeeds will leave to perform the same somewhere else.

Prioritize your want list, know what you want both as a design and the products to be used, select reputable entities, obtain at least two to three proposals, ensure that each proposal is itemized, and document matters just as you would in any business transaction.  Remember to keep in mind that reducing your carbon footprint regarding energy efficiency and the work provided/performed is a criterion that will go a long way toward creating a better environment to which you have contributed. Enjoy what you learn and what you end-up with during and after the project is completed, as both you and those who will assist you with your project want nothing less!

About the Author
Byron Bargas is a seasoned construction professional with over thirty years experience, whose passion for sustainability created the impetus for electing to change his career path from Project Management in commercial construction. During the course of his career Byron has had the opportunity to provide project management duties for both general contracting and electrical contracting; from hospitals to high rise projects; from shell to tenant improvements, including sporting venues. He is a constant contributor to his Green community as well as a leader, professing that acceptance of sustainability can only happen if we change our attitude and willingness to work toward a better environment for the generations to come.