Ten Expectations to have Before you Renovate (Part 1)
If you were to do an internal audit of all the frustrations, disappointments, and general bummers over the past year in your life, you could probably trace the majority of them back to one thing:
Unmet expectations.
Some of those expectations might've been unrealistic expectations on your part. Some of it was that someone didn't deliver on their promises. Sometimes the expectations needed to change, but it's wasn't communicated.
A remodel is no different. Most of the issues we've encountered on a remodel were rooted in unmet, miscommunicated, or unrealistic expectations. With this in mind, we're tackling ten expectations you should have before you remodel. Conversely, having healthy expectations going into a project will minimize stress and improve your overall remodeling experience. Here we go…
1. It'll cost more than you expect.
Of all the inquiries we've received for remodel work (and we receive hundreds each year), we can probably count on one hand the number of times we've asked a client, "what is your ideal budget for this project?" and received an answer that aligned with what the project cost. This isn't a bad thing, after all, we are the experts. It does mean that when you're considering a remodel and beginning to reach out to contractors, have the expectation that the ideal number you have in your mind most likely won't be enough. Even if you've done a remodel before, we've seen an increase in labor and material costs that are dramatically impacting remodel budgets.
2. Saving things, or doing work yourself, doesn't always mean saving money. Usually, it's the opposite.
As the desire is always to keep costs at a minimum, the natural inclination is to ask, "What stuff can we save to save costs?" or "What of the work can we do to save costs?". First, we need to note that our aim is to always thread the needle in accomplishing a client's vision while respecting their desired budget. However, the best way to save costs is to reduce the scope. Saving items - like fixtures or reusing existing cabinetry - typically create more of a headache and force demolition that should take one hour take multiple days. Then, the item needs to be warehoused, inspected, and then reinstalled. This essentially leads to saving on material costs while significantly adding labor costs. There are certain items - appliances, that can be saved to create savings, but most are not. In general, it's helpful to have a conversation with your contractor and trust their assessment.
As for collaborating on work, this is (for most contractors) a hard no. We work hard to set a schedule and make sure every trade on the project reflects the experience we promise to our clients, and any time a well-meaning client offers to help, it never goes well. This would be the equivalent of offering to perform an aspect of surgery to save costs on the medical bill. In the end, it'll take longer, cost more, and ultimately could create problems in the finished product. To put it frankly, you've hired your contractor to do the work; trust them to do all the work or none of it. You'll be thankful you did.
3. You'll need to wait to get started. Trust us, you'll want to wait to get started.
We always get two questions when we're having an initial conversation about a remodel project.
How much do you think it'll cost (which we tackled in the first expectation above).
When can you start?
Every project has two distinct phases: this decision phase and the construction phase. You don't want to mix these phases. Combining these phases leads to massive amounts of stress, escalating costs, and ultimately a project that can take 2-3 times as long as if we'd kept the phases separate. Why? Let's consider a bathroom remodel. Before construction begins, here's a sample of questions that need to be answered:
Are we keeping all the fixtures in the same place?
Are we altering the floor plan?
Will we need to move the HVAC vents?
Are we going with a prebuilt or custom vanity? What size? What type of draws? What kind of cabinets? What type of finish? Should we do linen storage?
What type of tile is in the shower? Standard brick pattern? Grid pattern? Herringbone? Do you want a bench seat? How many shower niches? Niche locations? Would you like an accent tile for the shower floor? Should we carry that into the niche? Standard curb or curbless entry?
For the shower fixture, do you want a handheld want? Secondary showerhead? Rain head?
What type of floor tile? What type of pattern? Maybe LVP to save on costs?
What type of style for the faucet? What type of finish? Should we match the shower fixture?
There are also questions on lighting, mirrors, closets, on and on and on…
Now, imagine making those decisions as your life is upturned by living in a construction site. Each of these decisions takes time to think through in light of a cohesive overall design and cost implications (you can save with one item and spend with another). More importantly, each of these selection items has a lead time upon ordering, meaning starting without all the selections in hand could lead to delays in construction while we're waiting for a faucet. Not fun. Waiting to start a project 2-3 months can lead to a quicker finish date and a far shorter construction phase than if we'd started the day after signing the contract.
We'll close this expectation with the analogy of making pizza. Separating the decision phase and the construction phase of making a pizza means checking your pantry and getting everything you need before starting. Combining the phases means getting started without knowing if you have everything you need. After an extra visit or two to a grocery store, you'll wish you'd have to spend a little bit more time on the front planning.
4. Work won't happen on the job every day. That doesn't mean work isn't happening every day.
Every project starts with excitement and a buzz of activity. Your home is crawling with workers, the demo is going great, and the walls you're opening up are knocked out in no time. Next, the plumbers are running pipe, and electricians are running wire, and you think, "Wow, we're going to get done early!". Then, one day, you get notified that there won't be any work done on-site for the next day or two. You think, "What?! No work done? Are we getting behind? Are they forgetting about me? Am I even a priority?" Yes, you are a priority. The reality is that remodels are a complex process with dozens of moving parts, and often, a part that should've taken three days takes 1.5, while another that should've taken 4 takes 6. It's the contractor's job to anticipate these things and schedule accordingly. This means there may be days on the job no one is working. If you are concerned about your project, a better question to ask would be, "Are we still on schedule for our projected finish date?"
Also, just because construction isn't happening doesn't mean no work is being done. Construction is just one aspect of the job, while planning is another. So, on a day without construction, behind the scenes, your project manager is confirming scheduling with the next two trades, reviewing your schedule, updating the finances, or maybe troubleshooting a problem we've discovered that you'll never know about because we solve it internally. Each project is an iceberg. The construction is just what you see above the waterline.
5. You'll spend more money once the project starts. And it'll be your choice. And it won't be a bad thing.
No matter how deeply you're committed to sticking to the contract price of your project, it's almost inevitable to add more, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. We call this the "while you're here" situation. The reality is that it will never be as cost-effective to paint an extra room as while our painters are scheduled to paint your kitchen. Or for the electrician to troubleshoot the switch that you have no idea what it does. Or to switch out that leaky toilet.
Moreover, historically we've seen clients (and this bears out across the remodel industry) spend roughly 10% on top of the contract price. So, if your contract is for 100K, you should expect to spend an extra 10K throughout the project. Some of it will be those mentioned above "while your here" projects, and some may be additions to the project, also known as change orders. With that being the expectation, you can either budget with this in mind or seek to reduce the scope to get the contract price into a range where you know you'll have some wiggle room once the project starts.
We’ll stop here for part one, and you can find the final five expectations in part 2.