Planning Your Home Renovation or Repairs
Planning a few renovations to your home? Whether it’s a major project or simple repairs, good sense will help you get top value for your dollar.
Here is some useful advice and information to help you protect yourself and your home while living through renovations.
Before you start
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Before you do anything, make sure you know exactly what you want. Jot your ideas down on paper. If you plan to redo the entire house over a period of time, put together an overall list of your renovation projects in order of importance. Changing plans in the middle of the project will cost money and cause headaches for you as well as the person doing the job.
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If it’s a major project, get the advice of a professional before the job is started. An architect or engineer can provide expert guidance on design by recommending the most efficient and inexpensive way to make your renovation dreams come true.
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You may need a building permit for certain renovations, so check with your city or town hall.
- Keep in mind that renovations do not automatically add to the value of your home.
Selecting a contractor
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Ask three companies to look at the job and give you a written estimate. Never accept an estimate over the telephone or without the contractor inspecting the area. Many consumers find they get good service when they deal with local firms. If repairs are needed and the company’s equipment is far away, you may have trouble enforcing the warranty.
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Hire a capable contractor recommended by friends and neighbours. You may also be able to get the names of reliable home renovators from your local building-supply store.
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Be sure to ask for references and check them, even if someone has recommended the company to you. Check to see if the people they give you as references have had similar work done to the renovations you want.
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If a company asks for a very large deposit or the price sounds too good to be true, find another company. Fly-by-night operators may disappear with your cash.
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Before entering into a relationship with a home reno contractor, review the Consumer Beware Database to see if there are any complaints on file. Better Business Bureaus, chambers of commerce, local licensing commissions and municipal, building inspectors also keep records on home reno contractors. Check with any or all of these organizations to find out if the firm you pick for the job has a record of reliability.
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If someone has recommended a home reno contractor, find out whether the firm has changed owners. If it has, you may want to call new references. Follow up on references both from the recent past and further back in time. Sometimes, problems do not surface for a while. For example, most roofing and paving problems arise up to a year or more after the work is done.
- Expect to be asked some questions. The company should know your requirements in terms of the quality of materials. For example, in driveway paving, they should ask whether or not heavy vehicles will be parked on the driveway and the age of the house. Incidentally, new homeowners are often advised not to have driveways paved or major landscaping done until two years after construction to give the ground time to settle.
The Contract
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Never sign a blank contract. Does the person who arrives at your door with printed business cards and prepared contracts always represent a legitimate company? Not always – those materials may just be part of an attempt to deceive you. When you are ready to sign a contract, make sure all the prices are broken down and that the materials and work specifications are spelled out. Always get a written contract before the work begins and make sure it includes the name and address of the home reno contractor.
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Ask about the warranty. Make sure it is clearly spelled out in writing.
- Make sure your contract is complete.
The down payment
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Keep down payments to a minimum (about 10 per cent) and never pay the full amount of the contract before the work is completed. This helps ensure that the home reno contractor will stay to finish the job and protects you from financial loss if the company declares bankruptcy before completing the work.
- Don’t let the home reno contractor talk you into making a large down payment "to pay for materials." Trustworthy firms should have enough credit to buy the materials they need.
Financing
- Although some contracting firms will spread your payments over a period of time, it may be wiser to arrange your own financing. You not only save on interest charges, but you also control payments to the home reno contractor in case of trouble. Remember that the costs of borrowing can vary greatly, so shop for credit as carefully as you do for other goods and services.
