|
|
The Top Ten Top Ten List
1. Top ten most popular remodeling projects: Back To Top
 Kitchen remodel
- Master bed/bath suite
- Second story addition (pop-top)
- Combine two bedrooms into one
- Study and home office additions
- Add or replace windows and skylights
- Replace interior doors and trim
- Basement finish
- Add or enlarge windows in basement
- Whole-house remodel
|
2. Top ten reasons to remodel your home: Back To Top
- To impress your friends and neighbors
- To move your teenager to the basement
- To build a kitchen you'll want to work in
- To make a place to exercise
- To add a home office
- To allow you to stay in the neighborhood instead of having to move
- To make room for elderly parents or returning children
- To create a home theater (see #1 above)
- To make a place for crafts or hobbies
- To spend your children's inheritance
|
3. Top ten things to look for in a remodeling contractor: Back To Top
- A contractor's license
- Lots of recent references for the same type of project as yours
- Business sense-contracting is about business as much as craftsmanship
- A clear comprehensive contract
- A personality you can live with during the inevitable stress of construction
- A reputation for ethical business conduct
- Someone who is invested in the community and likely to be here five years from now
- Someone who will return phone calls promptly and whose home phone number is listed in the phone book
- Liability insurance, workers' compensation insurance, and strict adherence to building regulations.
- A successful contractor with enough capital to ensure continued success
|
4. Top ten reasons to remodel now instead of later: Back To Top
- It will cost more tomorrow
- Interest rates are the lowest in a generation
- So you can enjoy the improvement while your children are still home
- Because home improvements tend to appreciate (like the rest of the house)
- To make your neighbors and friends jealous sooner
- Because if you don't, someday you'll wish you had
- It won't be any easier later
- To allow elderly parents to move in with you
- Because you really want to
- Because if you don't, your daughter-in-law will get all your money when you die, and remodel her home
|
5. Top ten things to make your remodeling project easier: Back To Top
- Decide what your budget is, and share it with your contractor or architect from the beginning
- Move out of the house if the project will impact most
 of the house
- If you can't move out, schedule some vacations during the messiest part of the project
- Have frequent, regularly-scheduled meetings with the contractor
- Demand excellence, but not perfection
- Start a design portfolio with ideas and magazine clippings to show the architect what you like
- Keep your sense of humor and perspective
- Communicate your concerns immediately-don't let them fester
- Allow a contingency budget of 5-10% as budget insurance
- Hire the best contractor you can find-you get what you pay for
|
6. Top ten advantages of design/build: Back To Top
- Budget-sensitive design
- Streamlined schedule
- One less person to hire
- Fewer meetings
- Single-point responsibility
- Lower design fees
- No conflicts between builder and architect
- Team-based approach
- Reduced stress
- Because it is a growing trend
|
7. Top ten questions people ask about remodeling: Back To Top
- How much will it cost
- How long will it take
- How much will it cost
- How long will it take
- How much will it cost
- How long will it take
- How much will it cost
- How long will it take
- How much will it cost
- How long will it take
|
8. Top ten complaints about remodeling contractors: Back To Top
- Wouldn't return phone calls
- Didn't finish on time
- Workmanship was poor
- Took a large deposit and wouldn't start the project
- Didn't finish the job
- Cost overruns
- Didn't provide the work that was contracted for
- Damaged the existing home or landscaping
- Never knew when contractor was going to show up on the job
- Didn't pay subcontractors or suppliers
|
9. Top ten homeowner excuses for delaying their remodeling project: Back To Top
- You don't know where to start
- You've heard too many horror stories
- You're going to remodel as soon as you get around to it
- You don't have the money right now
- You don't know how long you're going to live there
- You can't stand dust
- You have too much stuff in the way, and don't know where to put it
- You've seen the movie named "The Money Pit"
- You'll do it yourself when you have more time
- If you wait long enough, maybe you won't have to do it
|
10. Top ten reasons to remodel instead of buying a new house: Back To Top
 Sentimental attachment to your home
- Because you like your neighbors
- The current location is convenient
- There aren't any good building lots left
- You have mature landscaping, and can't stand the thought of starting over
- You won't have to compete for permit allocations
- Because moving is expensive and disruptive
- Your home needs just a little help to be perfect
- The existing house has more character than new houses
- It may be less expensive to get what you want by "recycling" your current home
|
Top Ten Top Ten List courtesy of:
Larry Parrish, CR, CGR
Parrish Construction Boulder, Colorado
www.BuildBoulder.com
|
|
1.