Cleaning House
After the remodeling is complete, what’s left in its wake? Dust, fingerprints and dirty footprints may be a lasting impression of the construction, if your custom remodeler isn’t detailed. A good custom remodeling team cleans as they go, never leaves the construction dust overnight, and respects your living space. When the job is completed, they do an overall cleaning, including appliances and cabinetry in a kitchen remodel or fixtures and tile in a bathroom remodel. When they walk through for the final inspection with you, they want you to see the finished product gleaming and new – at its best. Your job is to inspect it carefully, just as you would a new furniture delivery. However, it’s easy to miss small imperfections that might not be readily visible. Inevitably, you see them after you’ve done the final sign-off, or after you’ve lived with the remodel for a while.
You should definitely keep a “punch list” throughout the remodeling process. If you see something you don’t like, bring it to the builder’s attention immediately. Don’t wait, because waiting can cause the replacement to be more expensive or more difficult to fix. It may well affect the rest of the job. After the final walk-through, continue to keep a punch list for a few months after the remodeling is complete. By using and cleaning the area yourself, you’re likely to find items that are bothersome. If your builder doesn’t offer it, ask for a follow-up meeting three months after completion. Discuss your concerns and punch list there. Don’t be afraid of how your feedback will be received. It’s a job in which you invested, and your contractor wants you to be satisfied. He wants you to come back to him for any more remodeling jobs, not clean house and start with a new builder.
