Planning Your Renovation – The Timing Difference
A recent Houzz report that surveyed all age groups of people who had remodeled their kitchens and bathrooms in 2014 showed a difference in timing of planning the renovations – from the time the homeowner decided to remodel to the time the contractor was actually signed and ready to start. While all age groups had at least 40 percent of the remodeling projects started within a six-month time frame, millennials and generation Xers had the most success in getting a kitchen remodeling project planned within a six-month time period. Most kitchen and bath renovations took between six and nine months to come to fruition.
Does it matter how long it takes to plan your renovation? Are you missing something if you are quicker on the uptake than most?
The planning does matter. Good planning up front results in a better end product. Some people are more responsive than others, so it takes less time to complete the plan, but the point is to have a plan. The more you know going into a remodeling job, the more accurate your budget will be and the more accurate the actual building time will be. At Thomas Custom Builders, we emphasize the plan. We hold a series of meetings with potential clients so that we can get the clearest possible understanding of the job. First, the company principal meets with you to get your ideas and understand what you want to achieve. Next, we come back with a preliminary proposal and cost estimate. If you decide that you want to work with us, we then return a third time, bringing our field people – electricians, plumbers, etc. — to do a more accurate cost analysis and solve the mysteries of the preliminary proposal. This is the time we take a hard look at the requirements for the job, analyze the work and refine the proposal. This step helps to eliminate or at least limit surprises, and helps us to provide a schedule and a quality end product.
Shorter isn’t always better. Don’t rush the process. It’s worth the time and effort to analyze and plan up front, because the end product will be better and the process of getting there on schedule will be easier. Keep your efforts on track and your responses timely, and let your home builder be your guide.