Top 5 Home Remodeling Mistakes
If you’ve ever taken a large home remodel project yourself, you may have encountered one or more of the following failures. Ultimately, these failures lead to extremely high cost overruns, schedule completion delays, major personal inconveniences while these are happening, and above, all, great amounts of undue stress.
I have personally witnessed many of these items myself during my previous home remodel projects, which I was I created Bingham Construction Management.
The List:
1. Failure to develop a cohesive plan for the project. A good plan starts with developing a solid budget that includes not only construction costs, but also, design, permitting, and other associated soft costs. A homeowner cannot simply Google “home improvement costs” and expect to get a realistic estimate of the cost specific to their project. Another key and often overlooked element of a good plan is a schedule. If a homeowner doesn’t have a clear understanding of how long a project will take, it becomes impossible to plan living arrangements or delivery of furniture, artwork, or equipment associated with the project. These types of unforeseen costs can quickly erode even the most solid budgets.
2. Not knowing the right players to bring to the project. Part of developing the cohesive plan listed above is understanding who all should be involved in a project. It’s not just a matter of hiring an architect or interior designer to design a project. If there is a structural or geotechnical (or both) design component to a project, a designer may be unfamiliar with these design disciplines and refer a homeowner to a particular individual, leaving the homeowner to figure out how to communicate to the structural or geotechnical engineer what needs to be designed.
3. Unfavorable contract terms. I’ve been working in general contracting now for 13 years and I know that the basis of a solid project is a good contract between the owner and contractor and good subcontracts between the contractor and the subs. Unfortunately, most homeowners do not have the experience nor legal wherewithal to understand the corners that some contractors cut in their contracts, setting up the homeowners for needless and unsubstantiated change orders. The homeowner is excited to get the project underway and figures it will go very smoothly, like those on HGTV. Unfortunately, in my experience, my unscrupulous general contractors go into residential construction knowing very well that they can take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners and drive up costs with subjective and unfavorable contracts.
4. Poor workmanship. Many contractors profess to have knowledge of many subcontracting trades. For instance, a general contractor may tell a homeowner that he can perform electrical, mechanical, plumbing, drywall, painting, and other trades either himself or with his own crew. What many homeowners fail to recognize is that the states establish contractor licensing boards to license general contractors and subcontractors to perform specific trades such as electrical or mechanical. General contractors can sometimes perform carpentry trades such as framing, drywall, or concrete. However, they are not licensed to perform specific trades such as electrical and should not be allowed to do so. If the homeowner doesn’t demand the general contractor to subcontract specific trades, the homeowner runs the risk of poor workmanship, incorrect installations, cost and schedule overruns, and above all, potential danger to the home and homeowner’s family.
5. Holding project team members accountable. Because of their typical busy lives that are concurrent with remodel projects, homeowners can forget that their project team works for them, not the other way around. Speaking from experience, it’s extremely challenging to manage a designer or contractor while simultaneously dealing with career and family commitments. Thus, it becomes very difficult to respond in a timely manner to any questions or concerns that may arise during a project. Many homeowners put too great of a dependence upon project team members to complete the project with little or no direction, and when not held accountable for their actions, designers, contractors, and other vendors, relieve themselves of responsibility for cost and schedule overruns, and workmanship issues.
I know that home remodel projects look so easy on television. And that’s the magic of television. In the real world, home remodel projects are complex, antagonizing, demanding, and frustrating, especially to those who have little or no experience in managing them. I’ve seen the results of bad projects and they can cause undue stress on any marriage and lead to severe financial hardship or legal action.
The good news is that residential construction projects don’t have to be this way. I created Bingham Construction Management to help homeowners navigate the extreme challenges associated with home expansion or remodel projects. By developing an accurate project plan, including a budget and schedule, and knowing the right players to bring to the table, we can assure that your project will get off on the right foot in a timely manner. By managing the project for you, we hold designers and contractors accountable for delivering on contractual obligations and ensuring that workmanship and safety guidelines are adhered to every step of the way. The end result is a fabulous, well-constructed addition or renovation to your home, on time and on budget, and without the stress of doing it yourself.
I’d love to help you on your next project. Please contact me a kbingham@bingham-construction.com or at 858-353-8716.
Principal, Vice President, at SGPA Architecture and Planning
4yGreat points Kristin! My husband and I are going through a major renovation of our home now and even with us both being architects with tons of experience dealing with contractors and construction projects, it's still challenging. I think it's a great idea for you to offer this service to other homeowners that are not experienced in the process.