Another couple of months went by and another project was completed. This one was more complex and it took a bit longer, but we were happy to assist the homeowners in Arlington, VA with tasks. The basement work included a complete bathroom remodel involving relocation of the bathroom vanity as well as moving the washer and dryer. The drywall was replaced and finished. New flooring throughout the basement. All the finishing touches such as baseboards and painting were done by our crew as well. We did few extra miscellaneous things like remodeling the chimney and replacing the hardwood floors in the living room. If you are wondering, project of this size takes approximately 10-12 weeks to complete from start to finish and it is a lot of work. If you are considering a project of this size for your house and would like to make the whole experience faster and smoother here are 5 things you can do:
- Have all your big items purchased and ready to be installed. You would be surprised how often a cabinet will arrive and it is damaged inside the box. If you are doing a bathroom remodel or any type of remodel requiring special items, make sure you purchase those first and then inspect them on delivery. Take pictures of it and put it back. In this way you could either refuse the delivery (In most cases you can) or have proof that the cabinet was in perfect condition which might save you later disputes with your contractor if a scratch appears out of nowhere.
- Plan everything! Make sure you discuss with your contractor any questions you might have and don’t forget to ask if there are any possible unpredictable events, what those might be. If a good team is on the job and materials are on the job as well chances of having everything go smoothly increase ten fold. Make sure you plan your laundry days ahead of time and give your contractor prior notices if you are planning on going on vacation or out of town at a certain point during the renovation and if you need the work to stop. All this planned ahead of time saves a lot of headaches and makes the process go smoother.
- Order the right amounts! I cannot stress on this enough, but it is a good thing to make sure when you talk to your contractor about the square footage of a certain space in relation to anything and make sure you understand the difference between actual square footage and materials needed. In most cases you will need an extra 10-15% of anything you are planning on purchasing just so you can be on the safe side. Can you imagine the frustration if you ordered a rare set of tile which takes 6 weeks to deliver, just to find out in the middle of the project that you are 4 tiles short. Ouch. Order extra, tiles break when cutting as well as a lot of it goes to waste if you have unordinary corners in the space. Having few extra beats being few short any day.
- Prepare for noise! Mentally if you are being easily stressed remodeling can take a toll on your wellbeing. Nobody ever said that the sound of a circular saw or hammer power drill going through the wall is very soothing, but unfortunately it’s quite present in the remodeling industry. Power tools make noise. if you need peace and quiet and you work from home, my best advice to you is to order a headset with noise canceling option if you don’t have one or just listen to music while the construction process is ongoing. The first few days during demolition it will be worse, then it will feel like a 6-7 on the 10 scale but get under your skin. Don’t let it. It’s just something that cannot be avoided.
- Be nice to the people who work on the job site. Sometimes a problem might arise after the drywall has been removed. The worst I have seen was a 2-5 inch crack going through the entirety of a foundation wall on one side of the house. It was 4o foot crack and there was no way someone could see it without taking all the drywall out. This of course is a super rare occurrence and chance of it showing on your basement wall are pretty slim, but it’s always a possibility. Make sure you do not exhaust your finances on the remodel and always have a bit extra or an emergency fund to be able to cover extra work if by any chance you might need it. This way you will avoid a stressful situation and be prepared for worst case scenario.
If you are in Northern Virginia area and if you need help with your remodeling project reach out to us for a free estimate! If not I hope you find those 5 tips useful and make sure you hire the right contractor. That’s the most important part in every remodeling project. A confidence in the people you work with is a peace of mind! Have a great day!
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