It’s well-known that home remodeling allows you to refresh designs and create spaces that better suit your lifestyle while also bolstering your property’s resale value. That’s why many homeowners already have a clear vision of the upgrades they’d like to make with their next project.
So what’s the hang-up? Often, it’s about deciding who to hire to do the work.
Choosing the right remodeling contractor is crucial for the success of your home remodeling project, and homeowners naturally worry about finding someone with enough skill, experience, and local knowledge to do an amazing job.
If you make the right hire, a great remodeling contractor will manage every detail of a project to provide a seamless experience and a stellar outcome. So in this post, I’ll review 8 steps to help find the top remodeling services to upgrade your home.
Step 1: Establish a General Scope for Your Home Remodeling Project
Before you can decide who to hire, you need to have a sense of what you’re going to hire them for. This means focusing on how you see the remodeling enhancing the functionality and aesthetics of your home.
For your renovation project, start by generating a list of ideas for upgrades to different areas of your home. Examples can include:
- Kitchen renovations
- Primary or guest bathroom remodeling
- Unfinished basement remodels
- Changing layouts for living areas (such as an open-concept living space)
- Deck, patio, or porch upgrades
- Replacing exterior siding or adding a new roof
For each area, think about the problems you encounter, what improvements you would make, and your vision for what things might look like after remodeling.
Then, think about your priorities and which project is most realistic to start on. In some cases, such as if you’ve purchased a fixer-upper, that may mean entire home remodeling.
During this initial process, you may also want to consider whether you need a home addition for more space. Custom home additions can create entirely new interior experiences while respecting the existing structure of the home.
Getting a sense of the project scope is important because it will allow you make sure that the remodelers that you consider have experience doing similar types of work.
Step 2: Ask Your Network for Recommendations for Home Remodeling Contractors
It’s hard to beat a word-of-mouth recommendation from someone you trust. First, if someone comes highly recommended, you know they have a real track record of excellence (and not just good marketing). Second, a referral from family, friends, or coworkers helps you find someone with local experience. Using licensed local contractors who are familiar with Chester County (including its older homes) is essential for successful remodeling in this area. Choosing a contractor who understands local building codes and permit processes can help projects move forward smoothly.
Step 3: Search Online (With a Grain of Salt)
Whether it’s shopping for clothes or looking for a contractor, there’s no shortage of information online. That gives you an opportunity to identify local remodelers and see their reviews. Just remember that not all reviews are from verified clients, so, whether good or bad, you should take them with a grain of salt.
Step 4: Create a Short List of Home Renovation Companies
Based on the information you gather from recommendations and searching online, create a short list of the remodeling firms or contractors that you want to contact to request proposals. Most people try to get between two and four proposals, but your short list can include whatever number you feel comfortable with.
Step 5: Schedule At-Home Consultations
With your short list in hand, reach out and schedule consultations. During these meetings, a contractor or remodeler will come to your house to see the space and get a sense of what you have in mind for the remodeling project.
These consultations are a two-way street when it comes to information gathering. The remodeler learns about your existing home and your vision for your new space. For you, it’s a chance to assess the contractor’s personality, background, and whether they offer the ideas, time, and attention that you and your home deserve.
Step 6: Ask Questions
During and after the consultation, it’s imperative that you ask questions for two main reasons.
- Gather information: You should ask about big picture issues, like the design and building processes, and about little details, like the materials options. By asking questions, you get more informed, and you learn about a remodeler’s design vision and how they would approach your project.
- Assess communication compatibility: The remodeling process can be stressful, but working with a top-notch professional contractor can help alleviate that stress. For that to work, though, you need to feel confident when communicating with your remodeler. Communication is a core part of the remodeling process and helps keep homeowners informed about schedules and progress. How the remodeler answers your questions early in the process can give you insight into their communication style and whether it meshes with yours.
Step 7: Check Portfolios, References, and Documentation
After a consultation, you can get into more nitty-gritty details about a remodeler, including their portfolio, references, and documentation.
In their portfolio, you want to see a demonstration of thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship. Ideally, you’d also see examples of work that’s similar to your remodel.
To supplement the portfolio, you can ask for references from prior clients. Being able to reach out to someone who they have worked with before can give you more comfort about their ability to deliver on time and on budget.
Finally, homeowners should look for contractors who are fully insured, licensed, and bonded. Having this documentation in place provides protection for you in case something goes awry during the remodeling process.
Step 8: Review Proposals
After each consultation, you should receive a proposal or a bid.
From design-build firms that manage every aspect of the work, you’ll get a Design Development Agreement (DDA), which is a proposal to initiate the design process. It includes a project scope and estimated budget, and it is a precursor to a construction agreement (put in place once the design is finalized).
If you already have a design in hand and are looking for a general contractor, you should expect a detailed bid or proposal that includes all project parts and estimated costs. This type of “time and materials” contract estimates the total price, but it may be subject to cost overages if the time or labor necessary to complete the job comes in higher than the contractor’s estimate.
For any type of proposal, you should read the terms and conditions carefully. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or request modifications if you see something that looks amiss.
Then, at this point, you can consider each proposal in light of everything you’ve learned in the previous steps, allowing you to make a decision about which remodeler to hire.
General Tips for Hiring a Home Remodeling Professional
Homeowners should evaluate a contractor’s qualifications, expertise, experience, and rates before making a decision. While I’ve outlined some specific steps to do that, I also want to mention some general tips that can be useful throughout the process.
- Take notes: You’re going to encounter a lot of information and details, and sorting through it all will be much easier if you take good notes from the beginning. Write down anything that might be handy to refer back to later on, including during the initial brainstorming and contractor search steps.
- Compare apples to apples: Remember that not all home remodeling services are packaged or provided in the same way. For example, working with a design-build firm is different from working with a general contractor. And when looking at proposals, don’t just look at the total cost—make sure that things like the materials and scope of work are comparable.
- Read the fine print: In the end, you’re going to need to sign a contract, and while hopefully no issues arise, you don’t want any surprises if they do. It’s worth dedicating the time needed to carefully read through any fine print so that you can take notes, ask questions, and make sure it’s all clear to you.
Custom Home Remodeling Services in Chester County, PA
For more than two decades, the team at Hazley Builders has demonstrated the highest commitment to delivering high-end remodeling projects for our clients. As a design-build firm, we handle the full scope of the project, and we firmly believe that a seamless design-build process can enhance the efficiency and quality of home remodeling projects.
We take pride in our work and love to help our friends and neighbors in Chester County plan their dream homes and then make them a reality. If you’re thinking about a remodel, we invite you to learn more about our company and our portfolio and to contact us to schedule a consultation.
