| Now,
I'm not trying to scare you, but a proper
emphasis on the preparation before you
embark on a home redesigning project is
a good idea. This topic is discussed quite
a bit on the National Association of Home
Builders' website.
So, it is important that
you allot enough time for a redesigning
project, and be sure you meet with your
contractor and complete a schedule of
when you can expect your house redesign
to be done. Also, you need to secure the
proper building permits before construction
is under way. Once these initial steps
are completed, have another meeting with
your contractor and set aside time for
regular meeting, whether by phone or in
person. This will allow you to keep on
top of any issues and track your progress
to make sure everything is moving along
according to the predetermined schedule.
During these meetings,
you may also want to talk about any items
that may need to be custom ordered, as
you may want to handle any custom orders
for your home redesign yourself. Be sure
to give enough time for the items to be
ordered and delivered, because there are
instances where an item is back-ordered,
or if it is a custom item it may require
some production time (for it to be built).
Set some parameters for
the workers! This is something that most
rarely think of until it's too late.
For instance, you may
want to let them know whether it's ok
to play the radio during work hours. What
kind of music do you tolerate? How loud
can they play the music?
How about parking? Are
there specific areas you need the workers
to park their vehicles? Are some areas
off limits?
What about the use of
your facilities? Are they allowed to use
your bathroom, if so which one? Perhaps
you would rather have the construction
company provide a portable toilet (this
is not recommended, but it is an option).
How about the use of
your phone? Do you allow smoking anywhere
on your property?
As you can probably see,
it is definitely a good idea to discuss
these things before workers set foot on
your property. This will minimize any
misunderstanding and reduce potential
conflict and arguments between the workers
and yourself...
Ok, so once you have
this out of the way you may also want
to let your neighbors know that you will
be redesigning your home. It's a good idea
that you let them know what type of redesigning
you are doing (exterior, additions, interior
etc.); how long the redesign will last
and the hours that the workers will keep.
You want to make sure you're not being
a nuisance to your neighbors with workers
hammering away on the exterior of your
home at 8am in the morning. So be sure
to set some hours and that they all stick
to it!
Having all of these little
things in place, and communicating with
all parties (including your neighbor,
the contractor and/or the workers) will
expedite your project and allow for better
overall results.
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