Any kind of project involving remodeling, renovating, or new construction, can be riddled with problems, hidden costs and myriad challenges. And while many homeowners want to save money while planning such a project, rarely is the decision to do the work themselves, advantageous. In fact, many times it ends up adding to the overall cost.
Unless you’re a qualified general contractor in Astoria, NY, or have a lot of advanced DIY experience, taking on any kind of construction project yourself, is never recommended. And while you might be thinking: ‘well sure, any one in the industry would say that, they want my money!’ it’s actually a lot more serious than that. Without the necessary experience, not only could such a project become dangerous for you and whoever you share your home with, but you risk fines if you don’t get the necessary permissions, or even having the project shut down.
It’s also worth remembering that it’s not really in a general contractors interests to charge exorbitant prices or offer shoddy workmanship. Their reputation is always at stake, and while they of course need to make money, their ultimate goal is to provide you with a fantastic renovation, remodel or addition (or whatever it maybe), so that you go on to recommend them to others.
So, once you’ve decided to hire a general contractor, you might want to keep these tips from the professionals in mind:
Always plan ahead
Make sure you’re confident about what you want to achieve from the project before even engaging with a general contractor.
While they are perfectly placed to take care of all the project’s many different elements, they can only work on the information that you give them, so try to make decisions relating to such things as materials, color schemes and hardware, either with them in the preliminary stages, or in advance. Don’t, and you could face costly and inconvenient delays.
Don’t buy the materials yourself
While it’s not uncommon to think that you could save money by buying materials yourself, due to contractors inflating the price, it’s also easy to forget that they are able to get many supplies at a wholesale rate, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.
You can buy your own materials, but why give yourself the extra hassle when it likely won’t even save you any money.
Plan the build during the off season
As with many other industries, there are certain times of the year in which demand for construction services is higher. If you’re planning any kind of home renovation project, getting the ball rolling so that work can begin as soon as Christmas is done and dusted, can save you up to 10%.
Never go with the first estimate you’re given
Shopping around for general contractor services may feel like a headache you could do without, but if you only get one estimate and decide to simply go with it, how will you ever know whether you’re getting a fair and reasonable price? The answer is: you won’t. so go for up to five quotes, and compare them all in detail so that you can make an informed decision.
It’s also important that you have a good idea of what you want from the project before getting estimates, as the more accurate an idea construction companies in Astoria, NY have of what you want, the more accurate their estimate will be.
So, now that you have a clearer idea of what to do, and what not to do when planning a home renovation, remodel, addition or new home construction, there should be nothing stopping you!