You have decided to move forward with your plans to remodel your kitchen, add a bedroom, or close in your back porch. So, where do you begin? Integrity Remodeling and Custom Homes will always tell you to begin by finding the right building contractor to “partner” with first. There are many positive benefits to securing your contractor first, so that you can start the design process together, with all parties having the same knowledge and ideas about your project. Often times your builder can provide wise suggestions that offer the same design effect without sacrificing the budget, sometimes referred to as value engineering.
More often, the client has already had the project designed and purchased architectural drawings before searching for a contractor. The danger in this approach is that many times the contractor can’t do the job as it was designed within the set budget. Nothing is more frustrating than growing attached to a design and not being able to build it. Now, you must either attempt to alter the design or keep looking for a contractor that can build your project as drawn for the budget you have already determined. So, instead of selecting a builder based on his quality workmanship, customer service, and his abilities, you are forced to search for the cheapest contractor. This has a very good chance of heading in a negative direction quickly.
Once you’ve decided on a contractor and how much you desire to spend on your project, your contractor should create a job budget he uses to detail your list of desired interior and exterior finishes. This is being done simultaneously with the design process. Once the preliminary design is complete, your contractor can finish building the job budget. You can now review the budget and your contractor can identify areas of the budget that may require adjustment to maintain the original number you have set to spend on your project.
Your contractor may offer suggestions, such as alternative finish selections or project size reduction, so you can keep to your budget without taking away from the design. If you find your budgeted amount isn’t realistic for your design, you will have determine whether you are going to invest more money in your project or compromise on your selections in some areas.
This is the beauty of a properly detailed budget; it allows you to account for everything, so you can make those hard decisions on the front end of the project rather than discovering that your funds are exhausted and you’re nowhere near completion.
When considering green selections such as energy wise windows, high performance HVAC systems, or foam insulation, you can simply insert these costs into the budget and instantly see the impact it has on the bottom line. When making these choices, however, you must not only consider your initial costs, but also what you will save by incorporating some of these products in your project. Energy Raters, which your contractor can find for you, can help determine the payoff of these products.
Integrity Remodeling & Custom Homes likes to do this for our customers, to show the initial investment versus the long-term savings in order to determine the break-even point for these expenditures. In some instances, we have saved initial money on HVAC equipment cost by selecting high performance windows and doors.We spent more money on windows and doors, but saved on the cost of the HVAC system and decreased the projected energy bill considerably. Your green contractor can easily show you areas in the budget to cut so you can increase monies in critical areas that actually offer a significant impact on the operating cost of the home. Your contractor should educate you on the benefits of using superior products, in order to help you make informed choices about what you are spending.
This information may even encourage you to increase your initial spending on your project for substantial monthly savings in the future. Setting a budget at the beginning, designing the project with it in mind, and making wise selections alone will not equate to a satisfying remodel. Instead, the key to a successful remodel and positive experience is using the budget as a tool to track variances and making the necessary adjustments along the way to maintain your budget. Only then will you get exactly what you’ve been dreaming about.
For more information on project budgets or beginning your remodel process, contact Integrity Remodeling & Custom Homes at 407-625-8286 or integrityremodeling@me.com.
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