5 Tips On Working With Your Contractor During Your Home Remodeling

Embarking on a home remodeling project can be an exciting time for a homeowner. You've picked out a highly recommended contractor and you're ready to transform your house. Maybe you want a kitchen that you can move around in without constantly bumping into the oven. Maybe you want a bathroom that looks like something from a 5 star hotel. Maybe you just want a change. Whatever your reasons, one of the most important things you will need to learn is how to work with your contractor. A breakdown in communication can bring your project to a grinding halt and cause endless amounts of frustration. Here are some tips on how to foster a good contractor/homeowner relationship.

Be Clear
Too many homeowners go into a home remodeling project with a muddy idea of what they want out of the result. This can be a bad thing. A contractor can't read your mind and you could wind up spending a lot more than you bargained for if you change your mind halfway through the project. Have a clear sense of what you want, don't change your plans, and be clear with the contractor when it comes to conveying your wishes.

Expect a Mess
Home remodeling is dirty business. Many a contractor has torn his hair out in disbelief when a homeowner comes to them wondering why there is so much dust covering the floor. That's not to say that a good contractor won't take precautions to make the project as clean as possible, but there's only so much that can be done. You shouldn't expect to find tools and bits of wood halfway across the house, but some level of mess should be anticipated.

Stop Helping
If you think a contractor needs your help, you're probably wrong. In fact, your assistance could delay the project and add unnecessary expense. Let them do their jobs. That's what you're paying them for. Some people get antsy when they watch a bagger put their groceries into the cart or when they watch home movers carry heavy furniture out to the car. Why? It doesn't make you lazy to sit there and watch them. They aren't doing this work for charity! Unless you have quite a bit of experience with home remodeling and you think your assistance is absolutely invaluable, just keep your hands to yourself.

In general, working with a contractor shouldn't be an exercise in frustration. It only becomes so when, A) you pick a bad contractor, or B) you go into the project with unrealistic expectations. Know what you're getting into, take your time in choosing someone, and everything should turn out great.