The Contractor and the Homeowner

Remodeling a house can be an exciting but stressful time. So much time goes into the planning, and it seems necessary that a proportionate amount of time should go into the actual process of renovation, with equal meticulousness and assiduousness. The reality is, though, that a homeowner is more than likely not going to be able to monitor every step of the process; clearly they need to be at work to make sure they can pay for all this. So who do you go to when you want to make sure your remodeling is going according to plan? If you haven't already, you should hire a professional contractor to lay out and organize all your plans, and make sure the right people are hired to perform the job.

A contractor is many things: a shepherd in one sense, watching over their flock of workers with care and respect, while also reigning everyone in to bring the project to fruition; an arbiter or negotiator, acting as a bridge between the homeowners and the workers to ensure everyone is on the same page; a babysitter (or maybe, more appropriately, a house sitter), at your house during all the time you can't be, overseeing your property's care.

But, for the homeowners that are especially inclined toward a hands-on approach, there are still a few things you can do to facilitate a healthy and fruitful relationship between you and your contractor. The first of these seems obvious but is often overlooked—that is, be specific and clear about what you want your final product to be. More problems arise from discrepancies at this stage than at any other time. If you are vague about the details of the renovation, you can't hold it against anyone if the finished house isn't what you expected. Don't be afraid to be especially up front about your plans; the more so you are, the easier it will be for the hired professional to conceptualize and synthesize your vision, and make it into a reality. The second recommendation is also pretty straightforward but, once again, can be forgotten (or perhaps conveniently ignored): make sure that you make your payments on time. This is no different than paying your monthly mortgage or credit card bills. With all of the inherent stress already a part of the renovation, you obviously want to avoid adding any further tension to the situation by not meeting the financial requirements that you signed off on—not to mention it might prematurely halt the operation altogether. Finally, the last tip to homeowners is to trust their contractor. They are professionals, and this is what they do for a living. It's easy to get overwhelmed with everything and not see enough progress being made, or question specific ways about how the remodeling should be carried out; but respect the person you hired, and remember that it is in their interest to give you the best possible product. If you follow these tips, your dream home could be just around the corner.