Remember These 3 Things When Remodeling
When you decide to take the plunge and renovate your kitchen or bathrooms, build a home addition, or finish your basement, the planning process can be overwhelming. Between approving designs, choosing appliances and tile, or deciding on paint colors, it’s easy to miss some critical details. Remember these three things when remodeling.
Where Will Workers Store Their Tools and Materials?
You’ll have carpenters, plumbers, and electricians tromping through your home. You may think they’ll bring their tools with them and take them home again at the end of the workday. But the truth is that many of these subcontractors will want a place to leave their tools on your property until they finish the job.
If you don’t think about this element in advance, you may find your garage taken over by table saws, concrete mixers, and stacks of tile and lumber. At the same time, your driveway could become home to a huge dumpster. Where do you, your family, and your car fit in with all this? Can your contractor assure you that if workers leave materials and tools on your property, they will safely store them so that they won’t create a fire risk?
What About Restrooms?
Restroom facilities for the construction workers are another consideration that falls to the side among all the other details of a remodeling project. Are you comfortable with construction workers using your bathrooms throughout the day?
You may be able to set boundaries and make one bathroom available to workers, but even this may feel like an uncomfortable invasion of privacy. It also means you must inform every new subcontractor who shows up what the rules are and where to find the restroom. It may be simpler to rent a porta-potty or a mobile restroom trailer.
A reputable porta-potty company will explain whether you need a permit, how many stalls you need for the project, and whether they can service the rental. They should give a specific estimate of how much the rental will cost depending on your best idea of how long you’ll need it.
Updating Your Insurance
Updating your homeowner’s insurance is a critical step in the remodeling process. Home improvements can significantly increase the value of your home, but they also present additional risks during the construction phase. Contact your insurance provider to discuss any changes in coverage that might be necessary.
Although any contractor you hire should show you proof of insurance covering liability and worker injuries, you should talk to your insurance company about the remaining risks you should cover. These risks include damage or theft of construction materials or accidents that happen on your property. After the remodel, you may also need to adjust your policy to reflect the increased value of your home.
Successful home remodeling goes beyond choosing the right design and materials. Remember the three important things outlined above: tool storage, restroom facilities, and insurance updates. By addressing these issues early in the planning process, you can ensure a smoother, more efficient remodeling experience.
