Home renovation budget tips

[scrapgal123]

We need to do a few home renovations and don't know where to start. We're looking at doing the kitchen and floors. Since DH isn't handy, we will need to find someone to do it for us. Any tips/recommendations?

 

[comicguy]

Get a minimum of 3 quotes and be specific on what you want done. Write down exactly what work you want performed and make sure it is in the quote before you agree to the terms. Sometimes it is better to buy the material yourself then have a contractor install.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Agree with the PP: this is just like any proposal for work. Write out exactly what you want the contractor to do (specifications). Start with demo (remove and dispose of existing floor tile, cabinets, appliances, south wall, window, etc.). Also, what you want to keep (protect in place floor tile, window on north wall, etc.). You may want something removed and stored until the work is done (remove and store refrigerator in garage then install in new location).

Then state exactly what you want constructed ( construct new south wall as shown in plan, install new gas line and 220VAC for range as shown on plan, install tile floor at 45 degree diamond pattern, etc.). State if other contractors will be doing work on the site (cabinets to be installed by Sam's Cabinets). State what materials you will be providing (install ceiling fan to be provided by owner) or what materials you want to contractor to buy (install Kohler faucet KDR 778, install white electrical outlet and switch plates covers, install Cambrey tile 18x18 inch dove gray # 4689 with grout #224).

Once you have all the specifications, materials and plans completed, make copies and have several licensed and bonded contractors give you a line item bid (price for each item). Check with the BBB and the state that they are in good standing. Get a price and schedule from each of the contractors and pick the best (not necessarily the cheapest). Talk to neighbors, coworkers, church lady, etc. that have remodeled lately. They can recommend or "stay away from ___ " local contractors.

Always budget for 20% over the estimate. Contractors are not responsible for "unknowns" such as opening up a wall and there is mold, or older house and there is asbestos tile under the existing linoleum. Talk with the city to see if you need permits and who will pull the permits (owner or contractor).
You do your homework and the project will come out better.

 

[Magical_Suitcase]

Agree with the PP: this is just like any proposal for work. Write out exactly what you want the contractor to do (specifications).

Great detail in answering the question!

 

[tvguy]

Agree with the PP: this is just like any proposal for work. Write out exactly what you want the contractor to do (specifications). Start with demo (remove and dispose of existing floor tile, cabinets, appliances, south wall, window, etc.). Also, what you want to keep (protect in place floor tile, window on north wall, etc.). You may want something removed and stored until the work is done (remove and store refrigerator in garage then install in new location).

Then state exactly what you want constructed ( construct new south wall as shown in plan, install new gas line and 220VAC for range as shown on plan, install tile floor at 45 degree diamond pattern, etc.). State if other contractors will be doing work on the site (cabinets to be installed by Sam's Cabinets). State what materials you will be providing (install ceiling fan to be provided by owner) or what materials you want to contractor to buy (install Kohler faucet KDR 778, install white electrical outlet and switch plates covers, install Cambrey tile 18x18 inch dove gray # 4689 with grout #224).

Once you have all the specifications, materials and plans completed, make copies and have several licensed and bonded contractors give you a line item bid (price for each item). Check with the BBB and the state that they are in good standing. Get a price and schedule from each of the contractors and pick the best (not necessarily the cheapest). Talk to neighbors, coworkers, church lady, etc. that have remodeled lately. They can recommend or "stay away from ___ " local contractors.

Always budget for 20% over the estimate. Contractors are not responsible for "unknowns" such as opening up a wall and there is mold, or older house and there is asbestos tile under the existing linoleum. Talk with the city to see if you need permits and who will pull the permits (owner or contractor).
You do your homework and the project will come out better.

I agree. And don't let a contractor sell you on inferior materials.
Nothing wrong with a 20% reserve, although even with the need for black mold removal, we only went 1% over budget. I was terrified of them finding black mold, but it really wasn't expensive or difficult to remove.

 

[MrsPete]

Home renos. Ugh. We've just finished some work, and it's so hard. Random thoughts:

- I totally agree with the above recommendation about three quotes ... but finding handymen is SO HARD. Well, maybe it was hard for us because we were only "hiring out" some small work and were doing a lot of it ourselves. We found that some contractors flat-out said, "Sorry, but this small job isn't worth my time. If you want to reno your whole bathroom, I'd be very happy to give you a quote, but I'm not interested in a job this small." (Incidentally, it was a 6k job .... not small in my book.) I actually appreciated those guys' honesty. I believe there's a glut of work coupled with a shortage of handymen and contractors today, so they can name their prices.

- Do not go through Lowes or Home Depot to find contractors. You'll just end up paying a "finder's fee" to the big box store. Instead, ask friends if they can recommend anyone, or check the internet /verify reviews before you call anyone.

- Yes to verifying the materials the contractors plan to use. Unscrupulous handymen want to charge big bucks and give you builder-basic materials. ASK for details. Builder-basic materials are probably just fine ... but only if you pay builder-basic prices. Spend some time educating yourself on the cost of things; if you expect to get Pinterest-worthy marble countertops for the price of mid-level granite, you're going to be disappointed.

- Ask if you can lower the price by doing the demo yourself. As my husband (who also isn't 'specially handy) says, "Yes, I can destroy things." Anyway, watch some You-Tube videos and gauge your own ability to do the removal.

- Expect that the person who comes out to view your space /schedule the work will give you a date at least a month away ... possibly three months away. Assuming the work is inside the house, it's best to be home when work is being done.

- Don't annoy the workers, but when they take breaks, photograph the project at various stages. You might one day -- after the walls are closed up -- you might want to verify the location of the pipes or electrical wires. And if anything were to go wrong, you'd be able to prove what steps were taken during your project.

- We decided on a contractor, had checked his reviews, etc. ... but as we were doing the paperwork, he said he needed 100% of the payment up front. Um, no. No, no, no. We were prepared to pay as much as 50% up front, but paying the entire amount before the work date is even set is just not smart. Call me distrustful. I probably am. He was PISSED OFF at us, said we'd wasted his time -- we showed him the door in a hurry. The fact that he became angry removed any guilt we might've had over him "wasting his time".

 

[barkley]

but finding handymen is SO HARD.

if you have a brick and mortar location of your homeowner's insurance company you might try asking for a referral. we've found that they have a call list for claims that need immediate attention. these are licensed/bonded people that your insurance company has verified will do quality work b/c otherwise the insurance company is on the hook to spend more (if it were a claim). if you get names from them-let them know you were referred by your local agent b/c they will want to provide you w/top notch service (b/c those claims from the insurance company are their bread and butter during low homeowner demand times).

We decided on a contractor, had checked his reviews, etc. ... but as we were doing the paperwork, he said he needed 100% of the payment up front. Um, no. No, no, no. We were prepared to pay as much as 50% up front, but paying the entire amount before the work date is even set is just not smart.

it's not a bad idea to find out what the laws are in your state. 100% deposit is prohibited in most (if not all). anyone asking more than the state allowed maximum would be breaking the law which would cause me to question their business practices entirely.

 

[QueenIsabella]

OP--Redoing the "kitchen and floors" can cover a whole lot of territory. That's fine for here, but you're going to want to have the exact scope of what you want, so that a contractor can give you a proper estimate (time AND cost).

We're in the process of re-doing our kitchen. We'll be replacing flooring, cabinets, countertops, and moving a few things around. Our contractor priced it out as: It will cost $X. This includes a cabinet allowance of $A, a flooring allowance of $B, countertops of $C, and so on. So, if I go with formica, I can save $$ and splurge elsewhere. If I want Calacata marble, well, I'll have to sell a kidney.

We're fortunate in that we've worked with both the contractor and the cabinet guy before--contractor built us an amazing deck, and the cabinet guy custom-built a reading nook that goes under our stairs. We live coastal, so no basement, the stairs had a weird closet thingie under them when we moved in. Now, we have a reading nook. The only problem was, I was embarrassed for the builder to see what a mess it was--that reading nook is 100% occupied by DD16, and, well, it looks like a teenaged girl's room threw up in it. But at least he knows it's well-used.

While I agree with the PPs that you shouldn't get a contractor from Lowe's or Home Depot, those stores are a great resource for getting ideas, pricing out flooring, etc., and looking at kitchen layouts.

 

[scrapgal123]

Our first project will be the kitchen - cabinets & counter top. After, I want to do the floors in the first floor - kitchen/living/family rooms. I have a few recommendation from friends so I am in the process of contacting them this week for appointments to get quotes.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Have you been to IKEA yet?

 

[QueenIsabella]

Our first project will be the kitchen - cabinets & counter top. After, I want to do the floors in the first floor - kitchen/living/family rooms. I have a few recommendation from friends so I am in the process of contacting them this week for appointments to get quotes.

It might be easier to do the kitchen floors while you're re-doing the cabinets. You might want to ask your contractor about this. It seems like you're trying to budget stuff out, which I totally understand, but I'd hate for Phase 1 to get ruined in Phase 2.

 

[_19disnA]

You first need to think about your budget and what exactly you are updating and why. If you updating to prepare to sell your house, for example, is different from doing updates in a home you plan to live in for several more years. We have had excellent luck using Loew's/Home Depot for such things since THEY manage the list of contractors and weed out the bad ones and are responsible for getting the job done to your satisfaction. Don't over specify the materials you want since the contractor may have better or more cost effective options. DO know what you want/like so you can make decisions about color/style/etc. when finalizing the plan. Don't go by what those TV home improvements shows do, since they tend to choose the MOST expensive materials and do everything a neutral color to make the house easier to sell.

Unless you have experience with home improvements, I would NOT try to be managing various contractors doing different work. Try to pick the ONE company who can do all of the work and let them manage the sub-contractors. Home improvement projects are NOT as easy as you see on TV and require a LOT of expertise most people don't have.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We remodeled 3 bathrooms ( down to the studs). It took me over 8 months to find a contractor I trusted. I had contractors who wouldn’t even come to house for less than $60k ( yes, $60k), a few would say”well, remodels in YOUR neighborhood start at X$.” And then some contractors who can’t even keep an appointment for a quote. Check with friends, ask for recommendations. Look online for people/companies. Read their reviews, check with BBB. Are they licensed & insured? Make sure that whoever you decide to hire does not sub-contract. Are you moving stuff around like water lines & electrical? Have you’ve thought about permits? That’s a touchy subject for many. Some believe it’s the only way to go to make sure works is done right. Others think it’s a waste of time & money & another way the government raises your taxes & knows your business I would recommend YOU pick out your materials, YOU pay them directly & have them delivered to your home. I did not like the middle man (contractor) in that area. There is a mark up for his time & effort for doing that. Just didn’t like an allowance and stuff like that. No, no. I’d also have everything ordered & delivered BEFORE your project begins. In my experience, those all in one companies who offer to do it all for you cost the most & want you to pick from THEIR options (countertops, tile, flooring, etc). I like options , plenty of them & saved a lot of money by going to places I liked & picking out what I wanted. Not just what they offered.

 

[Anthony1971]

You should do the floors in the Kitchen before your cabinets are put in. In other words it should be part of the entire project. If you put in floors at a later time they will be above the kick plates on the bottom cabinets and dishwasher making it very difficult to replace in the future. Personally I will only hire a person (contractor) who will be there actually doing the work. A lot of places use salespeople and sub contractors and you never know the quality of the work. As far as Permits well in order to know a contactor is licensed and in good standing within your area... you will need to pull the permit... and yes your taxes will go up as well as the fees.... For many projects it may not be needed for one you know the contactor -- and most important you are doing an even swap like a bathtub for a bathtub a kitchen cabinet for a kitchen cabinet -- once you start moving walls adding electric moving plumbing etc pull the permits.... honestly this will be the least of your cost as a cabinet swap with counter tops and a new floor will cost about 1/3 of what moving walls will... in most areas you will be at 30K before you decided on getting higher quality materials...big kitchen you can be at 100K real fast...

 

[tvguy]

Have you’ve thought about permits? That’s a touchy subject for many. Some believe it’s the only way to go to make sure works is done right. Others think it’s a waste of time & money & another way the government raises your taxes & knows your business

Permits are required here. I got 4 bids from licensed contractors and none would touch a project without a permit. But not cheap, over $1,500 in permits for my 2 bathrooms and kitchen remodel. But no permit can cause huge issues when you go to sell the house. As in, have to get a permit retroactively, having to rip open walls to expose electrical and plumbing for the inspectors to see then put it all back together.

 

[tvguy]

You should do the floors in the Kitchen before your cabinets are put in. In other words it should be part of the entire project. If you put in floors at a later time they will be above the kick plates on the bottom cabinets and dishwasher making it very difficult to replace in the future.

Every contractor we got bids from specified floors last so that they meet up properly with the kick plates on the cabinets. Dishwasher did not go in until after the floor was installed, it has flooring. Odds are , you are going to replace flooring several times before the cabinets, and that would be a huge problem if the floor goes under the cabinets.

 

[scrapgal123]

Have you been to IKEA yet?

No, I haven't. Anyone here had Ikea for their kitchen?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

No, I haven't. Anyone here had Ikea for their kitchen?

I have! And it turned out great! When we renovate the second kitchen in our home, we will use them again. There are designers that work specifically w IKEA. They can help you design your kitchen at a very affordable price. They can also install it if you want, OR show you how to do it - which is what we did. A guy came in for 8 hrs to work w my DH and show him how to install the cabinets. DH worked with him for that time, then took over from there. Some people elect to do everything themselves, there are people in the store that work with you on design. (Personally, though, I think the designers you hire are worth every penny, and again, they are very affordable.) There are lots of other benefits to IKEA, too. Down the line if you want to change out your design, you can, fairly easily and affordably. They have a lot of really cool gadgets for your kitchen, as well. Definitely worth a look and doing some research.

 

[scrapgal123]

I have! And it turned out great! When we renovate the second kitchen in our home, we will use them again. There are designers that work specifically w IKEA. They can help you design your kitchen at a very affordable price. They can also install it if you want, OR show you how to do it - which is what we did. A guy came in for 8 hrs to work w my DH and show him how to install the cabinets. DH worked with him for that time, then took over from there. Some people elect to do everything themselves, there are people in the store that work with you on design. (Personally, though, I think the designers you hire are worth every penny, and again, they are very affordable.) There are lots of other benefits to IKEA, too. Down the line if you want to change out your design, you can, fairly easily and affordably. They have a lot of really cool gadgets for your kitchen, as well. Definitely worth a look and doing some research.

View attachment 404625

Is this your Ikea kitchen? It is very nice!!!

 

[Lumpy1106]

A couple of things;
1) Don't compromise. If you want it, budget for it, but get it. Otherwise it will drive you crazy. Example; we wanted an apron sink. Our cabinet guys had ignored this request and talked us into a regular sink. The granite seam is in the middle of this sink - drives me crazy every time I see it because I WANTED AN APRON SINK that wouldn't have had this seam (GRR!!)
2) Don't forget to consider overages for things like termite damage, non-code stuff that gets uncovered during construction, water damage for when it rains during construction (and it will - TRUST ME!). If you have cast-iron pipes you will want to replace them with copper, if you run PEX gas lines it will take a while to get signed off.
3) Be realistic about how you will function during construction. We lived in our garage for a year with a dog, 2 cats, a 2-year-old and a baby on the way, but it worked because we thought it through. We had a fridge with an ice maker, a full sink for washing dishes, a full bathroom, WiFi, a reasonable way to cook food; all of that. No, you can't wash dishes in a bathroom sink if that's your plan. We got really tired of running to the laundromat but that was the plan so it worked.
And most importantly;
4) DON'T, under any circumstance, NEVER NEVER NEVER run out of money - EVER! You can't refinance a partially constructed house so you won't be able to get a loan later to cover the shortage. Get bids, figure out your budget, then get your reno loan for MINIMUM 20% over. We actually pulled a second loan beyond this estimate for this contingency and you know what? We ended up using some of this money too.