You may be surprised to hear that since Steve and I moved down to the Emerald Coast in FL, I’ve been working part-time in a granite and tile showroom. I’ll admit I started in this role partially out of necessity (it takes time to acquire licensure to resume operations in our new home state), but in the process, I’ve received a fascinating education.

Not only have I discovered new and different finish materials for stone and tile, but I’ve encountered some surprising yet enlightening lessons about how most people experience renovations and remodels. Especially when it comes to working with a GC.

For example, one customer came into the showroom and said, “The process has taken so much longer than I thought it would. Weeks or even months!”

After that first encounter, I assumed they either had a renovation timeline that had been ignored, or they simply didn’t set a project schedule from the start.

But then another customer came in, saying with frustration, “I have been without a kitchen or bathroom for weeks, and my cabinets are not ready yet.”

Then it dawned on me...

These clients weren’t just venting to the first showroom employee they encountered. They were truly wrestling with complex timing issues. Whether they hadn’t hired a General Contractor, or they had a GC but hadn’t prepared for a productive work experience, there were a few common denominators:

Neither of these customers had established a timeline or schedule for the project.
No budget had been established from the get-go.
They had not considered how to stay sane and friendly with their contractor (if they had one) throughout the process.

With this new realization, I realized it is time for me to share a few tricks of the trade I have learned over the years — how to successfully prepare yourself, your family, and your home not just for working with a General Contractor.

The best advice for a remodel when you are working with a GC? Be prepared. And that doesn’t mean simply saying you’re ready. It means taking definitive action to prepare yourself and your household for the large project on the horizon.

Here are the 5 steps I highly suggest taking BEFORE starting your work with a GC…

1. Do Your Homework and Establish a Budget

Establishing a budget for the project is the first step in a successful remodel. And all decision makers need to be on board with the same bottom line, the same process for making decisions, and the same priorities for the project.

We have been called up by homeowners looking for pricing on their remodel prior to making any actual selections for their home. They give us some verbal direction and expect a clear, accurate estimate. But let me tell you...

There is NO way to give a fair estimate without good, solid information from the homeowner. And there is definitely no way to compare pricing between quotes when neither party has specifics from the homeowner. And by specific, I mean your selections for your home.

If we don’t know which materials you want for flooring, tile, countertops, hardware, knowing where electrical and plumbing need to go, etc., there is no way to calculate what those items are going to cost or the labor required to make them happen.

By taking the time to lay out the function of each room, selecting your finishes and fixtures, and designing all of the details that will make your home look and work the way you want, you’ll have peace of mind once the construction project begins.

The more vague your plan and product selections are, the less accurate your budget will be, as you won’t have any concept of true pricing... which means a greater likelihood that your project costs won’t be easily managed, and you’ll feel as if you are over budget from the start.

our suggestions

Hire an interior designer when working through this phase of a remodel. It is an expense that pays for itself in the long-run, as that person will walk you through every last detail of the fixtures and finishes needed in the remodel... and will help you develop an accurate, educated budget.
If you want to go it alone, just make sure you’re doing as much research as a designer would and are using real numbers to develop your budget.

As an Interior Designer and General Contractor team, this is something we can help you with from the start!

2. Order Your Project Components Before Starting Construction

Remember that showroom customer who came in saying they had been without a kitchen and bathroom for so long, but their cabinets weren’t ready yet? Well, that is a prime example of waiting too long to order project components.

Yes, we are all eager to get started once we know a renovation is on the horizon, but if the old kitchen is gone before the new one is even in production, that long gap may be your undoing.

our suggestionS

Do NOT wait until the cabinets are delivered to go to the showroom and pick out your countertop materials.
Do NOT paint your walls in your favorite color when you haven’t yet chosen the cabinetry, or the backsplash, or the countertops.
Do NOT demo the space until you have your materials ordered and a delivery date set.

These are all mistakes we have seen homeowners make that cause headaches, frustration, and even resentment toward contractors.

Have patience, make all of your finish decisions all at once, place material orders before beginning the project, and have a set delivery/installation timeline. All of these things will keep your remodel on time, on budget, and within the scope of your sanity.

Trust us, a little restraint at the beginning will make for a rewarding renovation process.

3. Keep Lines of Communication Open with Your Contractor

In our vast experience, it seems that the majority of homeowners who are irritated with their renovators, GCs, or subcontractors don’t say anything. The aggravation builds up, but they don’t speak up... until it is too late.

If you don’t say anything when you have genuine concerns, or fail to ask your burning questions, how will your contractor know that anything is bugging you? Well… they won’t.

Instead of venting to others and causing the problem to fester, discuss your questions and concerns with your contractor. After all, that is what they are there for. Prepare your questions in advance. Talk to them before you get frustrated. Inquire about things when you’re calm. And, assuming you did your homework and found a reputable and experienced team, trust their expertise.

our suggestion

Keep an open dialogue with all parties involved in your remodel. Good, healthy, constructive conversations each step of the way will help you, the homeowner, maintain a level head, and will foster a strong working relationship between you and your GC.

4. Declutter Your Home and Relocate, if Necessary

If you are living in your home during a remodel, the perfect time to do some cleaning out and paring down is before construction starts. After all, construction can’t happen in a room full of things.

Go through your cabinets, closets, and drawers and get rid of any items that you don’t want to keep. It simply doesn’t make sense to store an item throughout the remodel if you don’t plan to continue using it when your new space is complete.

And let’s be honest... you probably don’t want to fill those brand new cabinets with lots of clutter anyway. Pare down, clean out, and move items to storage before the renovation begins. This makes for a less cluttered work area for your contractor and gives you some breathing room, as the homeowner.

If you plan to stay in your home throughout the project, a few living adjustments may make your life easier:

In a kitchen remodel, plan a temporary kitchen somewhere else in your home, with a microwave, hotplate, and refrigerator. Maintaining the ability to warm food and make coffee is essential for survival, and your sanity.
In a master bathroom remodel, don’t plan on sleeping in your bedroom... it is normal for dust to be everywhere. Either relocate your furniture to another room of the home, or cover everything with heavy plastic drop cloths to keep the dust out. Then, make other sleeping arrangements.
In any bedroom remodel, make sure to empty the closets to keep clothing and possessions clean. If you don’t have alternate storage and must continue to use the closet, put everything in plastic bins, and then cover those bins with plastic drop cloths. It may sound excessive now, but you’ll thank us later.

So, in summary, take this opportunity to declutter. Make necessary adjustments if you’re living in the home during construction. And plan on some minor inconveniences while your contractor takes your home from dull and dated to house-of-your-dreams.

Mental and spatial preparation will go a long way in making this process an exciting one.

5. Enjoy the Process of Transforming Your Home

If you’ve hired a good crew, done your homework, established a budget, set goals, selected your fixtures and finishes, agreed on a project timeline, decluttered your space, and relocated necessary living arrangements... then take a step back, breathe a sigh of relief, and enjoy the process.

Renovating is always an adventure and does require some stamina, but every day something new and exciting will happen. Seeing the chaos before the transformation is what makes it fun!

So, let your contractor do their best work, ask questions when they arise, and trust the process. After all, that is why you hired them. Enjoy the journey, and know that the outcome will be well worth the short-term compromise you are making right now.

If you’re looking for a designer/contractor duo that can help you from start to finish, give us a call! We’d be delighted to hold your hand through the budgeting and selections phase, do the heavy lifting through the construction process, and help you transform your house into the space of your dreams that you’re excited to call home.

Warmly,
Sarah

How to Prepare to Work with a General Contractor