Tuesday, February 3, 2015


Before You Renovate


Ah the February Freeze is on.  When Winter seems like it's never going to end, the days are a touch longer, teasing us with sunshine that lies about the warmth outside.  

It's usually right around this time of year homeowners begin discussing and considering major Home changes.  Whether it's selling (Is now the right time?  Can I continue to maintain my property? Do I want to downsize? Is it time to upgrade) - those kinds of thoughts, or, they look around and think, it's time to renovate.  

Where oh where to begin?

Begin by asking yourself, what about your home do you like the least?  What would you like to add to your home the most?  What's the most dated and could use upgrading?  That's your game plan.

Maybe you want to add an addition, an extra family room.  Perhaps it's time to give the tired outdated shag rug and wood panelled walls in the basement the demo and create a new space you'll actually use.  Or maybe, the kitchen has cooked it's last family function and its time to WANT to ask the family over again in style.  Whatever the case may be, it's only for you to decide.

There are two general reasons to renovate.  One is to sell.  If that's where you are going, decide which features of your home are going to get you the greatest amount of return on investment.  Two words: Kitchens and Bathrooms.  Don't go all upgraded crazy.  Don't put in a $5000 sink in a middle income area and expect that you'll see that back.  Keep it realistic, simple yet elegant and modern.  Go visit an open house or two in your area or an area similar to yours and see who's done what.  That will give you an idea of where to start and proceed from there.

Second reason to renovate, to stay.  This upgrade in your life is not necessarily about return on investment (though always keep in mind somewhere down the road you may want to sell and may not get all your funds back on renovations that are custom or personally modified to suit your own personal taste).

Whatever the case may be, before you hire, consider the following:


  1. Perfection:  Don't expect it.  Many aspects of your renovation are done by hand.  Either bricklaying, painting, installing floors.  Contractors, even the experts are human.  I'm not suggesting you settle for mistakes, but there's a way to deal with them and a way not to.
  2. Budget:  Set one.  Don't try to figure it out as you go.  Costs of everything add up really quick.  On a kitchen reno for instance, you could break the bank if you're not careful because small items like cabinet handles, faucets, accessories like soap dispensers and backsplashes can add up really quick.  Know your finances, set a budget and keep an eye on the over all picture.
  3. Lowest Bidder:  They are not necessarily the best for the job, even if they claim the price is low.  There's a reason for a high bid and a reason for the lowest bid.  Consider for a moment what those reasons could be.  Is that who you want to trust your home, your single largest financial investment to?  Here's an idea.  Start with the best of the best.  Get them to give you a written estimate - a cost break down of YOUR project and then use that as a template when interviewing other contractors.  Recreate it in your computer but leave the costs out and ask who you are interviewing to fill it out.  It's a great starting point.
  4. Licensing:  Don't assume the Contractor before you has one.  Ask to see it.  Ask to see their Liability Insurance and Workers Comp, info.  Why get sued by a trade hired by your Contractor based on an assumption.  That assumption could be costly and could cost you your home.  A reputable Contractor will be glad to show it to you.  An indignant one, well, there's a huge chance they don't have one.  He's not the guy for you.
  5. Time:  It seems like a no brainer doesn't it?  How long could ripping out walls, hanging some drywall and putting in some floor actually take?  Longer than you think.  It's not the work that takes the time usually, it's the supplies.  Waiting for the dump bins to arrive in order to begin demo.  Waiting for the various trades to come in to complete their tasks.  The guy who does your drywall is probably not the same guy doing your floor.  Schedules happen.  Material takes time to order and arrive.  Be patient and factor in about 6-9 months on average for a small addition or kitchen job, from start to finish.  Don't forget - you need permits and those permits mean you require inspections and those inspections require waiting.  Its the nature of the beast so make peace with it.
  6. Be Open To Ideas:  I'm not suggesting you completely change your design plan based on the tile guy telling you a fireplace would look great in your bathroom.  But, be open.  Sometimes the trades and your contractor have finished jobs where they've added a great design, storage or layout that they think would look great in your space.  Listen.  Think it through.  Just be open.  You don't have to change a thing, it's still your home and they still work for you.
  7. References:  The Contractor is going to give you some.  Find your own.  Absolutely they will provide you with their BEST jobs.  Maybe those clients are family, friends or part owners of the business.  Google them.  Social media can really help you here so see if you find anything that is suspect.  Not every one is happy with everyone's work and a good General Contractor may have a complaint, but, the question is, did they try to fix it?  Did they take the money and run?  Ask some important questions about timing, budget, quality.  Society today reports everything on the net, take a look and see what you find.
  8. Contracts:  Saying it out loud is great.  Doing business like your Grandpa did back "in the day" based on a gentleman's handshake - realistically - a thing of the past and while it potentially could hold up in court, you know what holds better?  A contract.  It details payment schedules, price, costs, timelines, who's responsible for what, insurance and licensing info.  If it's not in writing, assume it doesn't exist.  Do you really want to hand over a wad of your hard earned money to someone who could just disappear and claim they have no idea what you are talking about?  It could happen and it does.  Don't let it happen to you.


Keep this in mind before you begin your project.  Renovations can be such an emotional rollercoaster which starts off exciting, flows into - Why Am I Doing This?, with occaissional meltdown and eventually you head in to the "I just want it done" stage and finally, it is.  Stay the course, have a plan and know what and how much you are spending and you'll do just fine.

For any real estate questions, please, as always, feel free to text 416-388-7384 email: nicole@gtalisted.com or visit our website at:  www.gtalisted.com

My partner Laszlo Koos & I are always here to help!


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