Construction, no matter how big or small, can be an experience like no other. For many of my clients, this is the first time through the process and it can seem like a confusion of events that at times feels like trying to fit the cart before the horse. It is rarely as straightforward as it seems and particularly in renovation projects, it is often full of surprises demanding a quick, on the spot solution.
After years of living through minor projects while helping my clients weather major ones, I am finally living on the front lines of a complete overhaul of my 1950's Cape Cod. Two months into the bulk of the work and an estimated 30% complete, I wanted to take a moment to revisit and in some cases, revise my advice to clients at the edge of construction getting ready to make the leap. Over the next few months I'll be posting a few of these thoughts at a time as we complete our renovations.
1. Things will move very quickly at first and then it will seem like nothing is happening. This proved to be truer than I thought. I have found it to be very helpful to keep a schedule at hand where I can write down the days progress and compare it to major points of completion along the time line. Somethings really do seem to require a lot of time with very little to show for it - electrical wiring, in particular.
2. Allow for at least 5% increased cost due to surprises uncovered in the demolition. So far, that's been true in our case. In one example, it was discovered that the wiring was so poor and outdated that the house needed to be completely redone. This also required upgrading the electrical panels (now 400 amp) but in the long run, with safety at the forefront, it was an easy change to swallow.
3. Have as many of the finishes and fixtures picked out as early as possible so they are included in the contract. I would add that this allows for having the materials on hand when they are needed. For us, working with a builder we have known for years and trust, it was less of a concern about price inflations and more about not having to decide in a rush at the last minute. We didn't always get it done but we generally knew when things would be needed and scheduled accordingly.
Here's the house as of last week:
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