10 Virginia Home Remodeling Don’ts For First-Time Buyers

A Virginia home remodeling project can be a lot of trouble for the homeowner and can end up costing much more than expected if it is not carried out properly. Prevent your home remodeling project from turning into a nightmare:

•                  Don’t agree to an incomplete contract. A good contract includes the total cost, payment schedule, deadlines, and contractor’s license number. If the work to be done is extensive, it will be a good idea to hire a lawyer to look over it.

•                  Don’t order materials without having seen a sample before. Paint, especially, should not be ordered before you see some color swatches. A home remodeling Fairfax VA contractor will show you samples.

•                  Don’t forget to get a legal proof of your final payment, typically an Affidavit of Final Release. Once you make the payment and receive this document from your Virginia home remodeling contractor the latter will not be able to come up with any pretext for demanding more money from you.

•                  Don’t neglect insurance. If the workers of an uninsured contractor suffer an accident while working in your home you might be responsible under certain circumstances. And that means you will have to pay for damages.

•                  Don’t clutter your garage. If the workers doing the home remodeling need some extra space to store their tools, they will first think of the garage. Ensure the project won’t be delayed because of storage space by making as much space in your garage as possible before the workers come.

•                  Don’t forget to ask about permits. Normally the general contractor will get them for you. You want to make sure the contractor does ask for them. For more information on permits, contact the local building department in Virginia.

•                  Don’t commence demolition until the new materials are on the site. If the demolition is done before the construction work can start part of your house will be in ruin, and you might not be able to use all of it anymore.

•                  Don’t annoy your neighbors. It’s easy to do so even when you don’t want to: the workers might dump some trash on your neighbor’s backyard, or their truck might trample your neighbor’s lawn.

•                  Don’t let your pets annoy the workers. Dogs and cats can be especially annoying for workers on your site, so you really want to keep them away. Send them to the backyard, or if there is too much coming and going happening there, send them to some friends and family. And with them you might want to send the children too...

•                  Don’t choose the lowest bidder. Most homeowners want affordable home remodeling and you might be one of them. But that doesn’t mean you should make compromises regarding the quality of the work done or of the materials being used.

Keep in mind the above don’ts for your Virginia home remodeling project and you will avoid much stress and many problems.