Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
The idea of designing and building your own home is exhilarating. You’ve probably pinned your Pinterest board with tons of unique ideas—from cool paint palettes to the latest trends in interior design and landscaping. You really can’t wait to start! But no matter how much you want to do this project on your own, reality kicks in. It’s a big, complex project that requires various skillsets and expertise.
And so, the next step is to find the right people who will be part of your team. These include your architect, engineers, a foreman, the construction workers and other subcontractors whose skills will be needed as well. Once you’ve chosen one among the top Rhode Island Construction Companies, the challenge now is how to manage this huge team of professionals and how to get the best work from them.
It’s somewhat stressful to hear about horror stories of home owners feeling dissatisfied with the outcome of their dream home. Imagine how much time, money and effort they spent planning, designing and shopping for the construction materials which prices continue to skyrocket as years pass. Also, not to mention the wages you paid the whole team.
If you’re planning to build your dream home, you cannot expect that it will be a hundred percent stress-free. But are there ways to avoid major glitches and hassles as much as possible? Of course, it’s a resounding yes!
Always Check Market Prices and Do Your Own Shopping
You might have zero idea about constructing buildings, but that’s not an excuse to be completely ignorant about the whole construction industry. Always ask around how much contractors are paid these days. Keep that price range in mind when negotiating with your potential candidates. Most importantly, allot a day to do window shopping at several hardware stores. Jot down the supplies you need and take note of the typical price range of each of those.
Always choose the supplies that are ideal for you. Don’t let your contractors decide. Of course, you can listen to their advice. But you always have the final say as long as it’s in line with the local building codes in your city. It’s your project after all.
You’ve probably heard about home owners giving allowances to their contractors and let them purchase the needed materials. But there are some companies who aren’t very honest on this matter. For example, they might tell you an estimate that’s way more expensive than the actual item they will purchase so that their take-home pay will include a really fat bonus that you never had any idea about. What’s worse? Surprise! You’ve just moved in to a substandard home you paid millions for. Read more about the tell-tale signs of shady contractors here.
So, when it comes to your supplies, be as hands-on as possible. Don’t entrust everything to your foreman unless he is your husband or dad. You need a company that’s totally okay with that. If one of your prospects declines this idea, you have to ask why.
Visit the Site Every day and Always Communicate with Your Contractor
Part of being a hands-on client is visiting the site every day and checking on the progress no matter how busy you are. The best times to visit is in the morning before the crew starts working and, in the afternoon, when all the tasks for the day have been finished already. Talk about reasonable expectations with the whole crew. It’s also good to keep a work diary to keep track of the progress.
Daily inspection is crucial. Be attentive to details. For example, why don’t you look at the blueprint and compare the output? Was the door properly installed in its rightful place? Are you sure the right fixtures were the ones you bought? Always inspect all the nitty-gritty details. In addition, you might want a third-party inspection conducted, too. Learn about its benefits on this article: https://www.thebalance.com/how-important-are-new-construction-home-inspections-4588387
Have Everything Written in Legal Contracts
This will serve as protection for the both of you. You should include in your contracts the specific outputs you’ll give partial payments for. Also, it should be clear to both parties that the rest of the full payment will only be processed once the project is finished.
Last but not the least folks, you’ll most likely get the best work from your construction company if you’ve hired the right people in the first place. Always check their portfolio, permits, licenses and reputation before proceeding to agree on anything.
