There's 'renovating,' and then there's 'RENOVATING.' The difference is in the size of the jobs. Redoing a powder room is one thing. There are bills for one sink, one toilet, a new mirror, a light fixture, maybe some new flooring, a plumber, a painter and an electrician. You can eyeball the project and estimate your costs. Now try doing the same for a three story addition, or maybe even a new house. Have you figured out how much it will cost to dig the hole and pour the concrete foundation? Or maybe you're using concrete blocks for the foundation instead. What about electrical wiring and plumbing the addition or new house? Do you need a new furnace or is your current one large enough to handle the additional space? How much time do you think the job will take?
Renovating or building a new house is a significant undertaking both in terms of cost and time. Unless you're in the construction trade or a natural 'Bob Vila,' the average homeowner relies completely on the trades to advise him or her as to how long a job will take and how much it will cost.
Enter the home renovation adviser. A home renovation advisor acts as a neutral third party between the contractor and the homeowner, helping both parties negotiate realistic timelines and costs. When a home renovation adviser is brought in at the beginning of a job, he or she can work harmoniously with the contractor to set realistic budgets and timelines.
Even before the design stage:
A home renovation adviser help homeowners decide when the financial timing is right for a renovation. Jay Charendoff, a Home Renovation adviser in Toronto, said that he once worked with a couple interested in building an addition for their house. Together they worked through the couple's current expenses, their savings, and how much they would have to spend on the addition given what they wanted the new space to achieve. He also showed them their estimated future operating costs once the addition was finished due to the increased size. Seeing all the costs before, during and after the renovation brought the financial reality of the addition home for the couple. In the end they decided to postpone the renovation until they felt more financially secure.
Comparing quotes:
Once a design of the new space has been developed and it's sent out to tender to various contractors, a home renovation adviser can act as an interpreter of the estimates. He or she can determine if estimates are accurate based on design specifications such as furnace sizing, amount of drywall needed, plumbing supplies etc.. Charendoff said that one time he worked with clients and their contractor and identified ways to save the clients approximately $6000 off the construction estimate just by working with the contractor and his original estimate.
Timelines:
Sometimes a homeowner will ask for an unrealistic deadline in terms of a required job completion. An adviser can intervene on the contractor's behalf letting the homeowner know that the job is impossible to do in the time frame they've requested because specific parts of the job need specific amounts of time.
Bringing in a home renovation adviser when there's difficulty during construction:
Home renovation advisers can also help sort out a job if the home owner is becoming concerned about any part of the job from timing to cost. An adviser can evaluate all your costs to date and let you know if you're on track or have paid in advance and help you negotiate with the contractor.
Cathy Rust writes a weekly column featuring information on home improvement highlighting new building, energy efficiency and green building products and services.
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