The Remodel

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Noticing that no one has posted since early August, 2007, it appears that this forum either has hit a dead end or that no one has any strength left to enter their impressions after or during the phases of securing a qualified professional to do a job. Perhaps, it is both. There was a posting in the NY TIMES in the Garden Section regarding a home in Florida that was undergoing remodeling and the problems they encountered. What struck me was not the entries that were made but the responses and posts from those who read this woman's blog daily. I called it "remodel envy," and my friends concurred. An unabated water leak from the dishwasher hose went undetected for who knows how many months before it was discovered in the ceiling of the lower level. WOW! There is always going to be worse situations and taking that into consideration, I plowed ahead with the task of remodeling and redoing my kitchen. I participated in and took advantge of the many paths and myths available to coordinate and schedule a kitchen remodel. And I needed to find out what I did not like before I could consider something that I did like. It went the same for the individual people that I was fing to hire to complete their portion of the work needed. Getting competent people who COULD have a vision with this sort of work is very difficult. These guys are like selecting a stock or mutual fund: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. I am now at the point of narrowing my selections to two or three different scenarios because at some point I have to look up from the magazines and other fine photography and realize how it will all fit into the space that I have for my kitchen. I think I may have found a floor tile guy who happened to install the tile that was photographed on the front of one of the industrial kitchen magazines that I have begun receiving. I consider myself very lucky, at this point. What I have found is that the upper end of the interior design and remodel work in my state: Maryland, is only known by a select few. These people and their company enjoy marvelous reputations and rightfully so dur to the skill and expertise in their area. They probably cost more to employ them but I have found that it is going to cost alot anyway and the difference, if there is any, will be more than made up in the satisfaction and beauty of their work. ...We will see...

If it is a big job, it's a good idea to get more than one estimate as to how much the job will cost. Before work begins, get a written contract and don't pay the bill in entirety until the job is done, and you are satisfied. Also, you can look up contractors, plumbers, and electricians to see if they are licensed (which they should be). This doesn't mean their work will be great, but at least there is some recourse if things do go wrong.

It's fun to do things on your own, but it's worth it to investigate-realistically-how long a home-improvement project will take. Then add a couple days. I thought it would be pretty straightforward to steam off wallpaper and repaint a small breakfast nook, but it ended up taking over my life for about four days. It was rewarding, but exhausting!

i'd go solely by recommendations. In my experience that's the only way to be sure you'll be happy with the results. It depends on your experience, but I wouldn't attempt any plumbing on your own!

Word-of-mouth and personal testimonials mean the most to me when looking at contractors. There are many great neighborhood websites that also have lists of recommended contractors; neighborhood is best because you have a better chance of actually knowing and seeing the people and the finished projects; it's harder to fake neighborhood results. Always check references.