Find Your house Renovator Carefully

Learn How To Pick A Home Renovator
By Alisha Dhamani

With a clearly defined list of wants and needs, a realistic budget and product research completed, you're ready to interview renovators.

The main objective is to find a professional renovator with the skills to accomplish the range of work in your renovation. Keep in mind you'll be opening your home to the renovator you select for weeks or months, so look for someone you want around your home on an extended basis.

The initial meeting helps you get to know a renovator and discuss your plans. You're laying the groundwork for your project, so take your time and don't be rushed.

At the second meeting, each renovator will prepare an estimate/proposal that includes a written estimate, a specifications list and maybe a few rough sketches. There may be a fee for this.

The one thing that is hard to judge from a proposal is overall quality of workmanship. The best way to tell if a renovator can do what he promises is to check references.

Look at past projects and talk to homeowners. Some people skip this step, figuring renovators will only offer up positive references.

But some renovators may feel that poor references are better than none at all. And some may try to bluff with false references. Always check!

Also, make sure when looking at estimates that you're comparing apples to apples. Get enough detail so that the level of service and quality offered by each renovator is comparable. A lower estimate may seem more attractive, but not if it doesn't provide the same quality process and end product.

This is the last step in selecting a renovator. Once you're satisfied with the references and estimate, it's time to get a firm quote. To provide this, the renovator must have a design.

The design sets out the specifications. This is a written recipe for the job. Along with the plans, they explain what's to be done in enough detail so that different renovators working from the same design would produce the same result.

There's typically a fee to produce the design, which usually can be applied to the total project cost.

Once you've selected a renovator and you are both clear on what's to be done, the next step is to draw up a detailed written contract. I'll have more on that next week.

There's been a quiet revolution going on in the new home building industry.

I say quiet, because it didn't gain as much public interest as we thought it would. It actually started a decade ago with an exciting new way of building called R2000.

Today, the revolution continues with the addition of new names such as EnerGuide and Energy Star. This revolution has changed the face of our industry in response to public interest in the environment and a desire to have a role in energy conservation.

It's an exciting time for today's new home buyer. With the many products and services available, the castle of your dreams is possible. And if you have a desire to be environmentally responsible, the industry is ready and waiting.

The Ontario Building Code recently incorporated aggressive changes in support of energy efficiency and will continue to raise the base level for building in the years to come.

While all builders must now comply with requirements such as improved windows, doors, insulation levels and heating equipment efficiency, many builders are well ahead of these mandated changes. That's where Energy Star comes in.

Many builders have taken up the challenge to further advance the energy efficiency of new homes by offering features that also enhance the comfort, quality, afford ability, sustainability and indoor air quality of their new homes by incorporating options.

These are just a few of the innovative features included as part of many builders' standards or upgrades that provide homebuyers with remarkable benefits.

Building science plays a key role in understanding how an energy efficient home is designed and constructed, and how features integrate so the home works as a system.

Construction of the building envelope is one of the most important factors in making sure energy efficient features perform at maximum efficiency. A very air-tight envelope reduces drafts, heat loss, cold rooms and risk of mould and mildew in wall cavities and unconditioned spaces as well as dust and noise infiltration into the home.

Several builders in London and area have chosen to participate in one or more of a growing number of energy efficiency and performance labelling programs that require independent testing of homes to verify the quality and integrity of the building envelope.

From EnerGuide for New Houses, which is an excellent measuring tool to help builders assess the level of efficiency in their homes, to Energy Star for New Homes and the R2000 program, which place strict guidelines and testing requirements on participating builders to meet a high level of energy efficiency, new home construction is on a continuous improvement course.

The other important aspect of these improvements is their effect on the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions, a major contributor to climate change, are reduced significantly as efficiency improves. For example, a home meeting Energy Star or R2000 standards cuts greenhouse gas emissions by about two to four tonnes a year.

About the Author:

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Make Your New Home Uniquely Yours - Decorating With Color By Marte Cliff

Have you ever walked into a house and thought "Oh, this is a 70's house?" I have - many times. Perhaps because I was a Realtor. Back in the 70's the "in'' thing was to use harvest gold and olive green for kitchen and bathroom fixtures. And people didn't stop there - carpets, throw rugs, towels, bedspreads, and of course the range and refrigerator, all shone in harvest gold and olive green. By the 90's people were looking at homes for sale and reducing their offers by enough to replace those fixtures and appliances. No one wanted those "dated" colors any more.

Even homeowners who chose those colors were sick of them after a few years, but the price to replace a bathtub is pretty steep - especially a bathtub that won't fit through a bathroom door and down the hallway.

While we don't seem to have any "in" colors right now, there's still a temptation to express individual tastes by installing say, a bright red kitchen sink - or perhaps a bathtub of royal blue.

But do think twice. Or maybe three times.

Changing bathtubs can require cutting holes in walls, and even replacing the kitchen sink requires some major plumbing expense. It could even call for carpentry and new counter-tops if you can't find a sink the exact same size as the old one.

That's one reason why I recommend expressing yourself through paint color - not fixture color. Paint is the least expensive way to express your personality, project a feeling, and create an atmosphere.

You can get a little extreme with carpet and counter-tops: price-wise they fall in the middle - they aren't cheap to replace, but you can do it without major carpentry expense.

And in the case of carpet, you may want to make a switch after the first ten years or so anyway, so making a color decision isn't quite as critical.

Paint, on the other hand, is inexpensive. You can go wild with a vibrant color on one wall and completely change the atmosphere of a room - and if you decide you don't like it, you can choose a new color and repaint for a minimal cost.

I've even heard of people who repaint their living rooms to match the seasons - red and green for Christmas, pastels for Spring, etc. That's a bit over the top for my taste, but if you enjoy it, why not?

This is a part of your home building project you can do yourself - and if you have the time, you should. Your house painter will charge extra for changing colors from one room or one wall to the next, so cost is one issue. But there are more reasons.

If you have the time and talent you can have fun with this step. Get a few of those small sample jars of paint and test them out in various rooms - stand back and let yourself feel how the color affects your mood - and then try a different one if it doesn't hit you exactly right.

If you do that with your house painter, he or she might run out of patience!

A second benefit to adding your own color touches is the feeling you'll get from actually taking part in your home building. When we built our home, I let the painting contractor put on the primer and spray the ceilings and walls that were to be off white. Then I painted the walls I wanted in different colors.

Even though my contribution was small, it made me feel like I had helped build my house. That made me pleased with myself and gave me a true feeling of "ownership."

About Author

Marte Cliff is a freelance copywriter - a former real estate broker, and the wife of a retired home builder. Over 20 years experience in dealing with both new home construction and clients who were financially damaged over land purchases and home construction projects led her to write two consumer e-books on the subjects.

The Land Buyers Guidebook and Home Building Simplified were both written to prevent the headaches and heartaches that come from moving forward without the proper knowledge. You can learn about both at http://www.marte-cliff.com/Survival.html

Marte also offers a free report: "How to Spot a Bogus Contractor" To get your copy, just send an e-mail to: helpmebuild@getresponse.com

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