If you’ve ever undertaken a home improvement project, you know things can get messy. Not just in the sense of a few things going wrong from time to time with the actual project, but things can actually get messy around your home. Dust, dirt and debris can come out of seemingly nowhere and cover your house—not just the room in which the improvement is occurring.
Many homeowners mistakenly assume that replacing installing a heating or plumbing appliance is simple – like plugging in a refrigerator or toaster. Unfortunately, this is not the case:
- HVAC and plumbing equipment is part of a system in your home, and rarely is the installation simple.
- Replacements must be brought up to code, and problems with original construction addressed.
- Modifications to the space can be required.
- New installations into existing homes must be done without the benefit of open walls, etc., that existed when the home was originally built and this adds difficulty and creates potential for even more problems.
- Aside from the temporary mess of home improvement and installations, unforeseen problems and incidental damage are also sometimes realities.
Even with the best professional installers, unforeseen problems can arise. As a homeowner, it’s important to know that our team at BelRed will do their best to mitigate these problems, and resolve them if they do occur. However, we understand it can be frustrating for homeowners when these types of things happen, so we wanted to provide a few notes on how to best prepare for these types of large projects:
- Contracting with experienced, professional companies such as BelRed can reduce this stress to a minimum. Make sure any contractor you choose is licensed, bonded, insured, and has required workers compensation insurance for all employees on the job site. Don’t even think about hiring an unlicensed contractor – the risk is too great! Finally, get references, and take time to talk to customers who have done similar work with the company.
- Preparing yourself mentally for the entire process is a great way to keep calm during the installation or home improvement. Make sure you understand timeframes, stages of work, mutual responsibilities, and payment terms. With this additional knowledge, you as a homeowner can feel more comfortable not only with the contractor, but with the project itself.
- Having important discussions with contractors about potential problems ahead of time can give you as much knowledge as possible before the project begins. If you understand and prepare for the worst in this scenario, you will be able to shrug off any minor mishaps that may occur during the work.
- Have as clear a schedule as possible during the installation or home improvement project. Being on hand regularly allows for ongoing conversations between the contractor and homeowner and ensures everyone is on the same page from start to finish. Some questions may also come up along the way. Being able to have those questions answered quickly allows for the most efficient and effective overall process.
- Finally, and we can’t stress this enough, it’s extremely important with any large home improvement process for homeowners to prepare for some unforeseen issues unrelated to the actual installation or improvement project. While contractors should provide you with an accurate estimate for the actual project beforehand, unforeseen issues can arise. Many projects we undertake involve quite a bit of demolition and/or construction, and can uncover underlying issues that were hidden during our initial inspection. While these can sometimes involve increased costs, many of these issues are things that must be fixed to keep your home and loved ones safe. Being prepared for these issues will help you keep your sanity if something like this does come up.
We know the stress of a large home improvement or installation can be hard to handle. But, we’re here to help. From start to finish, we want to make sure our customers are prepared, informed and comfortable with the entire process. Dust and dirt will inevitably get in your home and problems may arise during the process, but in the end, we’ll make sure you’re 100% satisfied with the work and will always deliver it fairly and professionally.
