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The
Top Ten Top Ten List
1.
Top ten most popular remodeling projects:
 Kitchen
remodel - Master bed/bath
suite
- Second story
addition (pop-top)
- Combine two
bedrooms into one
- Study and
home office additions
- Add or replace
windows and skylights
- Replace interior
doors and trim
- Basement
finish
- Add or enlarge
windows in basement
- Whole-house
remodel
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2.
Top ten reasons to remodel your home:
- To impress
your friends and neighbors
- To move your
teenager to the basement
- To build
a kitchen you'll want to work in
- To make a
place to exercise
- To add a
home office
- To allow
you to stay in the neighborhood instead of having to move
- To make room
for elderly parents or returning children
- To create
a home theater (see #1 above)
- To make a
place for crafts or hobbies
- To spend
your children's inheritance
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3.
Top ten things to look for in a remodeling contractor:
- A contractor's
license
- Lots of recent
references for the same type of project as yours
- Business
sense-contracting is about business as much as craftsmanship
- A clear comprehensive
contract
- A personality
you can live with during the inevitable stress of construction
- A reputation
for ethical business conduct
- Someone who
is invested in the community and likely to be here five years
from now
- Someone who
will return phone calls promptly and whose home phone number is
listed in the phone book
- Liability
insurance, workers' compensation insurance, and strict adherence
to building regulations.
- A successful
contractor with enough capital to ensure continued success
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4.
Top ten reasons to remodel now instead of later:
- It will cost
more tomorrow
- Interest
rates are the lowest in a generation
- So you can
enjoy the improvement while your children are still home
- Because home
improvements tend to appreciate (like the rest of the house)
- To make your
neighbors and friends jealous sooner
- Because if
you don't, someday you'll wish you had
- It won't
be any easier later
- To allow
elderly parents to move in with you
- Because you
really want to
- Because if
you don't, your daughter-in-law will get all your money when you
die, and remodel her home
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5.
Top ten things to make your remodeling project easier:
- Decide what
your budget is, and share it with your contractor or architect
from the beginning
- Move out
of the house if the project will impact most
of the house
- If you can't
move out, schedule some vacations during the messiest part of
the project
- Have frequent,
regularly-scheduled meetings with the contractor
- Demand excellence,
but not perfection
- Start a design
portfolio with ideas and magazine clippings to show the architect
what you like
- Keep your
sense of humor and perspective
- Communicate
your concerns immediately-don't let them fester
- Allow a contingency
budget of 5-10% as budget insurance
- Hire the
best contractor you can find-you get what you pay for
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6.
Top ten advantages of design/build:
- Budget-sensitive
design
- Streamlined
schedule
- One less
person to hire
- Fewer meetings
- Single-point
responsibility
- Lower design
fees
- No conflicts
between builder and architect
- Team-based
approach
- Reduced stress
- Because it
is a growing trend
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7.
Top ten questions people ask about remodeling:
- How much
will it cost
- How long
will it take
- How much
will it cost
- How long
will it take
- How much
will it cost
- How long
will it take
- How much
will it cost
- How long
will it take
- How much
will it cost
- How long
will it take
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8.
Top ten complaints about remodeling contractors:
- Wouldn't
return phone calls
- Didn't finish
on time
- Workmanship
was poor
- Took a large
deposit and wouldn't start the project
- Didn't finish
the job
- Cost overruns
- Didn't provide
the work that was contracted for
- Damaged the
existing home or landscaping
- Never knew
when contractor was going to show up on the job
- Didn't pay
subcontractors or suppliers
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9.
Top ten homeowner excuses for delaying their remodeling project:
- You don't
know where to start
- You've heard
too many horror stories
- You're going
to remodel as soon as you get around to it
- You don't
have the money right now
- You don't
know how long you're going to live there
- You can't
stand dust
- You have
too much stuff in the way, and don't know where to put it
- You've seen
the movie named "The Money Pit"
- You'll do
it yourself when you have more time
- If you wait
long enough, maybe you won't have to do it
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10.
Top ten reasons to remodel instead of buying a new house:
 Sentimental
attachment to your home
- Because you
like your neighbors
- The current
location is convenient
- There aren't
any good building lots left
- You have
mature landscaping, and can't stand the thought of starting over
- You won't
have to compete for permit allocations
- Because moving
is expensive and disruptive
- Your home
needs just a little help to be perfect
- The existing
house has more character than new houses
- It may be
less expensive to get what you want by "recycling" your
current home
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Top Ten Top Ten List
courtesy of:
Larry Parrish, CR, CGR
Parrish Construction Boulder, Colorado
www.BuildBoulder.com
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