It seems so simple: just rip out those cabinets, put up some new ones, and call it a day, right?
Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
When it comes to remodeling a kitchen (or frankly, any room in your home), there are a few steps you’ll want to consider to make sure you’re not wasting money, but also protecting the future sale.
For starters, you’ll want to kick off your home reno project by calling up and shopping around to find a combination of best price, but also best reputation. The latter of this is particularly important, since any kind of renovation is the kind of thing you want to make sure is done right. So while you can cut corners and hire someone for less, the potential headaches you suffer as a result may cost you in the end anyway.
Secondly, make sure the contract specifies the start and tentative end date. Furthermore, make sure there is no additional charge to you if they go beyond that date. Sure, issues can come to the surface during the project, but you always want to go into a renovation knowing exactly when you can expect to have your room back in working order. When it comes to working on your kitchen, you’ll find that you can only microwave your dinner or order out so many times before it starts to really get on your nerves.
Perhaps the most important part of the process, specifically for re-sale value, is to make sure the contractors you hire go down to your town’s construction department and get the proper permits necessary for the work. This allows a town inspector to specify what needs to be down in order to pass inspection upon project completion. You DON’T want to find out what you SHOULD have done when the project is complete.
As an addendum to this, make sure your contractors go back down to the town afterwards to close all open permits. Some towns will close a permit free of charge, whereas others ask for a payment of some kind for any permits older than three years. Cut it off at the head and have it closed as soon as the work is completed.
And finally, avoid having liens placed on your property. Unpaid contractors can file a lien against your home in the event they weren’t paid. The obvious best way around this is to make sure you pay for the work done.