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Just Like New

Local homeowners are staying put this spring—and renovating.

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It’s a fact that as the seasons change, we get the itch to start sprucing up our homes. Whether you’re updating a kitchen that dates back to the disco era, or jazzing up a master bathroom that’s more blah than spa, now is the time to invest in improvements.

“Updating and/or adding living space to your home will increase value and comfort, giving you the benefits of a newer home without the need to relocate,” says Terry Keenan, president of HP Builders, a West Chester company specializing in luxury renovations and construction management. “Investing in your home now will yield benefits in the long term.”

In light of the sluggish economy, it’s understandable that many might be on the fence about tackling new home renovation projects. “Business has slowed down,” says Mark Fox, co-founder of Gardner/Fox Associates, a full-service construction firm in Bryn Mawr. “People are planning their renovations, but they’re being tentative.”

The housing market has slowed, so there are plenty of builders and contract-ors looking for work. “It’s an excellent time to do a project now because contractors are being competitive,” Fox says. “People can save anywhere from 5 to 15 percent on the total cost of a project.”

Deciding whether to take on a renovation is the first of many crucial decisions you’ll have to make. The second is who to hire. There are essentially two types of remodelers: design/build firms, which have both contractors and architects on staff, and general contractors, who usually work with an independent architect and handle only the construction portion of a project.

Managing all the nuances of a home renovation project, from fielding bids to monitoring the work through completion, can be a full-time job. And time is a luxury most of us don’t have.

“The best way for any consumer to take advantage of the current construction sale possibilities is to have a qualified construction manager or management company handle the bidding process,” says Keenan. “Construction managers can help with large or small projects, and enable the owner to have a professional partner in their project. The construction manager will make sure qualified tradesmen are hired, and that the work is done properly at a fair price.”

Keenan has heard many a horror story from homeowners who contracted a price for a renovation, only to endure changes along the way that greatly inflated the final cost. “A construction management professional represents the client’s best interests by making sure quality workmen are hired and quality material is used,” he points out. “A good residential construction management professional will know who and who not to allow into the bidding process, thereby ensuring quality work.”
 

A common mistake homeowners make is choosing the company with the lowest bid. “If the price sounds too good to be true, then it probably is,” says Fox.

Gardner/Fox has been called upon several times to finish the work of other contractors who underbid the job and couldn’t afford to complete it. “It always costs a lot more to finish someone else’s job,” he says.
 

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