If you own a home, no matter what its age, sooner or later you may join the millions of people who remodel their homes each year. The reasons for remodeling are as varied as the projects themselves. Generally people choose remodeling to add comfort, convenience, space, and ultimately to enhance their investment in what may be their most valuable asset. Your home is too important to entrust to anyone but a professional remodeler who can...

• Save you money by doing your job right the first time.
• Understand that your comfort during the project and its successful completion depend on effective communication and follow-through.
• Maintain a safe jobsite to prevent damage to your home or injury to household members and pets.
• Provide the best possible materials within your budget.
• Ensure your job meets or exceeds applicable building codes and regulations.
• Guarantee the quality of the work with a warranty.

Before you meet with a remodeler, develop an idea of what you want to do. Write a list of your needs and wants. Look at magazines and collect pictures of what you like. (The more clearly you can envision the project and describe it on paper, the more likely you are to convey a clear image of your project to a professional remodeler.) Now it's time to begin your search:

• Seek referrals from others who have had remodeling work done, as well as independent trade contractors, building materials suppliers, architects, home inspectors and local lenders.
• Check with your local or state office of consumer protection and the local Chamber of Commerce.
• Check with your state's licensing agency and the state and local building inspectors to see if they have received any complaints.

When interviewing prospective remodelers, here are some questions you may want to ask. Does the remodeler...

• Maintain a permanent mailing address, phone number and paging or answering system?
• Carry insurance that protects you from claims arising from property damage or jobsite injuries?
• Have an established presence in the community? Longevity suggests financial stability.
• Have a trustworthy reputation among customers and the business community? Ask for a list of building suppliers and call them to see if the remodeler has an account or pays for materials on delivery. (Most suppliers are willing to extend credit to financially sound companies.)
• Actively participate in a trade organization such as the Remodelers^TM Council of the National Association of Home Builders? If so, how long have they been a member, and have they earned a designation?
• Specialize in particular types of projects?
• Arrange for the building permit?
• Offer a warranty? If so, what kind and for how long?
• Agree to begin and complete your job within your timetable?
• Respond promptly to your questions?
• Listen to your needs and wants? Ask the remodeler for examples of how the company has solved similar space problems for other customers.

Interview previous and present customers. And before you sign a contract...

• Ask the remodeler to share names and phone numbers of some customers with you and take the time to see the remodeler's work.
• Ask the homeowners if they would hire the company again. Did the company maintain a reasonably neat jobsite? Did they keep delays to a minimum? Did they find the remodeler easy to talk to? Did the remodeler keep them informed as the job progressed?

How to Live With Your Remodeling
Project

With remodeling, your home becomes the worksite. You live side-by-side with the project from start to finish. You have to adjust your daily routines to make way for the construction that will transform your dreams into reality. Successful remodeling projects depend upon mutual trust and consistent communication between you and your remodeler.

Before you begin, make sure you know how you will communicate with the remodeler. Be sure you know how to contact the remodeler for daily decisions as well as after-hours emergencies.

Plan ahead to keep your project on schedule. A bathroom project make take just a few weeks, while a two-story addition may take 6 months or more. Ask the remodeler to provide to you with a schedule for each phase of the project. Realize that changes you make after work has begun may affect the schedule and budget.

In your pre-construction meeting, be sure to ask about the following:

• Jobsite Signage. Will you allow the remodeler to place a sign on your property?

• Jobsite Access. Have you agreed upon a pathway for workers, equipment and vehicles?

• Off-Limits Areas. Will areas of the house be off-limits to workers?

• Security. Does the house have an alarm system?

• Safety. What precautions will be taken to ensure safety during the project?

• Salvaging Materials. Will some items be saved from demolition?

• Debris. Where will the dumpster be located?

• Utility Interruptions.

• Clean-Up. Who is responsible for daily and final clean-up?

You may will also want to discuss guidelines for workers, such as:

• Work Hours.

• Parking.

• Phone Usage.

• Bathroom Usage.

• Smoking.

• Language.

• Radios.

When you undertake a remodeling project, it's important to plan ahead for inconvenience. Maintain a safe haven in your home by setting aside a room where you can escape the chaos. And remember to maintain your sense of humor and enjoy the remodeling process.