What Does Remodeling a House Mean?

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A person’s house is not only their refuge from the world but an investment and a social calling card. Nowadays, you can even turn your home into a bed and breakfast with just the click of a button. Remodeling your home can increase your quality of life, add value to your investment, and make it a place that your friends and family will look forward to visiting. The thought of remodeling your home can be a little scary, given the time and money it will take. There are a few things you should do before beginning your home improvement project.

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Prioritizing What you Want

The first thing you must do is decide if you want to renovate or remodel your home. To renovate your home means to restore or refurbish structures in your home to their original state of function and aesthetic quality. If your house is in a state of disrepair and you are on a budget, you may want to consider making renovations to those things in your home that are unsightly or nonfunctional. To remodel your home means to change the actual structure of the building or the rooms therein.

Once you have decided whether renovation or remodeling is for you, you will want to make a list of the changes that are most important to you. Ask yourself what changes are necessary to maintain a comfortable and safe home and what changes would be simply for the purposes of beautification and luxury.

Make a Budget

Remodeling your home is not an inexpensive undertaking. Do some research online and get bids from contractors. If you are interested in making structural changes to your home, ask the contractors to whom you speak if making one structural change might require making additional structural changes to your home. Be sure to ask if the changes you will make will require you to bring your home up to code. Bringing a structure in your home up to code can be very expensive. Consider whether or not you will be able to live there when contractors are working on your home. If you have to move out, you should figure in the cost of a hotel and meals out. Make sure there is a clause in the contract detailing what actions will be taken if the contractor does not finish their job in time.

Research Contractors

Always do your homework when you are looking for a contractor. You have probably already Googled the company and looked for reviews, but you will need to do a bit more than that, as repairs to your home can cost thousands of dollars. Washington State maintains a website with a tool designed for checking out contractors. You will find a good deal of information about each company by using this tool. It will tell you whether or not the contractor has been sued and how much insurance they have in case there is a mishap.

Apply for Permits

If you are making additions to your home, you are likely to have to get permits for the changes you want to make. Applying for these permits cost money. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections can provide you with the appropriate forms. If you live in a historic area, you may want to check if the improvements are permitted before looking for general contractors in Seattle.

You have undoubtedly spent a lot of time dreaming about the changes you want to make to your home. A little planning can alleviate stress and let you enjoy your new domain in peace.