Organizing Home Remodeling Documents

Home Remodeling Minute – Organizing Your Home Remodeling Documents

Saving Your Sanity By Organizing All Of Your Home Renovation Documentation

Keeping your home renovation documentation organized from the beginning will save your sanity when you need quick access to important documents during your project. ​Discover handy tips for ​organizing your contracts, change orders, product brochures, schedules, drawings, notes, quotes, material specs, & business cards – all organized & easily accessible ​during all home improvement project​ phases.

​Sanity-Saver Tip – Organize all of your home renovation project documents from the beginning

How Often Do You Misplace Something Important? 

If you’re like most people, it’s relatively easy to forget where you put something important. Perhaps, you’re “filing system” involves piling up bills, letters, and other documentation on a desk, table or shelf in your home.

What You Should Do

The documentation you’ll collect related to your pending home remodeling project will quickly swell. If you do not start organizing it from the beginning, you may end up not being able to find a important when you need to. And, you will need to during your renovation project – likely several different times.

Examples of Home Renovation Documentation

• General Contractor contract pages
• Change order pages
• Sub-Contractor contract and/or drawing pages
• Payment schedule and updates
• Business cards
• Local Building Department pages
• Local electric & gas company contract and invoice pages
• Architect contract pages and letter-size drawings
• Appliance product brochures, spec sheets, and sales receipts
• Plumbing fixtures brochures and sales receipts
• Inter designer color, material, texture, and fixture recommendations
• Etc.

A Scenario

While your house renovation is underway, you’ll find yourself wanting to reach for one or more documents, say, as a result of something your general contractor said in a weekly meeting – that you’ll remember something different. You’ll want quick access to a change order, a brochure, a note you took, or something similar. Not being able to find it right away will stress the heck out of you – especially if the time it takes you to finally find what you’re looking for ends up delaying the project because schedules became out of sync. 

Tips How To Organize Your Project Documents

The bottom-line is to do some organizing now to save your sanity later. Smart homeowners organize their renovation project documentation and research.

If you’re already familiar with organizing a big project with lots of moving pieces – or just have a general organizing system that makes sense to you, then put your experience into play and streamline your home renovation experience.

Click here to find out tips on how to organize your home remodel project documentation

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Home Remodeling Minute – Living Accommodations During Renovation

Where to Stay During Home Remodeling Project

Many homeowners assume they’ll stay in their home during a home remodeling project. That may work fine for less extensive projects. But, it may not if the project involves renovating the kitchen, a key bathroom, or an extensive renovation to your home.

Naturally, the extent of the project can certainly help you decide whether to stay put or seek temporary housing. But, there’s more to making the decision that just project size. 

There are multiple things to take into consideration when deciding whether to stay home during a home remodeling or to seek temporary housing during renovation

To Help You Decide

For things to take into consideration in your ultimate decision, there’s a new article on the RemodelAssist website called “Living Accommodations During Your Home Renovation Project“.

Places to Stay

The article also identifies helpful ideas for places to stay temporarily – should you choose the option to seek temporary housing during construction.

Thank you for sharing this article!

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Home Remodeling Minute – Home Renovation Financing

Talking with lenders – and when

If you think you will be financing your home renovation project, decide now to talk with several mortgage lenders to get a feel for your various financing home remodel options.

Also, since the home remodeling loan process can be a little trickier in today’s economic market, I suggest that you talk with the lenders well in advance of when you believe you will be needing the money to get your project started.

Note that even though some homeowners do end up using their existing home mortgage lender to finance their home remodels, there is no requirement that you have to do so. Shop around for the best financing package for your particular situation.

The bottom-line is to just do it – and do it far enough in advance so that you are not jumping through hoops and/or potentially missing out on one or more financing opportunities because you delayed getting to it. It is well worth your time.

What is the best way to finance home improvements? 

Only you are going to know the answer to that after you do some investigating. To get to that point where you have determined what is best for you, home remodeling finance experts generally recommend that you review the following remodeling finance options:

• Mortgage Refinancing
• Home Equity Loan
• Credit Card(s)
• FHA 203(k) Loan
• Line of Credit
• Construction Loan

Determine your estimated home renovation budget

Of course, you will want to know an estimate of how much money you are going to need for the home remodeling ideas you have. So, be sure to have a feel for the the real remodeling costs in your area. Then, talk with a few home remodeling contractors near you to dial-in how much you’ll need to pay for your project.

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Announcing ​Home ​Remodeling Planning and ​Organizing​ Page

​​Start your project ​right to make it go as smoothly & pain-free as possible

​RemodelAssist Shares Initial Planning and Organizing Process Page for a Home Remodeling Project

​Don Roberts of RemodelAssist, a homeowner and home remodeling expert, shares on his home remodeling tips website the way to get ready for and organize the documentation for a home remodeling project.

Stressing the importance of the “planning stage of a home remodeling project,” as well as “organizing all remodeling project related documentation,” Don helps homeowners make the process go easier and with less frustration.

​The article “Initial Planning and Organizing” ​focuses on various things during the home renovation planning and organizing phase. For instance, Don provides insight on whether it would be better for the homeowner to move instead of remodeling or the other way around. Depending on various factors​, remodeling might not be the best ​decision.

​Other topics the article ​includes are how to determine realistic remodeling costs, organizing the remodeling project documentation, and the scope of the remodeling project. Don also shares info on topics including financing ​your home renovation project, insurance coverage, project safety​ & security, as well as giving the neighbors a head’s up about the noise and mess of the project.

In any home remodeling project, it is critical to gather up as much relevant information about the project as possible, including knowing how much of a remodel you can afford. The information RemodelAssist provides the site visitors ​helps their remodel project to go a lot smoother. Proper planning and organization of home renovation projects have many benefits to offer. The biggest advantage is the homeowner will typically have fewer frustrations and unpleasant surprises during the whole process.

The process starts with home remodeling planning ideas. Before the start of the project, it is vital to have settled on a few ideas of how ​homeowners would want the project to look when it is completed. Once the homeowner has decided on ideas for a home remodel, they can begin organizing what they need to do using a home remodeling checklist (or home remodeling worksheet).

In the article found at RemodelAssist.com, Don helps his readers create ​a remodeling checklist to ensure their project goes according to plan and schedule. The checklist includes initial activities concerning ​a typical home remodeling project​. Without a well-organized plan put in place, ​home renovation projects ​typically encounter all sorts of problems.

A proper approach ​will help ensure that the necessary steps are taken to get a remodeling project started, including that there is time to research costs and identify ​the desired materials. It also helps the homeowner ​organize documents that need to be referenced later, such as project milestone schedules, contractor quotes, and anything else vital to the successful completion of the project. RemodelAssist.com shares everything homeowners need ​to know ​to get up-to-speed quickly on home remodeling projects.

Besides tips on ​initial planning and organization for the home remodeling project, RemodelAssist also provides insider tips on several other topics. ​Included in those are selecting a project manager, architect, contractors, and other consultants, as well as providing tips for contracts. Don also ​provides tips on remodeling loan mortgage refinancing.

Homeowners that are thinking of starting a home remodel will find RemodelAssist.com a great place to visit. The site keeps important, practical home remodel info that allows homeowners to ​minimize the number of frustrations that home remodel projects typically have. ​Don knows all about those frustrations, as he experienced them first hand. Learning from his ​experience will help homeowners enjoy smooth and nearly hassle-free home remodeling projects.​

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Safeguard Your Valuables

Home Remodeling Minute – Safeguard Your Valuables 

If you are doing a full home renovation (as in everything is going to be re-done), it is obvious that you would likely be moving your possessions to off-site storage or possibly to be used in a temporary rental house.

When I did our remodel, almost every square foot of my front, back, and side yards were occupied by construction materials, construction equipment, piles of debris, or new trenches. So, keeping our things on-site just was not feasible. Your mileage may vary.

Less Than Full-Remodel Projects

But, what if your remodel project only affects part of your home, such as a kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, or a room addition? Some homeowners elect to stay in their home during a project of this size to save on temporary housing costs, disruption of driving patterns, etc.

Just because your smaller project only encompasses part of your home, do not be fooled into thinking that things will be normal and safe in other parts of your home.

Besides having to tough-it-out with a temporary kitchen set-up, or everyone having to use the one remaining bathroom, or all the noise & dust, you are going to have contractors coming & going through various parts of your home and garage. Those workers can accidentally bang into things, tear things, or even destroy things. YOUR things.

What To Do

Movable Items

Trust me when I say that you are going to want to take down things that can get knocked down, torn, or otherwise damaged accidentally by workers, such as framed photos & artwork…perhaps even curtains. You will want to move or pack away vases, collectibles, and other breakable items that you care about.

Permanent Items

Also, take steps to protect items that cannot easily be moved (such as, chandeliers & cabinetry) or could be damaged easily by workers (such as hardwood floors or floor tiles that get cracked). You can cover flooring with temporary flooring made of sheets of cardboard, particle board, or plywood. Just make sure they are being held in place so that they do not slip out from underneath your feet.

You may want to protect particular wall corners in your home (such as a transition from your entry foyer to a hallway) that can get run into & damaged by construction equipment, building materials, or tool belts. Consider using some type of padding (such as layered bubble-wrap or foam padding) that can be built up around the corner & held in place by the gentle-on-the-paint blue masking tape available in the paint department at Lowes, Home Depot or Ace Hardware.

Final Thought

It is best to just pack away your valuable items so that they will not be in harm’s way. You will be glad you did – or you will be kicking yourself every time you look at the damaged item that you did not safeguard.

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Finding a Good General Contractor

Home Remodeling Tip - Finding a Good General Contractor

If you have not already dealt with a home remodeling General Contractor that you like, perhaps one or more of your friends, neighbors, or local family members have had a good experience with a General Contractor. What do they have to say about their General Contractor?

General Contractor Yard Signs

When you are out & about, you probably come across the signs General Contractors put in the front yards of the houses they are working on. Perhaps, you will find a contractor you have never heard of who is doing some work you like.

Customer Reviews

Nowadays, Yelp, Google+, and Angie's List have reviews on lots of local contractors. What are people saying about their experience? Keep in mind that some people seem to squeal about the most insignificant things. But, you will get a pretty good idea about from the crowd about how satisfied people were (or were not) with a given contractor.

Contractor Finder Websites

I am not real big on the online services that indicate they will find you a great contractor simply by submitting your info on a form. I am told that these outfits immediately send your information to five or more local General Contractors - who then begin inundating your phone with calls.

I also understand that contractors pay to be included in these services, and even though there may be some quality screening that the services perform, you may not be getting calls from the best local contractors.

Additionally, I hear that the contractors know that they are not getting unique leads AND that they will be competing with several local contractors. In my opinion, that does not sound that great for the contractors either. You can find all of the local home remodeling pros & stores here, and you can see their Google reviews, too.

This blog is dedicated to providing helpful information about home improvement and home remodeling projects. I like to share advice, tips, and handy resources to help homeowners make their home remodeling projects run smoother and easier.

My goal is to post remodeling related info several times a month, and some of it will likely be helpful home remodeling articles I find online.

Comments & questions are welcome, and I should be able to respond within a few days at the latest.

Please share my posts with your friends. The information I share may be just what they're looking for, and they'll think you're awesome for helping them out.