Remodeling Report for Chicago 2024, Part 4
Remodeling can be one of the most rewarding and exciting things you’ll ever do for your home. But it’s also a stressful, emotional experience because of the disruption to your life — there’s a lot of mess, noise and cost. Here’s some advice to help you avoid a bad remodeling experience:
Remodeling Dos
DO collect your decorating ideas
It’s a good idea to create your own Pinterest account, then “pin” images from online sources that reflect your ideal layout, appliance preferences, favorite finishes or color palette for your dream home. Or go old school and print out photos you find online, clip photos out of magazines, and affix them to a bulletin board or poster board so you can share your design vision. Prioritize your ideas in order of importance: non-negotiable (“must-have”), “this would be nice,” and “perhaps in the future.”
DO consider your home’s resale value
Very little is certain in life. Your situation may change unexpectedly. If for some reason you decide to move, a home with too many quirky, personal design choices can be difficult to sell. Plan for the future — take some time to consider what others might find appealing about your home. A little forethought during the remodeling process can go a long way to ensure that you recoup your investment someday. Choose a remodeling contractor who keeps up with the industry data and can guide you on what the return on investment may be based on recent remodeling statistics in the Chicagoland area.
DO research your contractor
Your home is one of your most valuable investments. Before beginning any remodeling project, interview contractors to find one that is like-minded. Not sure what to ask a contractor in the interview? Here are some questions:
- How many years of remodeling experience do you have?
- What types of projects have you worked on?
- Do you have experience with projects similar to mine?
- Who will be my main point of contact during the project?
- Do you offer a guarantee or warranty on your services?
- Are you licensed and insured for this type of project? (Ask to see licenses and insurance)
- Do you have Workers’ Compensation insurance? (See below, “DON’T hire companies without Workers’ Compensation Insurance” for more information)
- Are your workers EPA-certified? (See below, “DO hire EPA-certified workers” for more information)
DO look for a remodeling company with experience
If you’re remodeling a bathroom, ask the company how many bathrooms they’ve remodeled. If you haven’t lived through a remodel, you can’t imagine how much more pleasant the experience is with an experienced professional. At Get Dwell, we have a deep bench of professionals with decades of combined experience, and our project managers each have a minimum of 20 years remodeling experience.
Sometimes homeowners hire kitchen or bath installers who run into a problem that they’re unequipped to deal with. (Note that there are always problems that arise unexpectedly in any remodeling project. These can be caused by unseen structural secrets that your home was hiding, extreme hot or cold temperatures, excessive precipitation, and/or supply chain delays.) If an issue arises that is outside of the remodeler’s scope, it can cause delays and/or increase the cost of the project. That’s why all our carpenters are master carpenters who can get you and us out of any structural or other kind of quagmire that may pop up.
At Get Dwell, we have a deep bench of professionals with decades of combined experience, and our project managers each have a minimum of 20 years remodeling experience.
In 2024, Get Dwell was called upon to help with six botched bathroom projects. One was from a homeowner that we had given a bathroom remodeling proposal to earlier in the year. They went with a less expensive alternative but had to call us in to finish the project. Unfortunately, this ended up costing the homeowner more money than we originally quoted since we had to repair the other contractor’s mistakes.
The remodeling industry has best practices that the most respected remodeling companies learn and follow. There are policies and procedures to establish and maintain good communication. Get Dwell only employs individuals who show up on time and do what they say they’re going to do. We keep construction dust to a minimum. We anticipate delays and plan for inconveniences to the homeowner. We keep the homeowner apprised of progress with daily status reports and keep surprises to a minimum.
DO hire EPA-certified workers
Did you know that all contractors who work on homes built before 1978 are required to be EPA certified? This applies to renovation, repair and painting where lead-based paint is disturbed as a consequence of the activity. One way to see if the company you’re about to hire is protecting you is to check if they’re EPA certified. Regardless of the age of your house, if your contractor does not have this EPA certification, they probably don’t have any of the other safeguards to keep your home safe and your project problem free. Check the Lead-based Paint Professional Locator on the EPA website to make sure the company is certified.
DO hire people you trust
If you get a feeling that a contractor is sketchy, if their answers when you interview them are vague, go with your gut! At Get Dwell, we know it’s not only showing up and skills that matter. We know you also care about the sort of workers coming into your home. That’s why we always introduce our clients to their remodeling team to make sure it’s a good fit. Our crews show up on time, do what they’ve promised to do, and leave the job site clean every day. Believe us when we say that people like that are rare these days in any industry — but especially in the remodeling business.
DO make it a priority to understand the true cost of your project
A remodel can significantly add value to your home, but it’s also a considerable investment. Be sure that you have a detailed scope and budget. A professional remodeling contractor will be committed to helping you get the most value for your dollar and can help you determine what you should expect to pay for your project. Establishing your budget early in the process is extremely helpful to your team — it’s one of the key ingredients to getting you the most value for your remodeling dollars. A good contractor can also help you evaluate and maybe get creative with your priorities and “this would be nice” wish list so that you’re getting what you want in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
DO meet the team that is going to do the work before work begins
You will be living with these folks 8 to 10 hours a day, possibly six days a week. While salespeople and owners present well and get along with others, it’s not always the case with the folks who are doing the work. These workers will be in your house every day: be sure to choose a company you get along with and respect. It’s no accident that Get Dwell has always been known for the great people we employ. We understand that part of what you’re paying for is the quality of the experience you have during your remodeling project.
DO ensure your contractor provides regular reports
Industry-wide, this is the #1 cause of frustration during a remodel. Not having good, on-time, fluid communication (in person and/or digitally) can cause unnecessary errors, and in extreme cases, project failure. Maintaining open communication with your contractor and daily/regular status reports (a weekly progress report, at the very least) allows you to stay up to date and be informed of any changes or delays. This way, everyone can address any issues promptly to avoid misunderstandings and frustration and keep the project on track. Ask your contractor in advance what to expect from them in terms of regular reporting.
Remodeling Don’ts
DON’T start any work without contingency planning (aka”what-ifs”)
Not all contractors like to talk about the what-ifs when they’re bidding a project. Before any work begins, your contractor should supply you with a written scope of work and estimate, discussing with you upfront what potential issues may affect the price or complexity of the project and how they will be handled.
Every project has unexpected issues. How will your contractor handle these? Is there a backup if the principal carpenter or contractor gets hurt or is delayed?
Contractors sometimes assume that homeowners understand that additional costs are always possible once the work commences. Or they don’t address the possibility of unforeseen additional costs upfront for fear that the homeowner will back out because the estimate is too high. Every project has unexpected issues. How will your contractor handle these? Is there a backup if the principal carpenter or contractor gets hurt or is delayed? Sometimes these issues can have a domino effect as contractors get spread too thin and try to limp projects along. They hope the homeowner won’t notice or cancel the project while they spend most of the time working at another job site.
Some contractors take note of questions that you didn’t know to ask, and when an issue arises, they don’t bat an eye as they calmly inform you that you’ll have to hand over more money. Be smart: discuss possible contingencies with your contractor upfront or you risk disappointment and frustration.
DON’T pay your contractor with cash
Sometimes unscrupulous contractors will mention a discount for paying cash vs. check or credit card. Usually, these contractors want to be paid in cash to avoid paying income taxes and the cost of having necessary safeguards in place for their employees, which would then be accounted for and documented. “Cash Contractors” are never the best contractors. There is a reason their work is discounted — it’s because the quality and workmanship are just not there. As Ben Franklin wrote, “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
Ben FranklinDON’T hire companies without Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Workers’ Compensation (“workers’ comp”) is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee’s right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence. Illinois law requires employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance for almost everyone who is hired, injured, or whose employment is localized in Illinois.1
Workers’ Compensation goes beyond just being risk protection for everyone involved. It also helps weed out those workers who may have something to hide, people you probably don’t want in your house. Men who are not paying court-mandated child support and undocumented workers flourish without these kinds of safeguards. The federal government and the insurance companies have checks and balances that quickly catch up with and expose these people to their employers. However, if a contractor doesn’t have Workers’ Compensation for their crew, they’ll likely never know if their workers are hiding something. If you want to make sure things are legit and that you’re protected, ask to see your contractor’s Certificate of Insurance for Workers’ Compensation.
And finally … the last “DO”:
DO choose Get Dwell
The home improvement industry experienced changes post-COVID. Workers experienced more flexibility in their schedules. Expectations of when materials and supplies will be available fundamentally changed. And we’ve changed right along with them. We’ve streamlined our trade partner and supply relationships, keeping us all better informed, more efficient and prepared to serve our clients. These relationships — some going back as far as 20 years — give us the ability to pivot quickly and go the extra mile when our clients need it.
Whether we are helping you maintain your investment, making a repair, preparing your home to sell, or completing a remodeling project, we make sure everything runs smoothly from start to finish.
Get Dwell has been in business for more than 20 years. Maintaining and enhancing Chicago-area homes is the foundation of our business. Whether we are helping you maintain your investment, making a repair, preparing your home to sell, or completing a remodeling project, we make sure everything runs smoothly from start to finish. Our hardware store partners, all family-owned, have been serving the Chicago community for 3.5 generations on average. What does all this equate to? Our business is about trusted, longstanding relationships. We have plenty of references for you to talk to. Hire a remodeling company you can trust. Let us help you update and remodel your home with a minimum of stress. Schedule time to talk to a Get Dwell Project Manager here.
