Ask the Home Renovation Expert
Questions to Ask When Looking for a Contractor
When you’re in the market for a home renovation, the contractor you hire can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. While it would be nice to live in a world where every service field was run professionally by qualified tradesmen, it’s simply not the case. Many contractors are qualified but there are just as many that aren’t at all what they appear. Renovating or remodeling your home can be a stressful investment and one of the best ways to reduce stress and protect your investment is to work with a professional contractor. But how do you know you’re dealing with a professional? You have to ask the right questions.
Begin with professional credentials. Does the contractor have insurance? Every contractor that performs work on your property should have insurance. Whether they’re trimming a tree or building an addition, anyone who does work on your property without insurance is putting your home and finances at risk. While one of the advantages of hiring a professional contractor is to reduce the risk of accidents, bad things do happen from time to time. Unless your contractor is prepared to accept responsibility for an accident and carries insurance to cover any financial damages, you can become liable. The odds that anything bad will happen are slim but it’s best to be safe, not sorry.
Also, make sure you ask if your contractor is licensed and bonded. Without a license to perform the work, the contractor is putting you at risk. Unfortunately, licensing is a complicated matter that falls under different regulations depending on where the contractor works. Some areas and jurisdictions view licensing differently than others, making it confusing for contractors and homeowners alike. Licensing is also an added expense for the contractor, making it challenging for licensed contractors to compete with non-licensed contractors. However, licensing generally requires some type of insurance for the company and its employees. Ultimately, this means an injured worker can’t sue the property owner for injuries sustained on the job. Bonding protects the homeowner if the contractor should fail to complete the job, does shoddy work, or fails to pay subcontractors.
October 2011 Article
Sarah: We want to have our basement completed for Christmas. When is the latest we should be starting on this?
Jake. Hi Sarah, If you want to be in the basement for Christmas you want to have it completed by December 16th at the latest, this will give you enough time to move your furnishings in and have it set up in time. Saying that it would be best to start the development no later than October 21st, this gives you enough time to have it done at a comfortable pace. If that is too rushed for you we are able to complete a development in a 6 week period. Keep in mind that you want to allow for 10-14 days for the planning of the design before the work actually begins. The more you plan in the beginning creates less stress during the renovation.
David: Does Conklin Developments do smaller renovations or only larger scale renovations /basements? We currently have Oak woodwork and want to update this we also have a unfinished basement that we would also like to complete in the future?
Jake: Hello David, we do all types of renovations with basement development being our specialty. With a situation that you have described I would suggest that you do it in two parts. A main floor update can be a large intrusion on your family with the kitchen being the center of the household. Having a finished basement gives you and area in the home where you can retreat to. Doing a minor update (new paint and floors) is the best way to create the most value in your home. We do many of these a year and can definitely help you with the designing and completion of this.
September 2011 Article
Basement Development and Remodelling.
Lately we have been receiving numerous questions relating to new Basement Development and also the remodelling of existing basements. Below are some recent questions and answers we’ve had on these two subjects.
Ray: “We are a family of 5 and want to get our basement developed. Right now we are trying to decide if we want to hire a company to come in and do it or do we try to tackle it on our own? What is the starting point on this? When we built our home we had the bathroom roughed-in, do we start our design around that?
Conklin: Hello Ray,
The first thing I suggest you do is to figure out what you and your family want to use your basement for, do you have out of town guests that need a place to stay when they are town? Is there a possibility of having a live in Nanny in the future? Do you want to have a second living area where you can escape to? After you determine what your needs are have a company that specializes in Basement Development come and meet you at your home and have them share their knowledge and ideas with you. This meeting will usually give you more insight on what all is involved and will let you know how to proceed with your project.
Karen: “We purchased an older home that has a finished basement, it has a very poor layout / design and we were hoping to change some areas by leaving some walls in place, removing and or moving others, do we need to go through the city and get permits for this?
Conklin: Thanks for your question Karen. Yes, most definitely. The walls that you are planning to move will most likely have electrical in it and possibly some plumbing /HVAC as well. Its well worth the time and money to get a permit and have an inspector come in at the various stages and check what has been done; also it’s beneficial to bounce some questions off them while they are there. There are serious implications if something was to happen, such as a fire, and it was a result of incorrect materials used or improper installation. Another thing to consider is if in the future you decide to sell, home buyers want to be sure that the work was done correctly and proper measures where followed with all inspections being approved.
If you have a question on a project that you are planning or involved in please visit our website at conklindevelopments.ca
August 2011 Article
Complete Home Renovations
Are you frustrated with your current living space, but concerned that taking on a renovation is more than you care to handle alone? With proper planning and a good contractor, a renovation can bring a tired space new vitality and energy. Conklin Developments cares about your home and believes in providing excellence along with a solid guarantee, for all our work.
Conklin Developments specializes in Calgary home renovations as well as Airdrie and the surrounding areas. Our team will help you bring your ideas from concept to reality with high quality workmanship and professionalism. We offer Calgary home renovations and services for: home additions, kitchen and bathroom renos, basement development and custom home theatre installations.
If you are looking for that beautiful new space or just more space, let our certified and experienced team offer you a free estimate. We will provide you with a written quote so you always know what to expect when planning and budgeting for the project. Conklin Developments likes to develop a plan that suits your needs, allowing you to be in control of your Calgary home renovation every step of the way.
Renovations make good sense to improve the value of your home and allow you to design just what you really want without the huge expense of buying a new home. Each year new options become available for materials, energy efficiency, and great innovations for optimizing living space.
Tips for Home Renovations in the Calgary Area
The best way to help the contractors get the work done on time is to plan ahead. If you can have some options for materials you wish to use, the color scheme you are aiming for, the use you want the room for; it will make the process easier for all concerned.
Research is great to help you with your planning and budgeting, shop around in building stores or look in magazines or books. The more prepared you are, the better you can convey what you want to the contractors even before the actual work begins. This will ensure the supplies are currently available in the Calgary area; you will not over extend your budget or be waiting for things to be special ordered at the last minute.
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