So you are finally getting to do that home improvement project you have been looking forward to for so long. You have heard the horror stories of bad contractors and seen some beautiful work. You have a reasonable budget but can’t afford costly add ons.
Can you afford to get a Construction Consultant? The question is can you afford not to? A consultant works for you, not the general contractor or any of the subcontractors. He is there to protect you – to ensure that your job is done beautifully, on time, and on budget. Without a construction consultant, this almost never happens.
What does your Construction Consultant do exactly? Let’s start with 3 of the responsibilities he/she takes right from the start for your protection and peace of mind:
1) He will first talk with you and review design recommendations from your architect or designer looking at the practical functionality. After all you have to live in the space and how can you do that comfortably if it is not set up with good flow and function. He will also assess the resale potential of any projects and let you know if you are likely to get your investment back when you go to sell your house.
2) He will then review bids to determine if they are aligned with what you are asking for, and to translate the construction jargon so you know exactly you are getting for the price, and let you know if you are being overcharged or if you are getting a good price.
3) Then he will review the contract details to make sure that the payment schedule is outlined clearly in advance so that there are no surprises. He will also make sure that the contracts are in compliance with local ordinances, ones you may have never even heard of but can cost you time and money if they are not followed.
These are some of the things you need to get off to a good start whether you are redoing your roof, your kitchen or just adding some curb appeal to the front of your house. In our next post in this series, we will look at more ways your consultant can help you.