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Home > Smart Spending > Archives > 2008 > December > 11
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Pro and Con(tractor): Is Saving Money Important With Home Renovation?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark is a contractor who renovated one of my bathrooms and will soon tackle the other. He is also a pal, so I trust him to do top-flight work at a fair price.
With many of us postponing the purchase of new homes amid the stagnant real estate market, we are sprucing up our current residences. So, we crave accomplished contractors who will charge us as little as possible.
When I sought his advice for such tips, Mark scratched his head and said, “Saving money should be the last consideration.”
Gee, thanks.
Pressed further, he offered a few ideas.
Simplify the job as much as possible. The more complex, the higher the price.
Choose cheaper — not cheap, but cheaper — materials. If your contractor is selecting them, emphasize that you prefer on-sale items.
If you are assembling materials, have them ready on time for your contractor to keep the task from being delayed. Otherwise, the cost could rise.
If you are adding a room, line up an architect, a framer and other workers yourself. It will set you back more if you turn over those duties to the contractor.
Accommodate your contractor as best as you can. A happy contractor might cut you a break if problems surface on the gig or submit a friendlier bid for the next chore.
Here is a web site that is more generous than Mark with its suggestions. And here’s another.
This site promises to help you find a contractor.
What dollar-sparing advice do you have based on your experiences with contractors?
Do you believe there is a correlation between knowing your contractor and saving money?
Mark and I may disagree on the importance of reducing expenses. But we concur on something else: He’s the best man for the job.
To find ways to help make you way through a bumpy economy check out Your Money.
