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Remodeling Houses – Costs for Bathroom, Kitchen and Basement Remodeling Want to estimate the cost of remodeling a bathroom? Get the average kitchen renovation estimate cost? Want to find the average cost to remodel a basement or get the average cost of remodeling per square foot? Estimating the cost of remodeling, is a black art on par with voodoo and horse race handicapping. If you ask a contractor for a “rough estimate” you’ll often hear $30,000 - $100,000 for a kitchen, $10,000 - $30,000 for each bathroom and who knows what with basement remodeling costs or room additions. The general rule of thumb is that remodeling houses costs between $150 -$300 per square foot depending on what kind of finishes you want, where in the country you live, what time of year it is and how the local economy is doing. ( Don’t think about the cost per hour for home remodeling, or the average cost of a general contractor.) Therefore, adding a 500 square foot master suite could easily run $100,000 or more. Contractors also have been known to add a “PITA” fee for certain clients. (PITA – “Pain in the Ass”) Make sure to keep a cordial and professional relationship with your contractor to avoid PITA charges. What should you do first when remodeling a house?Get multiple remodeling estimates. There is no better way to keep a contractor honest than to have a backup plan. You can ask friends and neighbors for referrals, or use an online service like ours to have contractors get in touch with you. Regardless, talk to at least three reputable contractors before making a decision on such a large home remodeling project. What should you do after getting the necessary cost estimate for remodeling houses?Try to make the remodeling estimates apples to apples, and all-inclusive. The more you know what you want, the more accurate the remodeling estimate will be. For bathroom remodeling, things like the type of flooring, tiles, cabinets, lighting and bath/shower will make a large difference in price. Go to Home Depot or Lowes ahead of time and spec out the kind of surfaces you like. One caution…stay consistent. Nothing looks worse than high-end cabinetry with cheap knobs or a high-end whirlpool bathtub with a cheap Formica floor. How can you cut costs when remodeling houses?Figure out if there are ways to cut remodeling costs without trimming quality. Would the contractor make allowances if you bought the materials yourself? Could you do the final painting yourself and save $2000? What if you did the job during the contractor’s off season…would that lead to a lower price? What you don’t want to do is cut quality. So be careful when having these conversations that nothing changes as far as the finished product. It is, however, perfectly legitimate to choose lower quality products as long as you do it consciously and they are appropriate for the type of home you own. Do your floors NEED to be certified reclaimed timber or could you settle for something just as strong, durable and beautiful for half the price? Should you pay your remodeling contractor up front?No! Be sure to agree on payment terms. The rule of thumb is don’t let the contractor get ahead of you. If, for instance, you are doing a $100,000 house remodel and he wants $50,000 up front, be cautious. What’s to stop him from skipping town since he just got $50,000 for no work? Also, require certain milestones for payment. For instance, you agree to pay $XXX when he buys the remodeling materials, and $XXX when he finishes the framing. How do you make sure you’ve chose a good remodeling contractor?As always, pricing a remodel is one thing, but getting value is quite another. It is very important to check references on any contractor you choose to work with. Look at his work first hand. Ask references if he has stood behind his house remodeling work in the event there were problems later on. Make sure his license is valid and up to date. Make sure he will pull any necessary permits for your house remodel. Verify who will actually be working on the job (him or his crew?) Make sure he will show up every day rather than ditch your jobsite when something new comes along. Try to put financial penalties for him in the contract if he does not live up to his promises. Finally, trust you gut. Do not hire a contractor that you would not feel comfortable having dinner with. Price is not the only concern after all. To get quotes from customer-rated contractors, click the link that applies: Bathroom remodeling quotes
Kitchen Remodeling quotes
Basement Remodeling quotes
Multi-Room remodeling quotes
Room Addition quotes
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