Apartment renovation checklist
Renovation of entire apartment can be an overwhelming experience since you will have dozens of items to cover from overall budgeting to selecting materials and best general contractor to renovate your place. Foresight and timing are the vital units of overall project flow, so if you are more flexible on budget – you can hire a design-build firm to be a site manager and take care of all scheduling, but if you prefer to keep a control of entire process, its good idea to develop a renovation checklist, request a project schedule from contractor that will perform a job and go over each and every items on remodeling proposal to ensure you are fully integrated with project flow. Let’s say if you’re doing just a bathroom remodel, you will need to know when exactly contractor will need a new tile, each of the new fixtures to ensure that your new tub, toilet and vanity get delivered on time for fitment and installation. If you’re going with kitchen remodel – make sure your cabinetry are measured well ahead and manufactured (if you have a custom millwork on mind) as overall remodeling process goes on.
Research the Regulation
Before even starting your renovation project, make sure that all remodeling ideas you got in mind will play along with local rules and regulations. At this stage it’s best to obtain a building alterations agreement if you live in an apartment building to go over what’s allowed and what’s not. General contractor that will work with your project can help you with most of the remodeling questions in terms of required documents and filings. Also there’s a chance that you will need to file for a construction permit with Department of Building and develop a set of architectural drawings if you plan some major alterations like relocation of fixtures, changing overall layout of the apartment, building an extension to your house, etc. The last thing you want to encounter halfway through your project is a realizing that it doesn’t comply with local regulations.
Get some Inspiration
When you’re done with a research, the time comes to get some inspiration and look for creative ideas online. Check out some of your local general contractors online for their most recent remodeling projects to get an understanding on most recent trends. Look for design agencies to get some inspiration. Most tile vendors for example will have renderings of possible renovated bathrooms or kitchen spaces so you can see how exactly the tile will look on shower walls, accent walls, etc. Stone fabricators can integrate a desired counter into renderings of your desired kitchen. Qualified custom millwork fabricator should provide a detailed drawings of any cabinets or units for quality fabrication.
Collect Quotes
Once you’ve got a good idea of what exactly you’d like to achieve with your remodeling project, you can go ahead and contact vendors, suppliers and fabricators for quotations. This way you can plan a budget to move on with project. Reach out to tile suppliers, find out if they offer any deals on installation services or if they have partnered with any tile contractors to do the job. Make a full list of any fixtures that you want to use and provide it to contractor that will do installation, this will help to ensure that the installation and preparation job is quoted properly and will help to avoid any extra expenses during remodeling.
Figure out a needed Contractor
Depending on desired renovation scope, you should see if you need just a general contractor to complete it or if a certified architect will be required as well. As mentioned previously this portion should be mostly covered in your research phase of any apartment renovation. Check local sources, reviews, recommendations on qualified professionals in your area who can handle the project of desired size. Client reviews on websites like Houzz can provide a certain understanding on proficiency of a contractor. Schedule a few meetings or video chats to do interviews and make a list of a companies that will be invited to bid on your remodeling project. It is always a better option to go with one general contractor that will take care of all necessary communications with subs like plumbers, stone fabricators, and licensed electricians.
Check in at job site frequently
Once the project is in progress, make sure to visit the job site frequently and communicate with contractor to be up to date with all aspects of project flow. Timely communication proven to be a key element of any remodeling project. Any potential issues that arise along the process should be solved on time to avoid all sorts of possible extra expenses.
