2020 Fall Home Improvement

2020 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT Lincoln Daily News September 24, 2020 Page 13 with your loved one, such as window choices, fixtures, flooring, and paint. Before you do anything Remember, that before you start your project regardless of its size and scope you have some preliminary work to do. Figure out what you want to do and where. Draw out a plan and set a budget. Choose a local builder/contractor to do the work. Look at the contractor’s scope of work. When you contact him or her, ask for references. Call those references. You can even ask about projects the contractor is currently working on and get permission to visit a current job site. When you call contractors (talk to a few) get an overall estimate of the cost of your project. Be cautious of the contractor who lowballs the job, because he or she may also lowball the quality of the build and cut corners that should not be cut. Choose a contractor that you feel comfortable with, that communicates well, listens, and is knowledgeable. More importantly, choose one who is on board with your vision and has a personal goal of helping you attain that vision. Because you are adding onto a home where you are currently living, this is a different situation than when building a new home from the ground up. You want to speak with the contractor about this and set some ground rules about the days and hours the contractor will be working. Other things you should discuss is the workers access to amenities inside the home. Designating the bathroom they may use, whether or not they can eat their lunch on your porch and how much interaction they should have with your family during the build should be laid out ahead of time. Also talk to them about where they will need to park their vehicles, tools and equipment that will be left on the jobsite at the end of the day, and how much cleanup they are expected to do before they leave each day. Finally, regardless of what you do, remember that your home is supposed to be your place of peace, your escape from the hectic day and your connection with the ones you love. When you are finished, you still want to have that feeling, that sense of belonging and comfort. The stress of the build will pass and when it does, you will be able to look at your home and know that once again, your home is your castle and you are the king or queen of the kingdom, it’s just a little bigger now.