Monday, November 23, 2009

Now IS the Time to Remodel


I received a voicemail message from my client on Saturday... in a nutshell she was THRILLED that her Powder Room remodeling project was moving along smoothly and quickly. My client lives in a coastal community here in Orange County, where 12-18 months ago a 2-4 month wait was the "norm" for just about any type of remodeling work - from painting to plumbing.

This project by the way, was a major "rush" -- literally 6 days to schedule carpeting, painting, and plumbing upgrades ready in time for Thanksgiving dinner!  A feat to be accomplished with no less than three different contractors schedules, not to mention juggling delivery of fixtures and carpeting.  Usually, I would not lay odds that it could be accomplished in such a time schedule (unless of course you have the Extreme Makeover team handy...)  However, it seems the Recession/down economy has freed up some schedules of many local contractors, and has "hungry" vendors willing to go the extra mile to find products, even if that means driving it in from another warehouse 30 miles away.

Last Wednesday, after the wallpaper had been installed (that unfortunately was the one item we couldn't seem to rush), we went to a "wholesale to the public" store that sells bath fixtures available for pickup by the plumber in a 1-day turnaround. We then picked out an eco-friendly sea grass carpeting that was installed on Friday, picked up a fabulous 5 ft. mirror at another store, and scheduled the painter and plumber...all agreeing to be done by Tues. at 5 p.m.  Can't wait to hear what the Thanksgiving guests think!

If you are currently thinking of remodeling a room or rooms in your home and have the budget, there's a good chance you may be able to get your project done on time and without going over budget.  It's a win-win proposition for homeowners and local businesses that have seen a drop in their sales.


Some tips:
  • If you can, pick up fixtures and hardware yourself, and pay on the spot. You'll save the contractor's markup and can be assured necessary items are in stock or can be pulled from another location.
  • Stick to the schedules you arrange for delivery and installation.
  • Make sure your contractors know you can pay in cash at the time the job is completed.

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