Vendors

Proper planning prior to the remodel phase of a project ensures high-quality results, and so pre-selecting certain building materials will help to ensure that costly change-orders will not occur after a project has begun. For example:

Appliances - if dementions are not specified prior to new cabinet measuring & layout, you may later be looking at costly cabinet and/or counter-top customization
Paint - if you do not take the time to paint a sample swatch of your selected color on a wall in the specified room, you may not end up liking it due to color & light variations, and then you are looking at the cost to re-paint
Flooring - there are so many types of flooring out there, that it is nearly impossible for us to give you an accurate estimate unless we know exactly what you want. Finished or un-finished, 16" tiles or 2" mosaics, does it need underlayment? Even something as simple as vinyl comes in hundreds of styles and thicknesses. These are all factors that should be taken into consideration to give you the most accurate labor and material cost.

We realize that there there is such a variety of options out there these days when it comes to shopping for these things, that sometimes it is hard to know where to start. We have put together a list of a few of our favorite vendors, and we hope you find it helpful in your endeavors. It most definitely is easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices available, so narrowing down your choices with favorite pictures from magazines and brocures can be a helpful and time saving strategy.

Good news! For those of you who just don't have the time or patience...

I now have samples of every laminate color known to man - or woman - kind, including Wilsonart's new self-edge that gives any laminated counter a solid surface look, as well as vinyl base color samples, paint color chips & books from a variety of brands, and my newest addition to my collection is a fabulous selection of Armstrong vinyl samples from every available line they have: Cushion Step Better & Best, Natural Fusion, Stratamax Better & Best, Urban Settings Toughguard, and Rhythms Toughguard.

Just let me know which line and/or price range you are interested in, and I would be happy to loan you any of my samples. Bear in mind that we are not in the business of selling materials, and we do not promote or back any one particular brand over another, but this is a very convenient way of bringing the store to those of you who would prefer to shop & compare these kinds of materials in the privacy of your home (not to mention, actually seeing how these materials work/look in your home - not in the store - is a much more accurate way of determining how well you will truly like something.) Give us a call, as we truly look forward to hearing from you!

These tile/flooring places are very convenient because they carry displays of all the various brands, styles & manufacturers available. Rather than going around to each of the manufacturer’s individual showrooms, they have each put samples of their products all under one roof. If you like a particular manufacturer, a sales person (or McCready Remodeling) can provide you with a map to their local showroom locations, as well. You can purchase directly from many of these individual manufacturers, but please keep in mind that we get a Contractor discount from the retail prices shown on the showroom floors, and we will in turn, share that savings with you. Simply notate the name and item numbers on the back of the samples you choose (write it down or bring the chosen sample to an associate, and they can write that info. down for you,) contact us with this information or email it over to us, and we can give you our pricing and/or incorporate that into your estimate.

For Cabinetry, Solid Surface Countertops & Appliances (again, just let us know what you are interested in and we can get you our pricing:)

Does it really pay to be cheap?

Remodeling is expensive. I can often help my clients manage costs, but not always in the ways they expect. Most of my clients have been told they can save money on a project by doing part of the work themselves or by cutting corners on materials. Usually, these schemes end up costing more in the long run or throwing off the schedule irretrievably. If you're planning a renovation or the future holds plans for a major project, here are some pitfalls to avoid:

Reusing Fixtures and Materials

Some homeowners insist on reusing a tub, sink, countertop, or range to save, say, $300 to $400. The old stuff may not look bad in its old setting. But once you buff up the nearby areas with new walls and fixtures, an old refrigerator or range will look especially drab by comparison. In the vast majority of cases, people who reuse a tub or range, for example, end up regretting it. Plus, older fixtures are apt to fail sooner than their new counterparts, and replacing them often requires tearing out new work.

Although the carpeting in the 50-year-old room you're redoing might only be a few years old, it doesn't pay to tear it up and reinstall it. All the costs of reusing it could go a long way toward buying new carpeting. Plus, like reused fixtures, slightly used carpeting installed in a new addition looks especially bad.

The same holds true for used materials. When you look in a construction site dumpster, it might seem like lots of perfectly good stuff is being thrown away. But when you calculate the cost of recovering those materials, you end up paying more to reuse them.

Undertaking Demolition

Understandably, the thinking here is, How difficult can it be to use a sledgehammer? Actually, demolition work doesn't save much because it doesn't cost much. That's because demolition is not a skill-intensive part of the job, so the contractor puts his lowest-paid employees on it. If you do the demo work, you're only replacing guys making about $8 per hour. Also, when the contractor does the demo, he's responsible for containing the dust and getting rid of debris. Once you take on this task, these are your problems, and they may involve buying a dust-containment system and renting a truck. And finally, demo is the most injury-prone part of the job. Frankly, it doesn't make sense to risk injury for such a marginal savings.