Thinking of doing some work on your home.
Maybe you want to make some upgrades
in your kitchen or your bathroom.
You need to know where to start and
you need to know what common mistakes
to avoid to help you with that.
We have Laura Red from
lower red interiors with us.
Today she's taking your questions
about the remodeling process,
the do's and the don'ts.
Everything that you need to know.
Here's how you get your
question to our expert today.
You text us that question.
The number is
336-379-5775. Remember it is
text only so please don't call.
All right, Laura, first and foremost,
let's talk about what do we do
when we're getting started?
What do we need to think about?
So you want to think
about what are you doing?
Are you doing a kitchen or a bath?
What do you love? Are you a chef?
Do you like to entertain?
What is the space gonna do?
That's where we start 'cause you
don't want to start it then and go.
I wish I had done so.
That's where we want to start
as the planning process.
Whether that's drawings coming up
with ideas on Pinterest or House.
If you don't know what houses Houzz,
that is a professional network of
people who work that our designers,
builders, architects.
A great way to see work from all
over the world, not just locally.
It's one of my favorite.
OK, so you've got to start with the plan.
You've got to think about
what you're going to build,
and then the last thing you have to
do is you have to hire A contractor.
So let's talk about that,
because hiring a contractor,
sometimes that's really where the
whole project goes to the problem area.
It is it really is and you want
to look at like have they done
things in your neighborhood?
Do everybody is putting signs out right?
Have you talked to a friend?
A family member?
Maybe they've had somebody and
you wanna learn if it was a good
experience or a bad experience.
All remodels have problems.
That's something to remember.
All remodels? You're not.
You're starting from somebody
elses work and coming forward.
How did they deal with that problem?
That's super important.
Another way to find a professional.
Is going through a builders group,
so here in Greensboro we have the
Greensboro Builders Association and we
actually have a remodelers Council.
This is a group of professionals that have
their license and they are ready to go.
And that's a great way to
check if someone is referred.
Are they in the remodelers Council
because you have to be referred and
have qualifications to be there,
right? So a lot of times people say yeah,
I can do that job, but they
shouldn't legally be doing that job.
So what is the sticking point
when it comes to contractors?
Certainly, so any project over
$30,000 does not have to actually
have a general contractor,
so the other thing to know is
the difference between a general
contractor and an independent
contractor and independent contractor
does not have their license.
Now let me just say one thing,
I work with a lot of independent
contractors and they were fantastic so
don't rule them out just because they
don't have their license to do things.
A lot of good old boys don't have that.
If you're putting in like new electrical
new plumbing things that are going to
require that kind of extensive work,
I would recommend hiring a professional.
Someone that does have electrical,
plumbing, contract,
and license so that they know how to
connect it into what you already have.
Or if what you have isn't compatible.
They don't Jerry rig it.
'cause that's the worst.
So when you are hiring a contractor,
what is kind of like the rule of thumb,
do you? Just kind of have a discussion.
Do you put things in writing?
What kind of things do you put in writing?
So your first meeting should be
really about the plan that you want
and how they will implement it,
and see how he asks and works with you.
Is he asking you questions or is
he just kind of saying I'll do?
I'll do, I'll do, and that's not good.
You wanna partnership in a relationship
once you get to the actual decision that
you're going to use this contractor,
he will have a contract that will
basically outline your project
and you should have the details.
That's what's super important,
and then the two of you are
going to work together.
You should really like this person.
You're gonna spend a lot of time
with them in a tough place,
right? And you're gonna be
giving them some money too,
so make sure that you know you
have it written out when things
are supposedly supposed to be done.
What things are supposed to be done all the
little lines of all those kinds of things,
so that way you don't have any
kind of miscommunication, right?
Last but not least,
let's talk about some mistakes
that people make when they
start one of these projects.
Exactly one of the biggest mistakes is is
not having your project planned correctly.
Having your product ordered you should
have cabinets and countertops and
lightings and faucets and all of that
planned and ordered before you begin.
We all know about delays,
supply chains and product scarcity.
We want to be sure you're
taking care of that,
and at the end your project should
be what you wanted it to be.
If you haven't conveyed your ideas
and he doesn't know what you want,
I've seen it turn out that.
You don't actually get the kitchen
or bath that you had hoped for,
so making sure you communicate well,
OK, and that is getting the design
brought up at the beginning.
Making sure you're designing the design is
always going to be up at the beginning.
So how does that not happen?
So a lot of times people don't
think that they need a designer.
Are there pull up Pinterest Page or
something and say here copy this,
but that doesn't work because your walls
and that house aren't the Pinterest page.
So that's where the planning absolutely
has to start at the beginning
and you can have drawings done.
You can do 2D and 3D drawings,
so you literally can see it
before anything happens.
Good point, OK.
Actually, see it.
Don't just talk about.
I think I want new cabinets.
That's not not
exactly. You can really
see a full scale drawing.
OK, let's take a quick break.
We're going to be taking your
text questions when we come back
336-379-5775.