Home Tags Posts tagged with "home renovation"

home renovation

0

When it comes to contractors, there are specialist contractors and general contractors. Specialist contractors work on one or more aspects of the work. Therefore, on a home renovation or construction project, they might work on the electrical and plumbing side of things only. This compares to a general contractor who is responsible for the complete project. They oversee it and act as project manager leading the contractors to ensure everything gets completed on time.

Royalty Free Photo

Here are a few of the benefits of hiring general contractors and how they work for you.

Leading from the Front

A general contractor takes control of the project. Instead of the home developer or homeowner having to deal with each individual contractor one by one and juggle different responsibilities, that’s the general contractor’s job. What they say goes and other contractors report directly to the general contractor who in turn reports to the owner of the project. The buck stops with them. They’re also legally responsible and may also bear the responsibility and risk connected to what contractors below them have done or not done on the project.

Head in the Details, Not in the Clouds

The larger the building or renovation project, the more difficult it is to manage all the aspects simultaneously. Rather than the owner of the land or the property needing to get up to speed on what every contractor does, the general contracts already knows.

They look at what supplies are needed and source the right quality for a good price to keep on budget. They’ll usually have some good contacts with preferential deals on supplies compared to what the homeowner can access alone.

Good Communicators

As a general contractor, they’re required to speak the customer’s language and not only that of the contractors. They’re the point person to the developer or homeowner. While it’s difficult to talk with many contractors, the general contractor is the public face that pulls all the relevant information together to speak informatively and accurately about how the project is going and what difficulties are being experienced.

Responsible for Recruiting Other Contractors

Hiring specialist contractors is difficult because you have the experience to know what you’re looking for exactly. This makes it hard to find the right people. A general contractor understands the different specializations and how certain contractors can help complete projects better or sooner than expected. They also know the pitfalls of making a bad hiring call. They plan and make the hires and take care of the firings too.

Less Stress

When you have a general contractor on your building project, it’s far less stressful. Taking on the project and making it their responsibility is a huge burden off your shoulders. This allows you to relax about how things are progressing and place your focus elsewhere. You’ll still receive regular updates on progress, setbacks and delivery timelines, but your mind will be clearer.

Hiring a general contractor means that you no longer must micromanage each specialist contractor that you hire. They’re the team player with construction and home renovation knowledge, plus project management skills to keep everything on-track. Once you have one, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them.

0

Spring is the perfect time to give your home a makeover. The warmer days, with their additional daylight, will give you the impetus to renew your living space.

Here are five ideas to use when renovating your house.

 

1. The walls

Why not take some inspiration from the experts? It’s amazing how a fresh coat of paint can transform a room and if you want to get some additional ideas on colour and wall coverings take a look at The Ideal Home website. Remember that even though virulent green, for example, may be the colour of choice for interior designers, it might not suit your house, especially if the rooms are small. Sometimes it’s better to opt for more neutral colours and then personalise the space with some pictures or lighting effects.

Spring is the perfect time to give your home a makeover

Spring is the perfect time to give your home a makeover (photo Imgur)

 

2. The floor

An old carpet can very easily make a room look tired and unloved. If the carpet is threadbare, and beyond repair, this might be a good time to think of an alternative floor covering. You might consider a visit to a specialist such as www.easystepflooring.co.uk in order to have a look at natural wooden floors. These are easy to clean, and they will enhance the natural dimensions of your room.

 

3. The main bedroom

All too often busy parents spend their time and energy on their children’s rooms and neglect the appearance of their own room. A bedroom should be the place where you can relax at the end of an arduous day. Take a good look around the room; see if you can include a comfortable chair with your décor. The lighting should be calming; a dimmer switch is always a good idea. Good Housekeeping is an excellent resource for new ideas. Sometimes you just need to change the soft furnishings to affect a total transformation.

 

4. Furniture

It may be too expensive to replace all of your furniture, but you can always reupholster tired sofas and chairs. If your room is small, try not to choose a busy or vibrant pattern. You can always visit your local charity shop or auction house for additional furniture and restoring good quality wooden desks or chairs can actually be good fun. If you are following an overall theme for your house, try to stick to it. Though, with shabby chic, the rules demand to be broken.

 

5. Lighting

Most rooms can be enhanced with clever lighting. A single overhead light can be very harsh, so why not balance the appearance of your room with a mix of sidelights, spots and dimmed lights? Halogen bulbs are useful for mimicking daylight if your room is dark. You can also use tinted light bulbs, rather than the standard white variety. Remember that a simple change of lampshades can also change your room’s ambience.

 

You don’t have to spend a fortune when transforming your home. As long as you employ a little imagination, carry out some research and be realistic about the effect that you are trying to achieve, you’ll be able to give your house the makeover it deserves.