Plan for Forever [Text]
Are you living in your forever home? Or have you just figured out that the house you live in isn’t what you need if you’re going to stay there in the long term. If you’re ready to sink permanent roots and settle down, here are some things to take into consideration.
- Move or Remodel?
Before doing any work to your current house, decide whether to move somewhere else or remodel where you are. Compare what you would have to do in the homes you’re considering and the projects your current home would require.
In the Shreveport/Bossier City metro area, newer homes with more contemporary floor plans and current amenities tend to be more decentralized in subdivisions. If you want to stay close to the action, houses you look at will most likely be older and need as much or more remodeling than your current home.
- Find your perfect partner.
Should you choose to remodel, be aware that different home improvement professionals will provide different services. Make sure you know what your contractor provides. A design/build firm offers full service design solutions and turnkey construction management: all the bells and whistles. That may not be right for you, especially if you want to take it slow and just improve one thing at a time (ex: replace all your floors, during the first phase, then replace your exterior siding once that’s completely finished).
- Look at the Long Term
When making choices about how to best assign your remodeling budget, begin with the end in mind. If you plan to live in this home as you age, first improve your bathroom and kitchen safety, widen doorways and add track lighting to your halls and stairs before splurging on a home theater system.
- Set a Budget
If you’re not sure what a remodel should cost, check out www.costvsvalue.com. Remodeling magazine has taken much of the guesswork out of budgeting for most popular remodeling projects. Keep in mind that labor in the Shreveport/Bossier City metro is high, so work with a reliable contractor who works consistently with the same tradespeople and vendors and has a reputation for excellence.
- Know the Plan
Any experienced remodeling professional will have a process for you to follow. Insist on getting a written project scope and firm contract price before letting anyone touch your home, and be sure not to pay for everything up front. Any project of significant size should have regular progress payments coinciding with specific work benchmarks agreed upon in advance.
Whether you choose to tackle your forever home in phases or do everything at once, keep these basics in mind as you research and plan your project. Most homeowners plan for between two and five years before taking on a big remodeling project like a kitchen or bathroom, so there’s no harm in taking your time when planning your priorities.