Though rare, I occasionally have work done on my house by other companies.  I know that may be surprising.  It gives me the perspective of our clients and frankly our team is extremely busy helping our clients.

Recently while out of town for the holidays I had some work done on our floors. You know how it is when you return from a trip you are tired, a little stressed, and just want to rest and settle back into your routine.  Upon returning we walked through our front door, luggage in hand, and found dust and construction debris everywhere.  Though the craftsmanship was good the dust on our walls, furniture, and floors made it impossible to relax.

Does it have to be this way?  I say an emphatically, “NO!”  You do not have to live in filth just because you have work done inside your home. It is generally accepted by many contractors that it is perfectly okay to rush into someones home, demo and install, and leave as soon as possible.

Our TMC Construction Services team knows better. We need to maintain a level of cleanliness and order during our remodeling process and we are not finished until your new space is clean.  We leave when your home is ready for you to relax and enjoy your new space without having to clean up after us.  Our belief is to act as if we were invited for dinner.

We are grateful for your trust and look forward to seeing you soon.

So you are considering a remodeling project or a home makeover. Perhaps you just finished cooking a big meal in your kitchen and finally had enough of bumping into each other and searching for the right pot or pan.

“Oh, but what a stressful endeavor it will be”, you think. Contractors never show up on time, the project will take forever, and the costs will be exorbitant!

Well, you are potentially correct. I want to help take some of the stress away by giving you some advice to avoid common pitfalls. Home remodeling projects do not need to be painful. It should be an enjoyable experience if handled by professionals. Here are a few things to consider:

1) Write down the most important attributes you would like in the contractor that you hire.

• Track record of showing up on-time
• Mostly positive on-line reviews
• Include all materials & labor

2) Whatever your list search for estimates from contractors that meet your criteria. If you want to purchase all of the materials yourself than do not as for an estimate from a contractor that does not work that way.

3) Call contractors previous projects. (At least 2) Ask if they showed up on-time, kept the environment clean, and finished on-time.

4) Cost Plus vs Lump Sum. Do you want to see the exact cost every part and piece for your project?
If you want a contractor that operates this way be prepared for your overall cost for the project to escalate throughout your project. When they need another 2×4 be ready to get your checkbook out. A Lump Sum contractor will be held to the cost on their contract unless you change the specifications.

5) Here is one more: Having someone work in your home is NOT a transaction it is a relationship. In remodeling sometimes things do not go perfectly so having a good relationship will allow for an easier process and ensure great results!

Note from Brian; “I love discussing home makeover projects. Feel free to email me any questions and would be happy to offer advice and thoughts.”

When hiring a remodeling company… and how to avoid them!

By Brian Martin

I like drinking coffee, not the fancy 3 shot-whole milk-double cinnamon-whip…way too many words at the drive-thru. Nope, just a simple coffee with a splash of cream for me thank you. Usually costs me $2.50 and I am happy. I feel very different when dealing with a car mechanic. I do not mind paying whatever it takes to get the job done right the first time. Anyone who has been stuck on the side of a highway will agree that cutting costs on a vehicle repair is not a good idea. I want the technician with the most amount of experience and I want the best parts made. I think we all have things we are willing to invest in and other things we are okay with the barebones.

Here are some things to consider when looking to hire for a home renovation project.

Whether this is your first remodeling project or your hundredth, it’s wise to be cautious, ask lots of questions, and speak with the remodeler’s former clients. And think through the following:

Mistake #1–– Being pressured to sign a contract. You should always see renderings or drawings and be completely clear on what’s being proposed. A qualified remodeling company should be busy and not make you feel the need to pressure you to sign up today.

Mistake #2–– Hiring for labor only. It may seem like a great deal when you see a lower dollar amount for a remodeling project. However, if the deal requires you, the homeowner, to acquire all of the materials, you’ll soon discover the stresses involved. Where to buy? You will pay retail prices anyway? Did you order enough material? (The labor-only contractor will leave your jobsite if there isn’t enough). Did you order the right size? And what will you do if and whenthere are damages or shortages?

Mistake #3–– Hiring sub-contractors. It’s not that sub-contractors are bad people, not at all! The problem is they may have many other projects they’re working on. Yours could be job #1 or #2. Yours could also be #15 or #20. So, when the contractor you hire is ready for the tile subcontractor, that sub-contractor could be tied up for a week on another job. The same goes for the carpenter, plumber, electrician, painter…. And what happens when the tile sub-contractor runs into a problem with the way in which the carpenter prepared the shower walls and now wants to charge more for the extra time it takes to install the tile? Who pays for that?

Mistake #4–– Not Hiring a Design Team. Without a design team to assist you, it can be challenging walking into a building material showroom on your own. Thousands of samples and many displays in a showroom, sales staff running around here and there, a long counter with people in line looking for help. Who can help you…and where do you start?

Mistake #5–– Cost-Plus Contractors. Some contractors will list the cost of every bit of material and will list a labor price separately. So, if your project takes longer or requires more material than initially listed on the contract, you, as the homeowner, pays the difference. And when you see the contractors sitting in their trucks eating an hour lunch or you see them making mistakes cutting tile causing hundreds of broken pieces being thrown away –– are you the one paying for this? It’s better to have a LUMP-SUM agreement in-advance where the contractor lists one cost for the project and is held to that amount regardless of their mistakes or miscalculations.

And before you sign, ask lots of questions, seek references, speak with recent homeowners who have used the remodeling company.

© Copyright 2023 Brian T. Martin & TMC Construction Services, Inc.

So you want to do a home remodel?

I know how it is, you walk into that same kitchen you have walked into for years, maybe decades. You go to your old wood cabinet that has slightly faded over the years and grab your morning coffee cup. As you sit at your kitchen table sipping your brew you glance around and think to yourself how nice it would be to have brighter color cabinets with crown molding, simple but elegant quartz counter tops, an updated stainless under-mount sink, and a really cool bold looking tile back splash. Wait, you think, could we even remove that wall and make the kitchen even larger?

As your finish your coffee you likely have thoughts of messy contractors that rarely show up, weeks or maybe months of an unusable kitchen, escalating costs that never seem to have an end in sight. And with those last thoughts, you throw your cup in the same beat up sink and go on about your day.

Covid and our present economy has certainly changed the landscape of the home remodeling industry. In 2015, TMC had a 3 month wait list and we could order materials within 2-3 weeks of the project starting and everything would be available and ready to go at the start date. As of, February 2022, TMC has a 12 month wait list and cabinets for example have a 3 month lead-time.

Quality minded contractors with a loyal following and strong client on-line reviews have long wait times. These long wait times have an upside that clients have time to make thought out decisions on the products they would like to have in their newly remodeled spaces. TMC’s design team walks our clients through step by step, item by item, to ensure that each piece works well with the next and that orders can be placed in the right amount of time for the project. The quartz tops will look great with the tile backsplash and the paint colors will make the new cabinets look incredible.

Do the project now or later? Here is what the owner of TMC says, “It typically costs very little to investigate a potential project. Likely if you start investigating today your new kitchen, bathroom, or addition is 12 months or more away. Look at on-line reviews and talk to neighbors and friends, make a wish-list. Select your top two or three candidates and start the conversations. Next year at this time you could be drinking coffee in a beautiful new kitchen.”