With Mother Nature at full bloom, all the sun and so much fun, and to the changing of foliage to a magnificent burst of gold and red; it is so easy to procrastinate and delay home improvement until winter. What homeowners overlook is all the benefits that they could have lavished at and the possible larger problems and costs that they would have to face if repairs are put off. To boost New York home value as well as afford the family better quality of living before the cold winter hits, it would be ideal to not wait and undertake projects now whether you are in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, or Long Island.
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Take the time to go through the house and around the property to know which areas need mending or upgrades. Think over the current needs and lifestyle of the family, and determine which project would complement best and serve as the perfect solution. But whatever project you undertake, from wall painting to luxury bathroom remodeling, it is important that you integrate the key essentials to success and these are craftsmanship, proper and enough planning, and selection of quality products.
Taking advantage of the fine weather is crucial to make the completion of just any home improvement as timely and budget-conscious as can be. Ideally, non-winter time would mean a better time to be tackling outdoor home improvements. Here is a list of possible outdoor jobs you can have done, which can be hard to impossible to do during winter:
. Fix the fence. Winter and the following rainy months will cause the posts to weaken. Make sure the fence will be able to withstand the weather beatings.
. Trim bushes and trees, mow the lawn and improve landscape.
. Depending on the condition of the roofing and gutters, repair accordingly or replace.
. Clean and seal the deck.
. Repaint exterior.
. Install siding.
. Re-caulk and install weather stripping.
. Fill up cracks in the walkways, pavement, and driveway.
. Replace doors and windows for better energy efficiency.
. Waterproof porches and decks.
. Fertilize the lawn.
But other than outdoor projects; home additions, extensions; and other indoor home improvements can also be taken with more ease on other seasons than winter. Additions and extensions will require that some parts of your house be temporarily be open for some time. Doing such on winter will expose not only the household to the cold but the working contractors as well, making up for health hazards and uncomfortable working environment. Other indoor projects as well could be better off not scheduled on winter. Heavy snow, the frost and chill can cause problems with the delivery of materials and supplies as well as everyday transportation of contractors and subcontractors from their own homes or office to your place.
Other than these given benefits and advantages of taking on a home improvement now and not delay until winter, any season is also a great way to prepare for the cold months. Have your driveways and roof equipped with heaters to avoid frost and burying the property in snow. Being off-peak, have your chimneys swept and cleaned for less. Wouldn't it be grand to be staying warm and comfortable while enjoying the fruits of your remodeling and repair efforts?
In the life of every homeowner comes the time when he asks himself this question: Does my house need some home improvement jobs? In most of the cases the answer is yes, especially when he plans on selling the property. Although such a home improvement project can prove to be more than a rewarding project, it can also cause a lot of problems that can be very difficult to resolve. For this particular reason, we will now offer you some tips regarding how a home improvement project should look like and what problems you must avoid:
o References - We strongly advise all homeowners to search for the right contractor because he is the heart of the entire project. We recommend that you immediately walk away when the contractor doesn't want to provide references from former clients. Online searching is the perfect tool for such a task and we encourage all homeowners to use websites that offer such services.
o Project Management - You will need one person that will help you manage your home improvement project. Most of the problems occur when inexperienced homeowners are stubborn and want to manage their own project. A project manager is a single point of contact between the homeowner and the other contractors and is entirely responsible for workflow and scheduling.
o Changes - During the duration of the project, you may want to change your mind regarding some aspects of the project and want to make a few changes that will require more or less work from the hired contractors. We strongly advise homeowners to document every change order and note the exact savings or additional costs. The changes should be dated and signed by all the implicated parties.
o Plans - It is highly advisable to obtain a crystal clear description on what will be done, how it will be done and what materials will be used for the project. For small-sized projects, the contractors usually draw up plans while for the larger and more complicated projects, it is recommended to hire an architect or a qualified designer.
o Contracts - Do everything you can so that the contract is rock solid. We suggest that you put all the details in writing (never take somebody's word for granted). Here are some of the most critical items that should be included in every contract: company's full name and the person's full name along with contact information; an addendum consisting of the complete set of plans; warranties; signatures; start/completion date; prices of services/goods; manner & terms of payment and others as well.
o Warranty - You must make Roofer sure that you will obtain a warranty with fully detailed terms and conditions. In order to avoid the confusion as to who is responsible for the warranty, we suggest that you get the following items in writing: Who is backing the warranty? How long is the warranty valid for? What is/isn't covered by the warranty?
o Financing and payments - Before you make the deal think about how you will pay for the project. Make sure you have total control of your money (never let the contractor or project manager handle your money). Some tips regarding this issue: never pay a lot of money at the start; pay after the materials have arrived; pay when the work starts and as it progresses;
We hope that these tips will help you manage your home improvement project efficiently without any real issues in terms of costs, quality and time. A home improvement project is very important for any homeowner that is why we advise all homeowners to be very careful when choosing contractors, materials and when they set up the contract.