Letting Project Conditions Determine Timeline vs. Setting a Date for Withdrawal

Every project starts out with an estimated date of completion. Often, the date seems more like a dream than a firm deadline. Improvements made to older homes are fluid situations to say the least, while staying on the same page with both your contractor and the manufacturer can make you feel like a traffic cop. Plus, unlike the federal government, you can't carry debt with you from year to year or leave overrun budgets to your successors. Responsible contractors often advise homeowners to budget 10 to 20 percent more than the initial estimate. This way, if something comes up—and more often than not it will—you'll have the financial resources to keep things running smoothly. As much as you may want to demand a date for your contractor's withdrawal, creating a more flexible situation in your home often leads to better home improvements.

How to Avoid the 100-Year Home Improvement Project
As much as a few setbacks are inevitable, some projects can seem to extend indefinitely, doubling or tripling the estimated time for completion. Latent water damage or sewer lines running under your yard can combine with slow delivery from a manufacturer, and you can watch your project's deadline fall back one week, then two, then a month.

Home improvement consultant, Dave Lupberger, suggests focusing on the things you can control. "Problems are going to come up. That's just the way things are. But, if you've been careful about choosing your contractor, you reduce the risk of watching things snowball." Indeed, one of the most important questions when talking to a prospective contractor is how a contractor handles a home improvement when things don't go according to plan. Ask for a specific example including what went wrong and how the contractor got around the problem. Better yet, ask for this customer as one of your referrals.

Is There a Way to Get Out Early and Still Declare Victory?
A more common question than most people realize, some homeowners depend too heavily on their projects being completed on an exact date. So much so, in fact, that they're willing to compromise on the initial vision of the project or even the basic integrity of the work. Sure, you'll want to plan your home improvement carefully, thoroughly researching manufacturers and products. But patience can be just as important, especially when your contractor recommends and explains why adjustments need to be made. Call it "Zen and the Art of Home Improvement Maintenance." Of course, there may be alternative solutions that don't involve compromising the quality of the home improvement. One simple example is flooring. Dave Lupberger offers, "Today's laminate flooring performs every bit as good as hardwood and takes a fraction of the time to install."

Testimonials from the Front Lines
This homeowner from South Bend, IN spent $60,000 on a kitchen remodel that took 84 days. Conventional wisdom suggests that a kitchen remodel will take between four to eight weeks. This is true only of projects that don't encounter any significant problems. This anecdote is possible for almost any home and any homeowner: "Purchased house on advice of our own inspector who could not see all the water damage behind the insulation. Will make a lovely home for us when it is finished, I am sure."

This homeowner from Boston, MA spent $40,000 on a kitchen remodel that took 42 days. Her advice: "Redoing the kitchen is very inconvenient. For most of the six weeks, we did not have running water on our first floor. Plan on eating out a lot and that adds to the total cost of the project." Perhaps what is most telling about this testimonial is that, despite the inherent hassle of kitchen remodeling, this homeowner gave his contractor a perfect customer satisfaction rating.

This homeowner from Denver, CO spent $14,000 on a kitchen remodel that took 28 days. This more pleasant experience is also indicative of a project with a smaller scope: "Take the advice of contractors. Let them help with design. Weigh options, but don't drag out decisions. Do a design on your own first so you have an idea of what you are looking for, also review magazines, Home Depot, etc."