So You Want To Add On A Room?

We called the roofer at home and suggested that he should get his wait-until-tomorrow-to-do-it-right butt over to our house and install the skylights permanently before everything floated away.

by. David Jones 

If architects and builders ever begin designing homes especially configured to allow additional rooms to be added easily, the world will beat a path to their door. In the meantime, if you are contemplating adding a room onto your home, you might want to lie down and see if the feeling passes. If it doesn’t, read on.

Several years ago we added a dining room, laundry room, master bedroom, master bath and expanded the family room in our home. If we had it to do all over again, we would still add on, but there definitely are things we would do differently.

The one sanctuary we had from the chaos of the outside world was suddenly transformed into a scene from the newIndependence Day flick. Despite our best efforts, dust and dirt were everywhere. Strangers moved freely about the house. The noise began early and ran throughout the day. The project took much longer and cost more than even our worst case scenario.

Despite all the contractor’s assurances that “everything will turn out fine,” we got pretty nervous when he began taking down a supporting wall. Meanwhile, the bricklayer had finished the new wall but did not feather the new bricks into the old as we instructed. The old bricks were on bottom, and the new bricks were on top.

He said, “No one will see this side of the house anyway.” My wife reminded him that it wasn’t his house, we would see it and that we were signing the checks. He removed the brick but left in a huff, and we did not see him for two days.

The roofer sent one person to put on the new shingles. Two days later, the progress was insignificant. After several telephone calls, the roofer sent a full crew to do the job. They finished the shingles that day but did not have time to tack down the three new skylights, which were merely laid over the large holes in our roof.

Dark clouds on the horizon were our first indication of trouble to come. A Texas blue norther was approaching rapidly. A tornado watch was issued. We were two nervous homeowners. As the wind howled, it lifted the skylights and set them gently down elsewhere on the roof. Then the rains began.

We called the roofer at home and suggested that he should get his wait-until-tomorrow-to-do-it-right butt over to our house and install the skylights permanently before everything floated away. Luckily for us and him, plastic protective sheeting still covered the existing carpet and furniture.

The point of all this is to say that remodeling is traumatic, and you should be prepared to cope with it. Humor helps. Just remember that someday you will be able to laugh about your adventures, entertain your neighbors with your that’s-nothing-wait’ll-you-hear-what-happened-to-us stories.

How do you choose a remodeling contractor? HGTV.com writer Alicia Garceau suggests you:

• Ask for referrals. “Word of mouth, hands down, is the best way to find a qualified professional to tackle the job,” she writes.
• Look at credentials. “Find out whether he or she holds all the required licenses from state and local municipalities, along with designations from any professional associations, such as the National Kitchen & Bath Association, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and the National Association of Homebuilders.”
• Interview candidates (and don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions).
• Check references. Not only that, but ask to see some of the contractors’ projects.
• Check the contractors’ business experience. Do they have a permanent mailing address, e-mail address, etc.? Do they have insurance that protects you from liability?
• Get everything in writing. Once you’ve selected a contractor, Garceau says to scrutinize the contract. Make sure it includes such things as the bid price, payment schedule, and specifics about the scope of work.

As for me, I hope there are no more major remodeling projects in my future. But if there are, I think my wife and I will move into a hotel for the duration. We’ll be happier and so will the contractors. 

This article originally published by Tierra Grande, a publication of Texas A&M – Real Estate Center Online.

About David Jones | Since joining the staff in 1975, David’s credits include creating Tierra Grande magazine, RECON and the calendar format for the Center’s annual report. He has two degrees from Texas A&M University and is an Accredited Business Communicator. He has won more than 100 communication honors including two Gold Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communicator