HOME IMPROVEMENT
Renovation time can be trying on everyone’s tempers

By Hans Vander May
Contributing Writer

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HOW TO survive one of the most
difficult relationships most people

of your

renovation, your contractor and

you,
Who wants to have a stranger

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move into their house for months
on end? There is coffee to make,
dust to endure, and the incessant
noise of the power tools.

Who wants virtual destruction
of your most prized possession by
a bunch of strangers who arrive at
your doorstep at , approximately
7:30 every morning and don’t
leave until 4:30 or 5, maybe even
Jater,

They come in all kinds of
shapes and sizes and by the end of
the day a lot of them could stand
a healthy dose of deodorant or
maybe even a good dousing with a
firehose.

Do you leave home every day
and find excuses not to be
around? Do you spend all your
time lurking around the corner
making sure that your money is
being spent wisely and honestly?

Can you trust your builder?
Should you trust your builder?

The most important part. of any
renovation. is the relationship be-
tween the client and the builder.
There hes to be trust tempered
with practicality; you don’t want
to leave $1,000 bills lying around.

A solid relationship will make
the project go much more
smoothly with far fewer disasters
than normal — every project has
at Ieast one disaster.

Although it is usually the owner
who considers the problem to be a
disaster while the builder has al-
ready identified the problem and
feels that a minor inconvenience
has occurred and that it can be
readily and easily rectified.

The reason for this is that most
owners only see a major construc-
tion problem once in .a lifetime
while the builder has seen almost
all problems during his/her time
and knows this is just a minor
detour.

When the project has started let
the contractor work, do not spend
all your time asking him/her what
s/he is doing as this only slows the
work and usually costs the client
more money.

Set aside time at least once a
week for a comprehensive meeting
where all your concerns, changes
and costs can be discussed.

Keep away from areas where the
contractor has work in progress,
as this creates the possibility of
accidents. Work areas are full of
materials where an inexperienced
person could easily injure himself
and your. builder does not need

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the added worry,

Get a schedule so you are aware
of what should be happening at
any particular time. Also, that
way you should know when you
will get your house back, along
with your privacy,

Get a payment schedule so you
know when you are expected to
have funds ready.

The more information that you
and your contractor share during
construction the easier the project
will go. It helps to go out and get
away for a while; it is amazing
how much work a contractor can
get done without the aid of the
owner,

Relationships with your builder
have to be built right at the begin-
ning. Get to know your builder by
getting good quality references
ans! then going out and talking to
these people and seeing the pro-
jects.

Try to get at least three refer-
ences and check them all. Go out
to sce them rather than just talk-
ing on the phone. That way you
have a chance to see the quality of
the work first hand.

Ask lots of questions.
Remember this is a business deal.
Most clients will tell you ali about
the builder especially if the
renovation has gone well. Also,
they are more than. happy to tell
you ali about the builder’s short-
comings if there have been. prob-
lems. .

Arguments will happen. . Be’
honest, talk over the problem. as
quickly as possible so that: any
work in dispute can be changed
quickly and at a lower cost. ‘

At the end you can happily get
rid of your contractor and re-
establish your life, living happily
ever after, or at least unti! the
next time you decide to renovate
your home.

The owner/operator of Hans
Vander May Construction, the
author has been recognized for his
exceptional contributions to the
residential construction industry i in
B.C.- with multiple Silver and
Gold Georgie Awards, the . in-
dustry’s highest honor. .

As President of the Renovation
Council of the Greater Vancouver
Home Builders’ Association, he
has been instrumental in the de-
velopment of the GVHBA
Renovation Zone at the upcoming
B.C. Fall Home Show.

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