No matter what kind of building project you’re embarking on in the Fairfax and Alexandria area, you undoubtedly want to make sure that it goes smoothly and has a successful outcome. If this is your first home improvement project, custom home, or remodeling job, you may be unsure of what to expect and how to proceed from start to finish. Here are some tips from the building contractors in Alexandria on how to contribute to the success of your building project.
1. Clearly visualize the outcome you want.
If you have a firm and solid idea of what you want, you’ll know when you get there. On the other hand, not knowing exactly where you want to go will make it more difficult for your building contractor to help you to get there. Your project is about moving from point A to point B, but if you don’t know exactly what you want point B to be, it will be more difficult to accomplish that.
2. Communicate your goals to the project manager.
You might not know exactly what point B will look like in detail before it’s finished. After all, you’re not the experienced building contractor, so how can you clearly visualize the outcome before you’ve seen it? You don’t have to know about every board, soffit, pipe, and vent that your building project will contain, but you can talk about what you want to be able to DO with the space. Knowing your goals will help the builder to customize the project to your needs.
3. Ask questions.
If it’s your first project, you may just feel like being along for the ride and watching what happens as it unfolds. If that’s your style, great! However, you also shouldn’t hesitate to ask questions. Here are some of the questions you can ask upfront that will give you a good global grasp of the project so that you won’t feel “lost” as it progresses.
- What are the major project milestones?
- What is a rough timeline for when I can expect to see these milestones completed?
- Are there any parts of this project that could cause an unexpected hiccup or a delay?
- Are there any parts of this project that could incur unforeseen costs?
- What’s the worst case scenario for this project?
The benefit of asking these questions is twofold. First, it will help to orient you while the project is being completed. Second, asking these questions (and hearing sketchy answers) can also benefit you by helping you to sniff out a scam and run before you’ve committed your money. A reputable builder will have no problem giving you honest, transparent, and upfront responses to questions like these.
Get the building services you need right here at Dobson Building + Remodeling.
We serve Alexandria, Annandale, Fairfax, and Springfield, VA with high-quality building and remodeling services. No matter what your building project, talk to us and we will give you a quote, guide you to a solution, and execute your project from start to finish with integrity, quality, and timeliness. Call today.