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Wed, Aug 4, 10 at 16:55
| DH and i were planning to redo our flooring, then decided to repaint prior to changing the floor. This led to removing some mirrors, possibly enlarging our kitchen, updating our bathrooms, taking out some walls so that our floor plan is more open, adding on to our home, etc. I see how a small job can snowball into an extreme home makeover! Anyway. We aren't sure whether we want to commit to remodeling so many areas of the house at this point (4 kids, 5 and under), or whether we can do things in phases. School is starting in less than a month, and I really don't want to move out to have work done (if it can be avoided). How do we figure all this out? Should we speak with an architect? Contractor? Do we need to figure out exactly what we want first? We considered remodling a few years back, and it was a nightmare. Needless to say, it didn't happen. What other things do we need to consider in order to "plan" for a remodel? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I think you already know the answer. Slow down. Decide what you want and your budget. Consult a designer. When the plan is complete, then you can decide how much you want to do, how much is to be contracted out. Doing it all at once minimizes the pain and disruption. I know of more than a few marriages that have fallen apart as the couple try to live in and through the upheaval. (If that sort of thing matters to you.) |
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| worthy is right, don't rush things especially with school starting soon. Take your time to decide what are the priorities and how much you can afford. Also check what you could possibly do yourself and what would have to be done by a contractor. Maybe doing it all at once will minimize the pain but with four kinds to look after, going step by step could be better. Good luck. |
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| whats the diff between the roles of an architect and designer? when would we need a contractor vs not? If I have my own tile guy/contacts does that eliminate the need for a contractor? |
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| An architect is a a licensed professional who should be skilled in all aspects of design and construction management. A designer can range from a licensed architectural technologist to a draftsman to someone with a background in construction and design. Architects are the most expensive. The other pros should have their drawings double-checked by a licensed engineer. That's what I do. If you're hiring and coordinating trades, you are your own general contractor. Sometimes that works; sometimes it doesn't. The less experience you have in construction projects, the less sensible it is to act as your own general contractor. At least, that's my view as a builder/general contractor. |
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