When It’s Time to Update Your Historic Home, Not Just Any Remodeler Will Do
Renovating your historic home is an investment that can not only boost your property’s value, but also help you enjoy your space more fully. However, these projects come with a unique set of challenges and demand precise skill and care.
That’s why hiring the best remodeler is of the utmost importance. But how do you weed out the good from the bad? Unfortunately, home improvement scams are out there, so you need to do your fair share of research.
When you’re ready to begin planning your historic home renovation, experts recommend using the following parameters to thoroughly vet companies.
Choose an Experienced Historic Home Renovation Company
It may sound obvious, but it’s crucial to find a remodeler experienced in historic home renovations near you. Old houses are often filled with behind-the-walls surprises, and a company with little-to-no experience making updates to decades-old structures is essentially entering uncharted territory. This often results in an extended project timeline, cost overruns, and a finished product you may not be completely in love with.
By selecting a true historic home renovation specialist, you can avoid unnecessary headaches and give yourself peace of mind. A professional has come across hidden issues before and can offer solutions that keep the project and budget on track.
Look for a Historic Home Renovation Expert Who Understands Period-Appropriate Design
Old houses exude classic charm because of their distinctive design elements. These characteristics nod to the period in which a home was built and showcase the heritage of not only the property itself, but the surrounding community. When these intricate details are covered up or removed, a house ultimately loses a part of its story.
Of course, the goal of any renovation is to enhance a home’s style, comfort, and livability, but that doesn’t mean it has to come at the expense of the features that make it so special in the first place. By understanding the historical context of a property and its neighborhood, the right remodeler will be able to perfectly balance old and new.
Make it a point to look at a company’s portfolio to see how they’ve approached renovating historic homes in the past.
Partner with a Design-Build Company for Your Historic Home Renovations
A company that provides design and construction services is a smart choice for historic home renovations. This means you’ll work with the same team from start to finish and won’t have to worry about juggling multiple vendor relationships.
Things can easily get lost in translation when you hire a designer and builder separately. Partnering with a firm that offers an all-in-one solution ensures a smooth and efficient process. You’ll have a dedicated project manager who will be your main point of contact and keep you up-to-date on your project’s progress, so you’re never left in the dark.
Know the Right Questions to Ask
After you’ve surfed the web for companies specializing in historic home renovations near you, you’ll probably have a few remodelers you think could make your project a success. To narrow down your options, you should contact each to discuss your home renovation ideas and see if your project is a good fit. By asking the right questions, you can better determine whether a team is cut out for reaching your goals.
Whether you talk in person, over the phone, or via email, consider including these questions in your conversation:
- How long have you been in business?
- Are you licensed and insured?
- Have you completed historic home renovations in the past?
- Can you provide references?
- Do you have a portfolio of your work?
- Who will be renovating my historic home?
- Do you use subcontractors?
- What is the prospective timeline for my project?
Hire a Historic Home Renovation Team That Truly Cares
Your historic home renovations are just that – yours. After you get answers to your questions, pay attention to what a company asks you. Are they interested in your home renovation ideas? Do they make an effort to understand your lifestyle and what you want to accomplish with your new space? A team can be qualified in every other sense, but if they don’t truly care about your vision, you’ll sadly be left with results that don’t meet your expectations.
A company’s reviews are also a good starting point for getting a clearer picture of what they value. Past clients’ experiences can tell you a lot about the type of service you can expect.
When you’re ready to learn more, reach out to a historic home renovation expert in your area.
