If you're planning to renovate or remodel your home in 2025, now is the time to get prepared. There's a long list of things to do before meeting with contractors. Having goals, a budget, and a plan can help your home renovation be successful.
Before contacting a contractor to get started with your home renovation, take the steps below. If you need more guidance on how to find a home renovation contractor in Connecticut, download our free guide.
Start by making a budget. If you're planning to pay with cash, this part is easy: simply decide how much you want to pay for your renovation, and communicate this amount with your home remodeling contractor.
If you're borrowing money for your upcoming renovation, there are several home loan options to consider.
If you're interested in borrowing money, start by shopping around for a home loan that will meet your needs. Consider factors like how much equity you have in your home, how necessary the home improvement is and the payment terms.
Shop around for the right loan. Choose a lender you trust. Some contractors offer financing in-house. Read the terms of the loan carefully, and compare that loan to other options. Avoid choosing in-house financing from a contractor simply because it's easier.
Keep in mind that budgeting is an ongoing process. Once you start meeting with contractors, you may learn that your renovation will cost more than you anticipated. You may have to refine your budget as you go. If the renovation is more than you can afford, you may have to put off your home improvement project until later.
It's never a good idea to hire a low-cost contractor simply because of the price. Low-cost contractors may be working with sub-par materials, hiring unskilled labor, or cutting costs in some other way that could be detrimental to your project. Plan to pay a fair cost for your home renovation.
Know what you're hoping to accomplish with your home improvement. Having a list of goals can help you avoid scope creep. This is a term that describes what happens when a project gets bigger through the continuous addition of extra features - features you don't necessarily need. Scope creep can cause projects to balloon out of control, leading to long timelines and high costs. Having a list of goals can help keep your attention focused on the most important parts of your home renovation, making it easier to avoid additions and extras that you don't need.
Consider making a list of "Must-Have Features" and "Nice-to-Have Features." The must-haves are the features that you must include in your project to achieve your goals, while the nice-to-have features can be added to the design if you have room in your budget.
Spend some time researching your project. What materials, styles, paint colors, and designs appeal to you? Make a mood board to collect your ideas.
Having a mood board can help you when talking to your contractor, because it gives your contractor something to refer to when discussing what you like. Collect images, color palettes, and more on your board. Use it to organize your thoughts and condense your favorite ideas into one place before your initial meeting with your contractor.
Some household renovations involve many parties coming together for one renovation. For example, if you're building an in-law suite for a senior relative, take time to sit down with your relative and discuss the entire project. Talk about your ideas for life after the project is over. Take time to ensure that you're all on the same page, so you're ready to discuss your project when the contractor comes to discuss your remodel.
Plan to interview multiple contractors for your remodel. For most large remodels, interviewing three contractors or more is best.
One way to find a good contractor is to get referrals from friends and family who have had similar work done on their house. Find out if they had a good experience and whether they would recommend that contractor to you.
Having a hard time finding a contractor through referrals? Check with trade associations to find out which contractors are registered in your area.
Contractors are required to have a license to perform home renovations in Connecticut. Check the state of Connecticut website to ensure the contract you're hiring has an active license. If they don't, move on.
Finding a home renovation contractor in Connecticut can be challenging. If you want more advice, see our free download about how to hire a home renovation contractor. You can also contact Litchfield Builders to make an appointment to discuss your upcoming renovation.