Picking Out the Details
Write down the company names, SKU numbers, item numbers, color and price of what you like in a notebook. Get samples, catalogues, or take pictures of everything you are considering. When you get home, take your itemized list and fill in the costs. What is the total? Are you on budget? Where can you cut? Talk to your contractor. Even if your contractor buys everything for you, you must pick out and price out each item yourself to really keep tabs on your budget. In addition, contractors often make money by charging you a certain amount for the job and then keeping the extra savings even if they get a deal when purchasing a product. Find your own deals and see if your contractor can beat them. If this is not an option, consider paying for supplies and furnishings yourself and paying the contractor for labor only.
Finalize Your Style Guide
Once you’ve picked out everything, go back to your style guide and weed out the references that no longer apply. Put in all the pictures and samples of the flooring wall color, furniture, counter tops, faucets, lighting fixtures, etc. Give a copy of the Style Guide to your contractor. The Style Guide is your go-to reference point for the entire job. It will help you communicate visually and keep you on budget.
Communicate & Put it in Writing
Your contractor will provide you with a written estimate/contract based on your Style Guide that you both will sign. Before signing the agreement, ask questions and go over every detail of what the process will entail and what exactly is included in the bid. EVERY DETAIL MUST BE WRITTEN INTO THE CONTRACT or you could be charged extra at the end of the job. Any changes or addition that you or the contractor want to make along the way must be agreed to in writing so you can avoid arguments and paying extra for something you thought was just getting ‘thrown in’ for free. Make it clear at the beginning of the job that if it is not agreed to in writing by both parties, you are not responsible for any additional payments.
**With a little organization and forethought, my project became much easier and more reasonable than I was anticipating. Just by choosing “where the glamour should go” I streamlined my project — and saved thousands in the process ! Now when you walk into my bathroom you still don’t notice the semi-hidden sink (that it would have been crazy to splurge on), but the tile on the shower wall is beautiful, eye-catching and sets the tone for the whole room – definitely worth the splurge. At the end of my Fab & Fru renovation adventure, I loved the results and achieved them without taking a financial “bath” — so to speak!
Great color choice for the back wall, the blues and greens give a natural, soothing feel to the entire room. You can never go wrong with a white bathroom!
[...] Brandi mentioned in her bathroom remodeling article, one of the first decisions to make is deciding where the glamour should go- this means identifying [...]