Is Now the Best Time to Remodel?

There is an interesting blog post on latimes.com's Pardon Our Dust called Is a down real estate market the best time to remodel?

Four well known remodeling contractors in the area comment on the current climate in residential remodeling and how it impacts homeowners contemplating a remodel.

I think the biggest impact is the influx of builders into the remodeling sector tempting homeowners with low-ball pricing.

If you are one of those households with enough savings to consider remodeling in this environment of sinking home values and difficult financing, you need to be very careful to vet your choice of contractors by asking for extensive references IN YOUR AREA.

Builders are a different breed who are not accustomed to working on homes with people living in them and having to deal with the homeowners on a day to day basis. Supervision, to them, means an occasional visit from the architect or building inspector.

Major residential remodeling is typically a 3-6 month commitment between the homeowner and contractor. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a project, with your home in shreds, and in such a confrontational situation with your contractor, or his employees, that you don't want to open your door when they get there in the morning.

Best to be sure that those who represent themselves as remodeling contractors really are what they say they are.

There is an article on my web site called "How to hire a professional contractor" that I prepared for my clients years ago. All the advice holds true today. The criteria for selecting your contractor hasn't changed. But the potential for hiring the wrong contractor in an effort to save money or out of ignorance has changed a lot in the current situation. Buyer BEWARE.

Peggy