The Edmonton Sun
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
BY JOANNE RICHARD, SUN MEDIA
Time for change? Well, if renovating is on your dream list, then make sure it doesn't turn into a nightmare.
Do your homework first. "There are a lot of things that can go wrong, so educate yourself on the process and use professionals," says homebuilder Doug Kerr.
Don't overbuild for your neighbourhood and choose a design that is timeless to avoid renovating a renovation in the future, advises Kerr, owner of Kerr Construction, a multiple award-winning Vancouver-based design/build firm.
"People renovate for many different reasons, and it is important as a renovator to find out the purpose for the renovation," says Kerr. "Some need more space for family, some need a work space in the home, some want a nicer environment to live in and some need to renovate because the place is falling apart."
And some want the nicest home on the block with all the new gadgets and latest design.
"It's fun, like getting a new car except you get to help design it," says Kerr, whose renovations range from $10,000 decks to $1.4 million whole house renovations.
"Our average project is in the $100,000 to $600,000 range."
Kerr offers up these general renovation mistakes:
The homeowners get fixed prices for the work before all the decisions are made as to exactly how it is to be done and exactly what materials are to be used.
There are too many changes throughout the project, which increases the cost and adds time to the job. This is a result of not enough time spent in design and specifying materials in the beginning.
They don't get everything in writing. All agreements need to be in writing to avoid misunderstanding and disagreements later.
They hire on price and not on the skill and ability of the people doing the work and quality of materials they will use.
They see these TV shows and get an unreal idea of how long it takes and what things cost. "They assume reality TV shows are done with real budgets, timelines and quality of work," says Kerr, of kerrconstruction.ca.
"There are a lot of things put together with duct tape for the cameras. And if you look at some of the shots in these so-called two-week long renovations, one shot is the summer and another is in the fall with all the leaves off the trees." Good work takes time.
Meanwhile, according to Kerr, if you are renovating to increase value of the home, you have to then sell the home before the designs and colours go out of style. "This can be mitigated if you stick to a traditional design, colours and architecture. Good design never goes out of style but fads do."
The best bang for the buck -- if you are just interested in selling after renovating -- is usually sprucing up the curb appeal, such as landscaping, painting, minor repairs or new trim details, and inside finishes, like flooring, paint, etc.
"If the majority of the house is still outdated, rundown or falling apart, then the money you put in to say fix one bathroom will not do much to the resale value. You have to do enough to change the appearance of the house as a whole," says Kerr.
Kerr's firm tends to attract clients who want to live in their house for a while; the selling price is not the priority but it's still important. "The first step is always to ensure the structure is good and the space is functional, and then move onto the systems like electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, insulation, etc. The last thing is the finishes and fun things like new bathrooms and kitchens."
Kerr has developed innovative systems to make the renovation process smooth and fast so clients' needs and wants are surpassed.
