Summer is here, which means that most of us are recovering from the traumatic experience that was this past winter by spending every waking moment outside. This usually means on our porches or patios, and if you don’t have one of those quite yet, well, you’ve been meaning to renovate your home anyway. Anything to banish those painful memories of eight foot snow drifts, frozen fingers, and shoveling.
Before you run off to Home Depot and buy a ton of stuff for your home remodeling project, we urge you to dial back the vitamin D-induced endorphins for a second and consider hiring a licensed and insured contractor for the following reasons:
Cost
This may seem counter-intuitive. After all, one of the many reasons people choose the Do-It-Yourself method for their remodeling additions is because you provide your own labor for free, thus reducing the cost. But it is our opinion that people undervalue the expertise of general contractors. A licensed and insured contractor wont have to waste valuable time and money in trial and error experiments. They will already have experience with popular additions such as dormers, exterior lighting, patios and decks that they can draw from to get the job done quickly and safely. They can also complete the project with a bit of style, amping up the curb appeal of your home and thus making it more attractive to future buyers. Add this to the already impressive 80% return on investment rate boasted by additions like decks in particular, and that’s a lot of incentive to call in a professional.
Safety and the Law
A licensed and insured contractor will be able to verse you on the zoning laws of your property and manage your expectations for the structure and size of your planned addition. This will help prevent conflicts with neighbors who are very sure of where their rose bushes end and your house begins. Hiring a contractor can also reduce the risk of causing structural damage to your property via inexpert building or the improper use of materials, and will no doubt make your addition safer for everyone.
Peace of Mind
Finally, hiring a contractor means you have more time to enjoy the summer and will spend less time building for it. Who wants to sweat over complicated directions under the hot sun for free with no guarantee that the deck will manifest itself out of the confusing pile of nails, levels, and foundation stone? For a few dollars, you could leave the whole thing to someone who actually knows what they are doing, and spend years reaping the benefits of their work! Make the call–for everyone’s sake.
