Top 3 Things to Do Before Signing Off on Your Home Improvement Project

Home improvement projects can take a lot out of a homeowner. For days, weeks, or months on end, your home is inundated with contractors and home improvement professionals, doing who knows what, as the personal or family routine becomes a distant memory. At the end of a home improvement project, particularly with big or difficult jobs, both the homeowner and the home building pros are eager to finish up. But, what you can't afford to do is sign off on your home improvement project before it's really finished.

The good news? You can assure a happy ending for your home improvement, repair or installation, or remodeling project. How? Check out these Top 3 Things to Look for Before Signing Off on Your Home Improvement Project. A little bit of checking can go a long way in getting you and your home improvement team the happy ending you both desire.

1. Check for Building Materials and Other Items. Be sure to scout around the home and garden for any building materials or other items that may have been left in the yard or home. This includes drywall, shingles, wood, particle board, and, even, nails and screws. From time to time, you'll even find tools or a tool belt that's been long forgotten in the haste of getting ready to call it quits.

The homeowner can pay a big price for building materials left behind. Children and pets can injure themselves on building materials and metal left in the garden or yard around the house. Indoor air quality can be jeopardized from dirt and dust left behind during an HVAC installation or repair or, even a painting project. Equipment left in the wake of home improvement can injure small children and pets. Tools and other items can cause trips and falls inside the house and, even, around the home. Discarded metal can break the blades of a lawn mower and, even, cause injury.

Indeed, even discarded nails and screws can cause significant injuries to adults, children and pets and, even, necessitate a trip to the ER or veterinary clinic. Some years back, my dog found a nail in our yard, no doubt from a prior home improvement job. Thousands of dollars and two surgeries later, we're still trying to figure out how best to keep pets away from harm, and building materials, nails and screws in check. (If you live in an old home, as we do, this can be particularly important as decades worth of home repair products can emerge from the soil at unexpected times and places. What can you do? Periodically, spot check the yard and gardening beds. Use a magnet to keep nails, screws and other metal at bay.)

Sometimes, there's been no clear understanding of whose responsible for removing the building material. Communicating these expectations at the beginning of the home improvement job and throughout the process can go a long way in making sure everyone's role in clean up and disposal is understood and done to the homeowner's satisfaction. An inspection of your property before the crew leaves can also save everyone time, money and aggravation.

2. Test Appliances, Switches, and other Installations. If you've having electrical appliances, fixtures, outlets, etc. installed, test each item before the contractor leaves. Sometimes, minor adjustments need to be made before the work is completed. Getting it done when the professional is present can save time, money and aggravation in the end. If something's not working properly, the contractor may also be able to fix it or same-day steps to remove the item and replace it with a working appliance. Kitchen appliances, in particularly, can be rather quirky when first installed. Or, damaged en route to your home. Best to check these things out by getting a demo from the home improvement pro at the time of installation.

3. Sweat the Small Stuff Before Everyone Leaves for the Day. Sometimes, members of the home improvement team will leave the job site before the last repair is made. But, there's much you can do to pause before calling the home improvement project to an end. For interior and exterior paint jobs, make sure all surfaces have been painted to you satisfaction, including walls and trim, and things like fixtures and outlets have been replaced. Check for missed spots in corners, stairwells, ceilings, near radiators, and other hard to reach areas. You will often see these missteps when dealing with a crew or when you need surfaces painted with more than one coat.

Keep in mind, it's essential to communicate these things in a respectful way, understanding that few professionals would leave these items undone on purpose. Managing your home improvement project effectively takes a village. So, best to check carefully at the end of the job to save everyone - homeowners and home improvement pros - time, money and aggravation.

RESOURCES

Do It Yourself
www.doityourself.com

National Association of Remodeling Industry
www.NariRemodelers.com

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