I’m certain you’ve heard a lot of home renovation horror stories. As an architectural designer with a decade of experience in the industry, I have, too. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be an exhausting, stressful process that goes beyond your original budget. In fact, that’s why we created Venzer, which is focused on connecting you with the best vendor for your construction projects.

I had the opportunity to talk with Pavan Agarwal in this podcast. He’s the President and CEO of Sun West Mortgage, one of the largest independently owned mortgage companies in the United States and creator of Angel AI. I was very excited to talk about home renovations and AI, and to offer some ideas on how to save money and time during construction.

Here are some highlights of renovation tips based on our conversation:

1. Accept that you are not an expert in renovation. It’s too difficult to do everything yourself when you’re managing a household and working in a field that isn’t directly involved with home renovations. Get help by speaking with your local architect or friend who has recently worked on a renovation project.

2. Prioritize renovating spaces that are central to your home. Any space that takes up a lot of square footage, like your kitchen and flooring, can have a high visual impact to your home.

3. Collect inspirational images. Print 10-20 images, Pin them on a wall, and look for patterns you like. Perhaps you like dark floors and black windows. Go with that. It means you’re gravitating toward that look and feel.

4. Don’t reinvent the wheel. If you’re working on the front facade of your building, have a look at houses in your neighborhood and see what material aesthetic pattern you like. Then copy it. Picasso said: “good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Unfortunately, this is a true fact.

5. Measure the key spaces you’re renovating. You can upload those dimensions to a free and user-friendly software site like SketchUp, which will give you a sense of scale in a 3D environment. Or you can contact your local university to get an architecture student to help you with your project drawings for an affordable price.

6. Look for a contractor but remember that contractors aren’t designers. You can use Thumbtack to find great professionals online depending on project needs (landscapers, contractors, etc.). Some homeowners allow contractors to select final materials, although they are sometimes unhappy with how these materials turn out aesthetically.

My suggestion is for homeowners to utilize the contractor for the hidden materials (insulation, electrical, plaster) but to select ALL the materials that you can feel and touch (like a countertop or flooring), or anything on top of the building’s hidden materials. This is critical.

7. Use Venzer to help you find the best vendors for your renovation project – like windows, flooring, and concrete. Go to venzer.com to find local vetted vendors for construction materials.  If you’re looking for windows, for example, use the search engine on Venzer to find the best local vendor for your renovation project. Save or “Like” the vendor profile onto the Venzer boards to help you track and organize the renovation process.

8. Always find and request 3 quotes from your contractor. When you receive 3 quotes, it allows you to better understand your needs and range of costs. For example, one quote might be more expensive, although it offers higher-quality materials and includes installation. In contrast, another quote might be as expensive and not offer installation services. Through this experience, you’ll discover the vendor's advantages and disadvantages (which will help you select the best contractor for your project) and be able to make better choices.

9. Provide your contractor with as much visual content as possible – your SketchUp renderings, your inspirations, measurements, and materials. Inform your contractor about the renovation direction you’re going in and be as explicit as possible about what you want. The construction space is a visual world. Use these materials to communicate your ideas.

Tell your contractor, for example visual , that you would like a gray wall like the one in the picture you provide them. This is the ultimate “show-and-tell” experience. The more explicit you are and highlight what you want specifically, the more likely you are to achieve your project objectives.  

10. Keep a close eye on the renovation. There are certain things that stick out like a sore thumb. For example, if you wanted to install black-framed windows according to your inspiration board and you have white framed windows being installed by your contractor, you must pause the project immediately. Remind the contractor about the project scope and re-present the inspiration photos to ensure you are both aligned. Contractors manage many moving parts and will sometimes make mistakes along the way.

The construction world is notoriously messy. Finding good material vendors for your project is not an easy task. And this is why I created Venzer. I’m passionate about providing our customers with high-quality material vendors for their renovations while simultaneously giving vendors a great opportunity to showcase their work. If you’re ready to begin your dream renovation, we’re here to help!

Sign up here: www.venzer.com

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