I have really enjoyed exchanging stories and ideas with contacts from around the country. A long time colleague and friend, Lisa from Denver, has been a wonderful source of knowledge and support. She recently shared five bullet points of fantastic advice, included below. Hopefully, I'll also be able to provide the same kinds of thoughtful insight after this process is complete:
· Expect surprises and have a big contingency in your budget for them
· Know enough about renovation/construction to be on top of your contractor and be sure he/she is doing what is promised, ethical and of high quality. Sometimes this means you need to be there every day inspecting the work
· Set achievable deadlines with your contractor and hold him/her to it—and don’t forget the squeaky wheel gets fixed first, but also remember that it is better to kill them with kindness rather than threatening them and being difficult—you can save that until you don’t have any other options
· Know where and when to cut corners and when you should invest in higher-quality things that will last longer and are more authentic
· Respect the “bones” of the property
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