Once you have decided that you are undertaking a renovation project it is time to start looking for a remodeler or contractor.  This process can sometimes take as long as the project itself.  Finding the contractor that can not only handle the project, but that you can also establish a good relationship with can be the key to a successful remodel or one of the nightmare stories you hear on the home improvement shows.   Below are 9 tips to planning and executing a successful remodeling project.

1. Establish good two-way communication with the remodeler. Without good communication from the beginning, you can most certainly expect problems with your remodeling project.  It is important to note whether or not he or she returns your calls promptly, listens to your suggestions, and answers your questions clearly and accurately. A good contractor should always be reachable when needed.  By having a good rapport with the contractor, you can effectively and efficiently tackle problems when they arise.

2. Go with the contractor that has the proven track record and the one you trust. Trust is a big factor when choosing a contractor.  Follow up with references and go with your guy instinct.  Sometimes it is worthwhile to pay a little bit extra up front to get the contractor that you feel most comfortable with. 

3. Establish a clear time line for the project. One of the biggest complaints from homeowners is that their remodeling project drags on and on.  By establishing a clearly defined time line for the project, and contingency plans if the project runs over it will help keep the remodeler on track and it will give you a benchmark for progress.

4. Get everything in a written proposal. Verbal agreements can be left open for misinterpretation and confusion.  By clearly spelling everything out on paper, you can ensure that your expectations and the remodelers plans match up perfectly.
 
5. Don’t overlook the minor details. There are a lot of little details that need to be settled before work starts. What times of day will they be working? How will he access the property? How will cleanup be handled? How will they protect your property? 

6. Flexibility is the key. Very few projects ever go exactly according to plan, so you will need to have some flexibility.   Plan on your renovation or remodeling project interrupting your life in some way.

7. Layout a plan for handling modifications or changes. When you are trying to put your personal touches on a project, it is inevitable that there will be minor (sometimes major) changes to the materials or layout. Agree with your remodeler on how these changes will be handled before the start of work. Also understand that changes could affect the schedule and the budget, so it’s important you have all changes in writing.

8. Cover all your bases on the contract. The contract should include these elements: a timetable for the project, price and payment schedule, detailed specifications for all products and materials, insurance information, permit information, procedures for handling change orders, lien releases, provisions for conflict resolution, notice of your right under the Federal Trade Commission’s Cooling Off Rule (your right to cancel the contract within three days if it was signed someplace other than the remodeler’s place of business), and details on the important issues (such as access to your home, care of the home, cleanup and trash removal).

9. Ask for a written Lien Waiver from the remodeler upon completion of the work. If the remodeler hires subcontractors for portions of the work it is their responsibility to see them compensated. In order to ensure this has been done and to protect yourself, ask for a written lien waiver when the work is finished. This document will verify everyone has been paid. 

For more tips and resources for your remodeling project, go to our Resources Page

With all of the excitement over the past couple of months, the blog has unfortunately fallen to the bottom of the priority list.   Now that we have gotten settled in the new building in King of Prussia, and the main warehouse has finished shifting around inventory to make room for the new product lines, RTA is back in full swing.

In addition to the new building, we have some really exciting news about some upcoming projects.   We just finishing shipping out cabinets for a show that is going to air on HGTV!!   RTA Cabinet Store is going to be featured on one of their Saturday shows- "Carter Can".   Not only will it be great exposure for the business and the cabinets, but it is going to give us a chance to see how the shooting of a home improvement show works (which is going to be really exciting!).  We are going to video tape the entire process so that we can share some of the experience with our customers....  so check back for a special section on our experiences in LA!

We are also getting ready to work with Habitat for Humanity on 5 houses that they are working on in upstate NY.   We are donating the cabinets for the projects, and should be doing a lot more work with them down the road.   Stay tuned for pics and updates about this project as well.

Over the next couple of weeks, you will start to see a lot more posts and some really interesting content (both pics and videos).

We just wrapped up our first day at the HGTV house.   It was a little more subdue than I expected, but it was hectic none the less.   The only people on site were the general contractor (who happens to be from Pennsylvania as well), and his assistants.   Jake and I got right to work assembling the cabinets for the kitchen, which took us most of the day....  did I mention that is was 105 degrees where we were?   Not the best conditions to be assembling cabinets in a garage, but we were able to get them all done.   As you will see in some of the pictures, they already had some of the kitchen cabinets installed when we got there so that they could measure for the countertops, but we finished installing the majority of them.

It was interesting to watch the coordination to make sure that all of the materials were on-site for a three day shoot.   We actually had to drive and pick up some of the remaining cabinets that hadn't arrived yet, so we still have some work in the morning.

So that they have something to film tomorrow, they asked us not to assemble or install a couple of cabinets until the camera crews are around (so it sounds like we might be on the show after all).   Below are some photos of the house, the kitchen half installed and Jake & I hard at work.    Tomorrow is when most of the action happens, so check back for pics of the full installation, filming of the show, and maybe some pics of shows crew.

(unfortunately the internet signal at the hotel will not let me upload pics right now, but as soon as I have a strong enough signal I will get them up here)

Today was probably one of the coolest days of my life (not joking).   We spent the entire day watching the behind the scenes of the filming of an episode.   While Jake and I didn't make it on the show, we helped the head carpenter (also named Jake) with the assembly of the kitchen and walked him through the features of the cabinets.   After filming seperate clips about the assembly of a base and a wall cabinet, we helped both Jake and Carter (the host) with the installation of the remaining cabinets.  Both Carter and Jake were extremely nice guys, and appreciated the fact that we were willing to help with the installation even though we were not going to be on camera.

As the day went on, they shot the installation of the countertops, some of the side projects, and closeups with Carter.   It was interesting to see how many changes were taking place as the show was being shot.   We actually made some changes to the layout right before they shot the first installation segment.   We stuck around the rest of the day and helped out where we could (ending the day with a picture with Carter).  

Tomorrow we are heading back to the house for the end reveal to the family.   The producers and product staff were extremely happy with the look and quality of the cabinets, and we are already talking about future shows that we can help them out with.   While I still can't load any pics to the blog yet, we are going to create a new page on the site to cover all of the videos and pictures that we took over the past two days and tomorrow.

Check back for an update about the activities from tomorrow.

They wrapped up the final day of the Carter Can episode yesterday, and the kitchen turned out to be amazing.   Everything really came together in the last 2 hours, with people scrambling everywhere to make sure that it was ready for when the homeowners came back.   The Marquis Cinnamon Cabinets looked amazing with the countertops that they picked out.   We got some great video of Jake, the assistant carpenter on camera, talking about the cabinets and showing them being assembled and installed.   The production staff is going to send us some high resolution pics of the finalized kitchen that we will be using to create a new page on the site to show how the process worked.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when we got there the first day, since we had never done anything like this before, but I was really surprised at how easy going and friendly the entire team was.   While it is a small team that produces the show, they really know how to work together and get the job done.   In talking to Carter and the production team, we learned a lot about the behind the scenes process for selecting homeowners for the shows and deciding which projects to do (which I found really fascinating).

It looks like the show will be airing something next year in October.   As soon as we have the specific date, I will post it on the blog.  Keep an eye out for all of the pictures and videos that we took.   As soon as I get back to the office, I am going to start working on addiing them to the site.

Things have been a bit hectic since getting back from the latest show we filmed for "Carter Can".   Business continues to grow, and as you may have noticed, we are adding more kitchen cabinet lines, and getting ready to increase the number of cabinet accessories that are available for each cabinet line.  In fact, it has been sooo busy that I haven't even had a chance to upload the pictures from the last house (For everyone that has been asking for them, I apologize and plan on getting them up this week).

The exciting news is that we have been talking to some of the producers for the DIY Network and it looks like we will be shooting an episode of "$10 Grand In Your Hand" at the end of the month.   This is one of my favorite shows on the DIY channel, so I am excited that we will be able to participate.   Stay tuned for more information about the show, highlights, and photos.