You’ve finally saved enough money for the remodel you’ve been dreaming of. You did your homework, you know exactly what you want the finished project to look like, and you’ve secured the best contractor in town. Everything is falling into place. You have only one small problem. You want to have a hand in purchasing some appliances and fixtures that are going to go into your new space, but your contractor keeps telling you no.
This constant back and forth is familiar to many contractors and it becomes a home remodeling tug-of-war. On one end, you the homeowner may want to purchase the fixtures yourself in an effort to save money, but the contractor is pulling back because he is responsible for making sure everything fits in place and works properly.
Luckily, Bryan Sebring explains, if the contractor and homeowner discuss the situation, they likely can find a happy medium before one side pulls too hard. As owner of Sebring Services, a home remodeling company, he says that there are times where it will be okay for you to buy, and other times when the purchases are best left to the professionals.
There is a lot of room for error when it comes to remodeling a home — doors can be too short, sinks too long or windows faulty. The biggest risk you run when you buy your own products for the remodel is that something won’t work properly. But, experienced contractors are trained to avoid making those mistakes. Nothing can ruin a well-established relationship between a client and contractor faster, warns Sebring, than when a homeowner buys a product that ends up going bad or does not fit into the room.
Unfortunately, when the situation does arise, the homeowner is going to place the responsibility of replacement on the remodeling team, under the impression that they were hired to make everything look and function perfectly. The contractor, however, is going to insist that since the owner purchased the faulty product, he should be responsible for paying for the cost of the labor, removal and replacement. And the tug of war starts again.
That’s why it’s best to leave your biggest purchases to the contractor, explains Sebring. You will still have an input on what products are purchased as far as color and style, but it will be up to the contractor to size the products and make sure they function properly. This really will work to your advantage though. Your contractor will likely have vendors that they have strong relationships with and will be able to get discounts on the supplies you need. Additionally, if anything does go wrong, there will be no question of whose responsibility it is to correct it.
If you do feel more comfortable having a hands-on role in the shopping process, then Sebring suggests asking your contractor what he would be okay with you buying, and then ask if there are particular measurements or product names you should keep in mind. Products that usually are suitable to buy yourself include towel racks, handles for cabinets and doors, ceiling fans and light fixtures.
