Anyone who has endured any kind of renovation work knows that renovations sometimes seem to go on forever – and even when they don’t, they certainly seem that way. There are a number of renovation projects, however, that take significantly longer than others. Whether you are planning a renovation that you need done quickly or whether you want to know what is taking so long with your current renovation, here are the top 3 things that take the longest during a renovation.
Custom cabinetry
The whole point of custom cabinetry is that it is built from scratch to the exact specifications of the space. Sometimes exact specifications can’t even be gotten until old cabinetry is ripped out, which means the building of them can’t even start until the remodel has already begun. When a remodel also includes a redesign of the walls, shape or layout of the kitchen, custom cabinetry can’t be started until new walls are constructed and exact measurements of the new space are taken. Needless to say, custom cabinetry is also not whipped off of an assembly line. Custom cabinetry is often handmade by a single craftsman or small team of craftsman, which also adds to the amount of time they take to build. If you need a remodel done quickly, you might want to avoid custom cabinetry, but if you want a beautiful piece of useable art for your kitchen, then custom cabinetry is the way to go.
Made-to-order windows and doors
You may be sensing a theme here, of “custom takes longer” and you would be right. Many times homeowners want to upgrade to more energy efficient window and door options – which makes a lot of sense. Depending on the age of the home, however, custom windows and doors need to be ordered, or else openings have to be rebuilt to accommodate the current standard sizes of doors and windows. Other times, people want to create larger openings to let in more light or take advantage of spectacular views. In that case, not only do custom windows and doors have to be specifically manufactured (which takes longer) but the walls and openings also have to be rebuilt to accommodate the new doors or windows.
Specialty Anything
When the owners of older homes want to remodel, their homes often contain awkward spaces that were built for something no longer used, like a dumbwaiter, coal shoot or space for a coal-burning stove. This generally means they have to have something custom built to take advantage of the space without changing the basic architecture of the home – which is probably what they fell in love with in the first place. Other times, designers design a space to be complemented by fixtures with a custom finish or even pieces specially created by artisans, such as hand blown glass pendants or a giant hand carved oak beam. All of these things take longer to create than something you can walk into a store and buy off of a shelf or showroom floor.
When doing a custom remodel, it’s important to use companies like Alair Homes South Vancouver that specialize in custom building and rebuilding. Custom home builders understand the “rhythm” of what needs to happen when. The best custom builders have a plan to make the best use of their time, because their time is your time and like the old saying goes “time is money.”