How to manage a remote remodel

Are you wondering how to get a home renovation completed when you don’t live in the same city, state or even the country where you bought your fixer-upper? This can be a common problem for expats, individuals in the military and even those looking to move states or buy a vacation home. Thankfully, they’ll soon be a new software solution that can help you with project management and communicating with your remodeling contractor that will make you feel like you’re onsite with the team.

The Problems with Remote Remodeling

Remodeling a home from afar presents a unique set of challenges. After all, you can’t just drive to the site every weekend to view the progress and make sure everything is going according to plan. If you’re lucky, you might be able to visit the remodel site once in the beginning, once during the process and at the end of the project.

• You won’t be there to visually inspect any uncovered problems, like leaking water pipes, mold, wiring issues and wood rot.
• You won’t be there to physically review the finishes, like flooring, cabinets and counters.
• You won’t be able to monitor your home remodeling team’s progress.

How to Manage Your Remote Remodel

When you’re moving to a new city, state or country, it’s not possible to drive by the construction site weekly or even monthly. This means you can’t keep an eye on the construction team and communication may be sporadic. Thankfully, there are things you can do to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

1. Hire a contractor that’s well-versed in remote and long-distance remodels.

To ensure your long-distance home remodel goes smoothly, it’s always best to hire a contractor that has experience in remodeling primary and vacation homes while the homeowner is living in a different location. To do this, you can search for contractors via the internet and read their websites. Next, make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured in the area where you need your home remodel. If you need to, you can also read their online reviews and any information located on their BBB page.

Once you’ve narrowed your list to three or four local contractors, you can call or email them for more information. Common questions you may want to ask include:

• Are you experienced in remodeling homes when the owner is not located in the local area?
• How long have you been in business and how many remodels of this type have you performed?
• Are you licensed, bonded and insured for the area where the home is located?
• Do you pull all building permits and schedule inspections?
• What is your average timeline from inception to completion on a project like mine?
• What is your payment schedule for home remodels?
• How do you protect the property against theft and vandalism at the end of the day?
• How do you handle mistakes and disagreements during the remodeling process?
• If something needs to be changed, how do you handle change orders?
• Do your fees and remodel costs include all charges or will there be additional charges?
• What is your warranty policy?

2. Plan the details ahead of time.

the more planning you do on your home remodel, the smoother it will go. Pick colors and color pallets ahead of time. If you’re having special features added, decide which features and where you want them, along with the materials you want to be used in the features. If you’re remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, pick out your appliances and provide your contractor with links.

3. Schedule visits to the site if you are able.

If you are able, it’s always best to visit the site a few times. You’ll want to visit when you first buy your new vacation home or second home so that you have a good feel for the rooms. It’s also best to take lots of pictures of the spaces so you can remind yourself of the way the house looked. Plan a trip somewhere in the middle of the construction project so that you can see the progress in person and make any last-minute changes if you are not entirely pleased with something. Lastly, try and schedule a visit near the end of the project. If you are completely unable to visit the site, don’t worry, there are other things you can do to stay abreast of the project.

4. Invest in good construction project management and communication software.

If you are partially or fully having your home remodel performed while you are living in another city, state or country, invest in a good piece of construction management software. In some cases, your construction team may already use project management software that you can download in order to see the progress of your project. In other cases, you may want to find your own and convince the construction team or project manager to use it to contact you.

Project management software, like Paro, allows you to see the progress of your project at a glance on your cell phone or electronic tablet. You can view the progress of your remodeling project, contact the construction team for detailed updates and view pictures of the progress.

Managing Your Remote Home Renovation with Paro

Whether you’re an expat, moving for a new job or just in need of a good vacation home, you can count on Paro's new home remodeling software to help you stay in touch with your contractors. With Paro, you’ll be able to instantly see the progress on your remodel and get clarity into how the project is coming together. This is because Paro allows the contractor to upload images, send and receive texts and manage the construction timeline so that you can see the progress without having to make lengthy phone calls or schedule extra, possibly expensive visits.

To learn more about Paro and how it can help manage your remote home renovation, check us out today.