Being prepared for your flooring appointment can make your renovation process the best possible experience. You have been Pinteresting your heart out for the past two or three months and now your finally ready to jump in and start visiting your local flooring store, cabinet shop or hardware store. Being prepared for your flooring appointment will ensure your jobs success. Here are some basic tips to make the experience the best possible and to make sure you can properly convey your vision to your chosen contractors.
Know your areas that need work
Clearly define what areas need to get done vs the ones you maybe just want to get done. If you are over budget which room might be left out this time? Have those tough conversations with yourself now so you are prepared for any hiccups if they do arise. Always have a back up plan just encase.
Know Your Budget
Knowing what your comfortable with spending on a project is something only you can answer. Knowing your budget or at least a rough idea can save yourself and others lots of time. Each trade can only give you pricing based on what it is you would like done. In most hired trades there will be areas to cut costs but that usually means doing the work yourself. Removing old flooring or taking care of garbage and recycling are two ways to reduce bill costs and perhaps get you that laundry room done as well! We always suggest having a small portion of your overall budget held for emergencies or hiccups. Whether it’s unexpected levelling or a surprise leak under the toilet, don’t get caught with a maxed budget and a necessary fix to continue your project.
Tip – When renovating small spaces choose to do them in the off seasons when most trades are slower, you get the same quality of work but for 5-25% less in some cases. Always watch for specials and promos!
Bring All The Stuff
Have floor plans from your recent home purchase? Bring them! Use a cool app to design your dream living space? Definitely bring it! Paint Samples, Fabric Samples, Tile and Backsplash samples, counter tops and cabinets, if you have already fallen in love with it and it will be used in the space your new flooring will be bring a sample or photo.
Shop Around
Go to a few different flooring stores, shop prices and speak with their representative. Keep in mind you will be dealing with this person throughout your entire renovation process, its probably best to at least like them. If in person isn’t an option try browsing through our online gallery.
Don’t jump on the cheapest deal, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Things to watch out for; Square Footage Amounts, Product Quality, Product thickness, Does it include Installation, are there any hidden fees. Ask these questions now and read through all estimates very carefully. If you are unsure if a service is provided ask before.
Shop Local
When given the opportunity give your support to your local small business flooring store. It wont take long to find the hidden gem in your community. Start by asking your local Facebook community groups, search flooring in Google to get a list of local nearby stores and read through their reviews. Once you have a short list, make a quick phone call to get any quick answers you need before booking appointments. This will ensure your time is not wasted if the store can’t accommodate your requests.