Let’s be honest, a home remodeling Nashville seldom plays out like the glossy pages of a magazine would have you believe. You put aside money for granite and before you know it you are at odds with a contractor over a pipe that has been leaking behind the drywall since 1987. Old houses here have a way of doing that.
Take our housing stock as an example. It is a patchwork affair. You have your Craftsman bungalows in East Nashville and mid-century ranches in Green Hills, while brand new builds are being crammed onto lots that once had room for one house, not three. Every one of them will spring a surprise on you.
Then there are the permits. Consider that your first plot twist. The Metro Nashville office has its own schedule for things and it is not always a fast one. Should your contractor put it to you that permits will be cleared in a week, have him put it in writing. In crayon if he has to.
### Having the Talk with Your Contractor
You want references? Call them. Anyone can buy or borrow a five-star review on Google, or have their cousin pen one. But a homeowner who is willing to get on the phone for a good fifteen minutes to tell you about his kitchen? Now that is worth something.
Don’t settle for less than three bids. The lowest number isn’t necessarily the booby prize they say it is, but you should look at it hard. Find out what is left out of the price. Inquire about change orders. And make sure you know who is on site every day, whether it is the owner himself or some rotating cast of subs.
### When Money Talks, Budgets Have to Walk
Put 15 or 20 percent over your quoted budget in reserve. Not because the contractor is up to anything, but because once you put a hole in a wall it has a way of talking back. You might find old wiring or water damage, or a support beam that was “repaired” in ’74 with a 2×4 and a prayer. All of that comes at a cost.
On top of that, building costs in Nashville have been on the rise of late. The labor market is as tight as a jar lid from last summer and demand is high. Lumber prices alone can swing like a pendulum.
### A Word on Timing
If you book in January when the phones aren’t ringing off the hook, you can put weeks back on your calendar. Maybe save a few dollars in the process. Come spring and fall, everyone is after a contractor to finish their deck for the summer cookout or get the kitchen ready for the holidays.
And don’t underestimate the weather. Our summers are humid enough to steam up your glasses on the short walk to the mailbox. If you are doing exterior work like roofing or an addition, you will be better off in the cooler months.
### Design With Some Sense
Open floor plans are still in vogue but not everyone wants one these days. Some folks are looking for a proper dining room or an office with a door on it. Live your life the way you do it, not how Pinterest dictates.
There is value in local materials too. You will see Tennessee fieldstone or reclaimed barn wood in many a Nashville renovation because it suits the area and doesn’t show its age. A remodel that works with the bones of the house will stand up better in a decade than one that is just following a trend.
Do yourself a favor and have a word with your neighbors. They have been where you are and they know which contractors have a habit of ghosting. They’ll let you in on things Yelp won’t.