5 Pointers For Your Next Renovation

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If you're considering doing a renovation but need to know where to start, the first step is determining what exactly needs to be fixed. This can be challenging when you need to become an expert but before you call in an expensive contractor, take a realistic look at your situation and the pros and cons of your options. Here are some tips on how to go about the project.

Define needs

It is easy to get excited about the remodeling job that you really want, but be sure to see what else may need fixing first. This means make sure you fix that leaky roof or repair/replace that appliance that is on its last leg. Find out how much this will cost you first before blowing your budget on the renovation.

Planning

Before getting started on the remodel, figure out how you will live in the home down the road. Will your furniture fit into the new design? Will you need to replace your decor for it to flow? It can be helpful to sketch things out so that you will have an idea of what you can and cannot keep. This will help minimize future changes and also help adhere to a budget.

Estimates

The best way to see what estimates are fair and reasonable is to solicit at least three of them. See who friends and neighbors in the area have used and can recommend and go from there.

Compare bids

When comparing each bid make sure you see all materials included so you can fairly measure each one among the others. Also, check to see their portfolio and references from other customers if they are not referred to you by someone who used them.

Important details

Everything typically will come down to money and your budget so decisions will have to be made. You may need to choose from a contractor who is less expensive but may take longer over a pricier one with a shorter estimate of completion time. Additionally, you will need to make some choices on materials that you use as well. Give some thought on what is most important to you and back into it that way. Perhaps your counter materials rank higher than a backsplash or fancy sink.

Beth Dickerson

Boston, MA

Primary phone
(617) 510-8565
Email
[email protected]
Address
277 Dartmouth St. , 2nd Floor,
Boston, MA 02116

About The Author

One of Boston’s most reputable real estate brokers, Beth Dickerson has achieved more than $2 billion in sales and thousands of successful real estate transactions over her nearly thirty-year tenure. Beth has received national acclaim from the real estate industry and represents some of the most prestigious residents and properties across Massachusetts. Her enduring record as a top producer comes from the intuitive gift of sensing her clients’ needs. She has built a business that is referral-based at its core—a testament to her relationship-driven approach and penchant for exceeding expectations. It is this nuanced expertise that Beth leverages to guide many of her clients-turned-friends through some of the greatest milestones of their lives.

Beth was the proprietor of her own real estate company before joining the residential division of R. M. Bradley in 1993, where she was a top producer for more than a decade. In 2003, she founded her own boutique real estate firm, Dickerson Real Estate, before merging with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in 2007. Today, Beth attributes her success to her comprehensive marketing and advertising strategies, exclusive contact network, and unparalleled insight into neighborhoods like Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End and Waterfront. With an understanding that no two clients are alike, she works with clients in all phases of life—from first-time buyers to luxury developers, seasoned sellers and beyond. Beth offers clients the resources to aggressively market their property locally, nationally and globally, and her attention to detail, drive and enthusiasm are unmatched.

Beth has appeared in prestigious media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Mansion Global, The Boston Globe, and Boston magazine, and was prominently featured as Greater Boston’s real estate expert on WCVB Chronicle in 2020. She has had the honor of serving as President of the Downtown Council of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. For over ten years, she has been a Co-Chair and Committee Member for the Massachusetts General Pediatric Hospital for Children’s Storybook Ball. She serves as a Board Member of the Community Music Center of Boston and a member for the Perkins School for the Blind, Emerald Necklace Park Conservancy, Justine Liff Luncheon, Youth Villages and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, among dozens of other organizations throughout the Boston area.

A long-time resident of Boston’s Back Bay, Beth was an active member of the community as she raised her two children: she served as treasurer of the Clarendon Street Playground and was an avid supporter of the Hill House Community Center.