Remodel Your Own Home Or Add An Addition

You may know exactly what changes you want or may have nothing more than a sketch. You may know exactly how your dream kitchen will look or simply have some clippings. No matter where you are in planning your remodel or addition, UBuildIt is here to help. But how do you find reliable and quality subcontractors to come into your home? What pitfalls may lie behind the existing sheetrock? What permits do you need to get? Where do you start? You've made a great first step. The UBuildIt system has empowered thousands of people just like you to remodel their homes. Your UBuildIt Construction Consultant will advise you through the process, giving you the control and confidence to make smart decisions that will allow you to avoid costly mistakes and build more home for your money. Acting as your own remodeling building consultant means more of your remodel budget goes directly to labor and materials instead of project management fees and overhead. How much more? Most of our clients build up to 25 percent more home for their money. Your UBuildIt Remodel Manual and personal Construction Consultant will give you greater understanding of the details of your project and personal control over all aspects of the remodel process. Our network of reliable sub-contractors and suppliers will help you maximize your budget and can be trusted. In the end, you will have the pride of successfully completing your remodel, the way you want and will have learned the art of remodeling from personal experience and advice from your UBuildIt Construction Consultant. Everyone has their own personal reason why they choose to remodel their own home. Whether it is a vision to create something that is all your own, or an economic decision, UBuildIt will be by your side. Rest assured, being an owner-builder has it's advantages: savings & instant equity, control, satisfaction, and upgrades.

Why Would I Want To Remodel My Own Home? Savings & Instant Equity

The markup from traditional remodeling companies ranges from about 35 to 60 percent. Simple math shows that with the average contractor's 50 percent markup, you'll be paying them $25,000 on a $50,000 project... that's as much as $75,000 on a $150,000 project. By taking on the project yourself, you get to keep the majority of that money in your pocket where it belongs. The appraisal on your home is based on market value for homes in your area. And because the vast majority of remodeling jobs are done by contractors, not individuals, they all have the contractor markup figured into their worth. That's good news for you because the appraiser doesn't know, and doesn't care, that you did it yourself. Presto! The home will appraise just as if you'd paid the contractor's markup, which means you'll find yourself instantly in an equity position! What you do with that equity is completely up to you. Some people upgrade their home's furnishings. Some people choose to just sit on it and let it grow and enjoy the feeling of knowing they've just added to their net worth. Regardless, the savings that come from remodeling your own home is clearly one of the major benefits of taking the project on yourself. Naturally, every situation is unique, and there are many variables involved. Not every home will have instant equity, and we make no guarantees to that end. But the vast majority of projects we work on do indeed cost less than they are appraised for, resulting in instant equity.

Control

• Control Over Subcontractors: Careful selection of subcontractors is vital to remodeling your home properly... after all, the subs are the ones who are going to be doing the actual construction! When you remodel your own home, you'll know exactly who you're dealing with and will have the ability to intervene if problems arise.
• Control Over Materials: Let somebody else build your home and you never know what kind of materials they'll use. When you're the builder, you get exactly what you want and ensure the level of quality that you desire.
• Control Over Payments: When you remodel your own home, you hold the checkbook. Payments only go out when you say they'll go out, and only to those who have truly completed the work to your satisfaction. Plus, no surprise charges will appear for work done that either wasn't authorized or was underbid.
• Control Over Your Time Schedule: Time overruns are one of the major complaints people have when hiring a remodeler, because most remodelers are juggling several jobs at once. You can get things done when you want them done and stay on schedule.

Do It Yourself Home Remodeling Satisfaction

When you remodel your home yourself, the home transforms from a "place to live" to a "place that lives and breathes with your family, after all, it is YOUR creation. You dreamed it up. You designed it. You planned it. You chose the materials and contractors. Who knows, maybe you even picked up a hammer or paint brush or rolled in some carpet, but you certainly don't have to provide the manual labor if you don't want to! Now imagine the feeling of satisfaction you'll feel when friends and relatives visit and discover that you did all of this yourself! Even if you've never been "handy," you can do this using our unique program, and people who know you will marvel at what you've accomplished. Then when they find out that you're not just a construction genius... but also a financial genius (for saving so much money)... you'll be elevated to near rock-star status! Sounds a little melodramatic? Not so, say the thousands of families that we've helped build and remodel in the last decade plus. They rave about the feeling of a home they've remodeled themselves. To understand why, just close your eyes and dream a little. Imagine holding the blueprints and smelling the sawdust. Think about the framing, the painting, the roofing and overseeing it all. If you're excited at all, then remodeling your home yourself is the right move for you.

Upgrades

When you're saving money by remodeling your own home, you can afford to spend some extra money on upgrades for your home. After all, you're going to be living in your home for a long time... so why not make it as nice as possible? Some of the most popular upgrade choices are:

• kitchen appliances
• countertops
• flooring
• paint
• molding
• more square footage (larger additions)
• audio/visual equipment

Many people find that they can add upgrades and still spend far less on their home than it appraises for, which means you get a nicer and/or bigger home AND instant equity. What's not to love!

Should I Work With UBuildIt... Or Go It Alone?

So you've decided to remodel your own home. Congratulations! The cost savings and satisfaction you'll realize are going to be tremendous. The next thing you'll need to decide is how to tackle the project. Should you do it yourself or should you partner with UBuildIt? Then you ask yourself, what are the advantages to using UBuildIt? The answer is actually pretty simple. Unless you have a significant amount of construction experience, including having remodeled residential homes before, you absolutely SHOULD NOT try to remodel your own home without expert help. Obviously, remodeling a home is a huge project with dozens or even hundreds of details to manage. Without the benefit of an experienced construction partner, your project will almost certainly be a painful experience. UBuildIt has the experience to get your job done right, on time, and on budget. We've been in business since 1988, and our combined network of construction consultants have completed well over TWO BILLION DOLLARS in new construction and remodeling jobs. Each of our consultants is a seasoned building professional who has anywhere from dozens to hundreds of homes under his/her belt. We'll work with you from the very beginning. From financing your project, to home design, materials choice and job costing... right through the construction phase with step-by-step guidance at every turn. We know what to look for and what to look out for. We've experienced the problems that can pop up and know how to avoid them in most cases, and deal with them if they do arise. In short, we've "been there, done that" enough times to be a worthy guide for you in this process.

Do It Yourself Home Remodeling Done Right

Getting the job done right starts with detailed planning of the project. We'll sit down with you to determine your financing options and define your budget. Then we'll work with you to plan the project. We'll provide plenty of input on the design by looking at the plans with a "builder's eye." We'll advise you on the design's impact on the value of your home and impact on your budget. Then we'll work with you to prepare detailed specifications of material choices and establish realistic project costs. A detailed costing report will be provided. Once construction begins, we'll help you through all the details: from permitting, to scheduling, to ordering materials, to subcontractor selection, to managing your budget. We'll conduct regular site visits to review the work being done and make sure everything is ready for the next step. The bottom line is, we'll give you the system, tools, and oversight to make sure your project gets built RIGHT.

Do It Yourself Home Remodel On Time

We've all heard the horror stories of remodeling projects that dragged on for weeks or even months after the anticipated finish date. While some delays are unavoidable (bad weather, subcontractor emergencies, etc.), the fact is the vast majority of slowdowns are due to poor planning, lack of coordination, and lack of accountability. With a UBuildIt Construction Consultant on your team, these kinds of problems are greatly reduced. We'll help you get your job done on time by providing the tools to effectively manage the job from start to finish. You'll receive a customized Remodel Manual that shows everything that needs to be done so nothing falls through the cracks. You'll know when and how to get permits, when and how to order materials, and when and how to hire and schedule various subcontractors. Checklists will be provided and reviewed frequently to make sure the project stays on-course. Because you'll be the one managing the project using our system and oversight, you'll be able to stay on top of all the details, worry free. And in the end, chances are great that you'll be completing your remodeling project right when you had planned.

Do It Yourself Home Remodel On Budget

When you work with a UBuildIt Construction Consultant, you can be confident that your project will come in very close to the original budget. That's because we "know the ropes" and can guide you to every cost savings available.

• Plan Development: Our relationship with architects and designers provides several benefits including fewer plan revisions and designs more attuned to your budget goals which can result in savings. This means fewer mid-project changes which helps to keep you within your budget from the very beginning.
• Material Discounts: You'll pay for all building materials directly to the supplier with "open book" invoicing, which eliminates markups. Many suppliers give our clients "contractor pricing" and other discounts due to our volume purchasing.
• Contingency Savings: When a contractor prices a project they typically include an extra percentage to cover cost overruns, which may become extra profit for them. With UBuildIt, if the project goes as originally planned, this money goes back into your pocket, not ours.
• Personal Involvement: As a UBuildIt Client, you, or your friends and family, can contribute some of the skilled or unskilled labor to realize additional savings and control. This is a direct savings to you that is not available with a traditional remodeling contractor.
• Project Costing: Our process of collecting bids prior to construction results in accurate project costing. Our recommended subcontractors provide the best mix of quality, value and reliability. You may also obtain bids on your own using UBuildIt as the benchmark, which can result in additional savings.
• Minimize Mistakes: People remodeling on their own often make mistakes due to lack of experience and the overall complexity of the remodeling process. When you go with UBuildIt as your partner, mistakes are reduced and you save money.
• Change Orders: As your project progresses you may want to make changes. These changes can carry a high markup when working with contractors. With UBuildIt you pay the actual cost of any changes with no markup, penalty or margin. Plus, your Construction Consultant can help establish fair costs for those changes and how they impact other budget items.

How Much Time Will It Take To Remodel My Home?

Did you know that you can remodel your own home in as little as 2 to 4 hours a week? It's true, and depending on what service level you work with us on, it could take as little as 1 to 2 hours a week. We offer two plans: UBuildIt Classic, where you are more involved and handle most of the detail work, and UBuildIt Plus. With UBuildIt Plus, you offload some of the duties to us to lighten your workload. Either way, you'll experience the satisfaction and savings that comes from remodeling your own home. Please note that each remodel project is customized; timelines are customized to your project and may vary for you home.

Planning Phase

The key to a stress-free remodeling project is thorough planning. We've remodeled thousands of homes and have a proven system for planning every imaginable detail and anticipating any situation that could arise. Your project will be "completed on paper" long before a single nail is pounded as we work together to complete our exclusive Remodel Manual. This section will allow us to work through the budget, home review, home plans, specifications, and job costing of your remodel project.

Your Customized Remodeling Manual

Planning your remodeling project from A to Z is easy when you work with UBuildIt. Your Construction Consultant will walk you through our Remodel Manual and lend expert advice and opinions on the topics shown on this page. The goal is to plan a remodeling project that's done right, on time, and within your budget. With our help and this manual, chances are excellent that you'll have a pleasant remodeling experience.

Construction Phase

Once you've planned your project, then it's on to actually remodeling the home. Naturally, the diligence we put into the planning phase will make construction go more smoothly. But with hundreds of details to keep track of, having a systematic way to approach the project is a MUST. We'll work with you to create a customized Construction Plan that will let you know exactly what needs to happen and when it needs to happen. With our expert oversight, you'll find that your job as general contractor is one that you can capably handle.

Okay, I'm Interested. What Should I Do Next?

Once you've read through our website, you can take the following steps:

Appointment

If you've already attended a seminar, OR if you feel like you're ready for one-on-one attention to your project, call your local UBuildIt office to schedule an appointment. The purpose of the meeting is to help you sort through your home building options, and to find out if UBuildIt is a good fit for you. You'll have an opportunity to have all your questions answered. There's no obligation, so please take advantage of this free service!

Information Kit

We've prepared a free information kit that explains the entire process in detail. It includes much of the same kind of information available on this website in a convenient, easy to read format... plus several client case studies. The information kit also includes a DVD that features some of our clients telling their own building stories. To receive your copy of this kit, please click here.

Seminar

The seminars are presented by UBuildIt Construction Consultants and will give you an opportunity, in a small group setting, to have your questions answered and find out more about the building process.