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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We just finished a $300k plus renovation and came in just $3,000 over budget.  The more work you put in ahead of time, the more accurate the budget will be.  We had researched and knew what appliances we wanted, the materials we would use for counters (kitchen and bath) and floors before we sent the job out for bid.  A contractor can present a very favorable bid if there are a large number of "allowances" that bear no reality to what you will choose.  For instance, we looked at cabinet knobs that cost as little as $2 and as much as $15 a piece.  If the contractor provided an allowance based on $2, our final selections which were in the $7 range would have been off.  Same for the counter-tops.  You can get a good price on granite right now, but we wanted soapstone.  If the price had been based on granite, we would have needed a change order because soapstone currently costs a bit more.  I was very clear that nothing makes me feel like I am being ripped off more than getting a price that turns out to be much lower than the actual cost.

The one thing I would have done differently, however, was to keep a tighter rein during the initial design process.  There were a number of "you know what would look great" things added that when we got the initial bids, the costs were much higher than I wanted and I had to remind everyone about what we initially wanted to accomplish with the renovation.  It is was too easy to get caught up in the idea of adding a powder room to the first floor and redoing the entry floor when you are doing the initial drawings.  Resist the urge.  Be flexible, but keep the goals of the project in mind.  It will save you time.

And be honest with the arch or designer.  My wife waited to admit that she wanted to move the shower from one wall to another and move the vanities in the bathroom until after we had obtained our building permit.  I am glad she finally said something before we broke ground, but I wish she had spoken up sooner.

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soapstone is terrible you made a huge mistake[/quote]

Nope. We love it. We actually cook I'm our kitchen so it works well for us.  Let me guess, you have granite.[/quote]

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