Home Improvement 101

Professional versus do-it-yourself

There are three main approaches to managing a home improvement project: hiring a general contractor, directly hiring specialized contractors, or doing the work oneself.

A general contractor oversees a home improvement project that involves multiple trades. A general contractor acts as project manager, providing access to the site, removing debris, coordinating work schedules, and performing some aspects of the work.

Sometimes homeowners bypass the general contractor, and hire tradesmen themselves, including plumbers, electricians and roofers.

Another strategy is to "do it yourself" (DIY). Several major American retailers, such as Home Depot and Lowes, specialize in selling materials and tools for DIY home improvement. These stores host classes and carry numerous books to teach customers how to do the work themselves.

Renovation Contractors

Renovation is the process of restoring or improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.

Perhaps the most important or visible professionals in the renovation industry are renovation contractors or skilled trades. These are the builders that have specialized credentials, licensing and experience to perform renovation services in specific municipalities. While there is a fairly large ‘grey market’ of unlicensed companies, there are those that have membership in a reputable association or are accredited by a professional organization.

The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes. They are:

Planning
Engineering
Structural repair
Rebuilding
Finishes

Relevance to current events

In many cities around North America and the world, real estate prices are climbing. Many popular TV shows in North America involve renovations or home make-overs. As a result of these factors, the renovation market has thrived in many major cities and suburban centres around the world. Pop culture and investment opportunity have inspired people to better their homes and, in turn, assist in raising neighborhood property values.

Big box stores like Home Depot and Rona are becoming larger companies due to the increase in the desire for renovations.