Tag: tampa general contractor
Questions For A Tampa General Contractor
The first milestone in a remodeling project is to choose a general contractor to handle the Tampa remodeling project. This contractor will have a major impact on the overall quality of the project. He or she will also help determine the final cost of the remodeling project, provide potential design concepts and insights, guide you through the entire remodeling project and put their unique stamp on the overall project.
This means that who you hire as a general contractor is a decision that requires some very deliberate thought.
After you have completed initial research on general contractors, you will have narrowed the list of potential general contractors to two or three top choices that you want to talk to. This list will include the credible and qualified candidates from Rossi Construction, Inc., and it is important to structure the substance of your initial consultation around the idea of sharing your first thoughts for your remodel plans. Ask for advice and opinions from the contractor regarding your initial plans for the remodel, and do not be afraid to take into account how personalities will mesh. Do not forget to ask for credentials.
Finding a general contractor can be nerve wracking, most of us worry that we may forget what questions to ask. This article is intended to give you a head-start, an opportunity to stay on the right path as you work your way through the initial consultation with a general contractor.
Never be afraid to ask questions!
Do not be embarrassed to ask any general contractor these questions. Remembering that you are considering entering into a business relationship with any general contractor, and these questions are meant to establish a solid working relationship.
Can you share some written references?
A solid general contractor will have a written list of references easily at hand. The best general contractors have that list in your hand before you even remember that it is the first entry on your “list of questions to ask a general contractor.” If the general contractor is not willing to give you a list of references, really consider what they say as well as how they say it when answering other questions.
Can you provide a proposed timeline and work process?
Most professional general contractors will have this information available for you in writing, and you will want the list to include things like; who will be in charge of supervising the project; work hours and days; length of a project from demo to completion and milestones for payments.
Do you have experience with this kind of Tampa remodeling project?
Strange economic times have contractors looking outside of their area of expertise, finding some contractors from the commercial field in residential remodeling projects. On the other end of the spectrum, residential contractors feeling the pinch are also doing small commercial improvement projects. Satisfy yourself that the contractor you are working with is competent and credible in handling your residential remodeling project.
Keep in mind that these questions are meant to serve as a guide in your search for a Tampa general contractor. The team from Rossi Construction, Inc. will continue to add ideas and concepts to this list but, in the meantime, you are invited to contact our office at 813-436-0177 to schedule an initial consultation for your project!
Hiring a Tampa Residential General Contractor
A Tampa residential general contractor is a home remodeling professional who organizes and executes the overall completion of larger remodeling projects. Many times, a Tampa residential general contractor may mistakenly be called a simple home improvement professional. This is a misconception the general contractor will quickly quash, by explaining that a residential general contractor deals with lengthy projects that incorporate unique design ideas and architectural concepts. The goal of all plans developed by the residential general contractor is to improve the quality of life within the home, building a better at home experience, by either expanding or utilizing space that is currently dead in a Tampa home.
A contractor with a focus on home improvements is typically tasked with smaller projects, such as the installation of new windows; flooring; kitchen cabinets and exterior improvements to a Tampa residence. A good way to think of the Tampa residential general contractor, is that he is in charge of all subcontractors handling the smaller parts of a remodeling project.
When do I need to hire a Tampa residential general contractor?
Most Tampa homeowners do not realize that an average kitchen remodeling project takes roughly six to eight weeks. In addition to time, the project also requires a Tampa electrician; a plumber; a cabinet contractor; a pro capable of handling flooring installation and someone to handle appliance installation. When you add a painter into the equation, you end up with a lot of people handling a half dozen individual kitchen remodeling projects.
The genius of hiring a Tampa residential contractor is that he is capable of coordinating all of the professionals, scheduling them in a workable format and he will tell you if the price that you are paying makes the price “right.” The Tampa residential contractor also comes with the added bonus of possessing the skills required to complete some of the remodeling work on his own, whereas most homeowners do not know anything about installation of cabinets.
If I am ready to hire a Tampa residential general contractor, who do I need to call?
The professionals from Rossi Construction, Inc. are ready, willing and able to become the Tampa residential contractor overseeing all aspects of your Tampa kitchen remodeling project. Rossi Construction, Inc. can be reached by calling 813.436.0177.
Enjoy Your Kitchen Redesign Process
Many people enjoy the process of redesigning their kitchen, rarely having had an opportunity like it in the past and likely not getting the chance again for more than a decade. If handled correctly, the design process can be the gift that keeps giving. Here are a few tips that can make the process enjoyable and keep you on a budget that either is all of your own doing, or the suggested budget of a Tampa General Contractor.
- Assess the situation ahead of time by scheduling an appointment during which a professional from Rossi Construction, Inc. can share his ideas and listen to your personal goals for the space. Ask the member of our team to give you a bid on both the overall project, as well as any smaller projects you feel are suited to our project portfolio. As you talk, you will start to get a feel for what’s necessary and what you can do without. Never hesitate to speak to multiple companies about the kitchen design process as well, Rossi Construction, Inc. prides itself on fair estimates but we always want clients to do their homework.
- While estimates on final price for a Tampa kitchen design are always important, you really want to find a Tampa General Contractor who is capable of understanding your vision and creatively working within the confines of your budget. You need someone who is capable of speaking construction as well as layman terms regarding projects.
- It is vital that planning the Tampa kitchen design process is never just a slapdash affair. You need to take the time to look at photos, prepare sketches or at least complete a set of notes regarding your hopes and goals for the Tampa kitchen redesign process.
Keep in mind that these tips and tricks are merely the tip of a very large iceberg associated with the ideas, planning and process of a Tampa kitchen redesign process. Build the idea of a kitchen redesign in your mind, and then feel free to contact Rossi Construction, Inc. at 813-436-0177 to discuss making an appointment with one of our professionals.
Is It Time to Add a Garage
A garage is a desirable feature for many home buyers. If a home does not have a garage, adding a garage may increase the value in certain circumstances. When it comes to resale, having a garage will slightly increase the price but will have a greater impact on the ease of selling the home.
The addition of a garage:
If a home does not have a garage, but is located in a residential area where garages are the standard, then the addition of a garage will add to the overall value of the home. It will also help you sell the property faster than would be expected, but the total recoup on the investment will be roughly sixty percent of the cost of the basic garage addition.
Buying a home that has a garage:
Having a garage increases the overall value of a home, but the total increase will depend on the neighborhood and surrounding standards. If the home is in a residential area with limited street parking, a garage can increase value by up to $10,000. Realtors indicate that the benefits outweigh the negatives, as a home without a garage is hard to sell regardless of the price.
If you are adding a garage, consider making part of it into living space:
In some cases, it also pays to consider making a portion of a new garage into a living space. Think of it in terms of purchasing a small home, one that lacks an amenity like a second bathroom or a third bedroom, and using a garage to give you the missing space. Converting to a garage space can help sell a home by adding to the square footage, but it is always best to consult professionals from Rossi Construction, Inc.
If you are preparing to add a garage to your Tampa home, call Rossi Construction, Inc. at 813-436-0177.
Should I Add A Laundry Room
Home improvement projects for your Tampa home will doubtlessly increase the potential resale value of your family home. Certain home improvement projects are going to add to add value to your home in a number of different ways, and it is quite possible that some home improvement projects will never end with you recovering the invested cash. Review a few of our ideas for home improvement projects, and let us know if you think the project is right for your Tampa home.
I really do not have the room for an extra bathroom; please share some additional ideas for adding to the value of my home.
In both Tampa and St. Petersburg, it was once common practice to either build a house with a carport or a single car garage. The addition of a garage to a property without a garage adds quite a bit to the value of the home. The addition of the garage also provides you with a different kind of curb appeal, because buyers frequently form a bad impression about a property lacking the square footage that comes with even a single car garage. If it is possible, you will want to try to add a bonus room to a new garage that you are able to add to your Tampa home with a carport. Adding the bonus room will allow you a better chance of recouping the investment, and giving all potential buyers a little surprise square footage.
An idea that does not necessarily catch the eye of Gulf Coast natives, but will catch the eye of the snow birds from Canada, is the addition of a fireplace to the family room. It can be a kitschy addition some people really find to be endearing about your Tampa home, and a fireplace can come in handy when we get the cold Christmas weather.
One last option you may want to consider is a flip of the laundry room from the garage to a converted room in the house, as long as the addition does not do away with a bedroom in your Tampa home.
As with any improvement project for your Tampa home, you will want to make sure that you find the best General Contractor in the Tampa Bay area. Ask for references from the contractor, and complete your homework to make sure that this person has all of the required licenses and permits.
How Can I Make My Home More Valuable?
Are you looking for a way to make your Tampa home more valuable? With these simple tips and tricks, you will be able to find your home more enjoyable while also increasing its market value. Rossi Construction, Inc. can answer any questions that you may have regarding potential Tampa remodeling and construction projects.
Consider a Tampa Kitchen Remodeling Plan:
Tampa kitchen remodeling projects are one of the best ways to increase the value of your home. Adding modern appliances, and giving your cabinets a new modern face, is an investment that will provide you a big return. Rossi Construction, Inc. can assist you with the development and execution of Tampa kitchen remodeling plans.
Think About Adding a Garage:
Both Tampa and St. Petersburg are rife with houses that tout either no garage, or a single car garage. Homes with at least a two car garage are more attractive to potential Tampa homebuyers. A Tampa home with a small garage is almost worse than a house having no garage at all. Consider making an upgrade before putting your home on the market, and get those plans underway by consulting with experts at Rossi Construction, Inc.
Make That Tampa Bathroom a Little Nicer:
Bathrooms are important to Tampa homebuyers. Just like the kitchen, homebuyers want modern conveniences and sleek new fixtures. Depending upon how “far” you want to go with a bathroom remodeling project, you will want to consider hiring a professional to assist you with the project.
There are a handful of additional tips, ranging from the installation of granite countertops to making that curb appeal pop. No matter what you are looking for, the team at Rossi Construction, Inc. is ready and willing to add value to your Tampa real estate. Please feel free to schedule a consultation by calling us at 813.436.0177.
Increase Tampa Home Value With Suggestions From Rossi Construction, Inc.
PRLog (Press Release) – Apr. 9, 2013 – Rossi Construction, Inc. launched an alert initiative to Tampa home owners over the weekend, discussing ways to make Tampa homes more valuable in an often volatile real estate market. The simple tips and tricks are intended to provide Tampa home owners a way to increase market value, all the while building personal enjoyment of the home.
Rossi Construction, Inc. explained that Tampa home owners should first give some thought to the idea of creating a Tampa kitchen remodeling plan. The specialists at Rossi Construction, Inc. elaborated that kitchen remodels are one of the best ways to increase overall home value. Adding modern appliances, and giving cabinets a new face, is an investment that will provide a big return.
In addition to a Tampa kitchen remodeling project, the construction specialists suggested; adding a garage if the house is without a garage; remodeling a Tampa bathroom or a combination of any two projects to add the most “bang for the buck.”
Other suggestions by Rossi Construction, Inc. included the installation of granite countertops and making that curb appeal “pop.”
Rossi Construction, Inc. is a general contractor located in Tampa Florida. Rossi Construction specializes in residential and commercial construction. Rossi has been building excellence by design since 1979. Rossi Construction, Inc. can be found online by visiting http://www.jrossiconstruction.com.
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Considering a Tampa Bathroom Addition
If you have the funds available for the average $38,000.00 mid-range Tampa bathroom addition, it can be a sound investment for your home but it will only recoup about fifty-four percent of the investment at resale. That being said, there are intangibles like style; comfort and convenience that the addition of another bathroom to your home will add to your life.
There are some vital considerations you must make before you decide that a Tampa bathroom addition is right, especially if you will be selling the house in the near future.
Adding Value to the Home
The good news is that Tampa home buyers love additional bathrooms. A Tampa bathroom addition almost never goes wrong, and it is rare that a real estate agent hears a buyer say “this is just too much bathroom space for me to handle.”
If you are looking to recoup the expense through resale of the Tampa home, or improve your prospects of selling, you will want to do your homework very carefully. This means that if you have an older home that would sell for $200,00.00 on a good day, spending $35,00.00 to build a bathroom from the ground up will not raise the value of your home to $235,000.00. You will just have a lovely new bathroom in a $200,000.00 Tampa home.
The general rule of thumb is that you should consider the Tampa bathroom addition only if you plan on staying in your home at least five years.
How Do I Evaluate Possible Return on Investment?
Tampa home buyers tend to prefer that a home have roughly the same number of bathrooms and bedrooms. Any Tampa bathroom addition that brings the number of bathrooms in line with the total number of bedrooms is likely to equate to a bigger return on investment.
The most valuable Tampa bathroom addition you can make is when you start with only one bath in the house; a second bath makes a good impression on buyers and can be the difference between selling a house and having it sit on the market.
Another important area of balance is showers to bathtubs. For maximum resale potential, you should have one of each in your Tampa home. A Tampa bathroom addition that gives you the shower or bathtub that you are missing is a smart choice.
Understanding the implications to the value of your home is important and can keep you from making costly mistakes. Be sure to return for our follow-up article discussing additional ideas associated with Tampa bath projects.
Flipping the Floors – Tampa Kitchen Remodeling
In our previous article discussing Tampa kitchen remodeling projects, we shared the idea of executing a project that can add to both the value of the home and the usability of the kitchen. Our first idea covered the value of cabinet upgrades, but there are so many potential Tampa kitchen remodeling projects that change your kitchen structure. The trick is to find the perfect kitchen remodeling recipe for your family!
Project Two: Skipping the Cabinets, and Flipping the Floors.
Laminates, exotic hardwoods, recycled materials, linoleum and even poured concrete can be used for flooring options in a Tampa kitchen remodeling project. The abundance of flooring options make the actual choice of flooring materials a difficult decision, one which must be determined using your tastes; your budget and which flooring option will hold-up for years.
Hardwood is a very popular choice for Tampa kitchen remodeling projects, but many people will also opt to use faux options when budget is a concern. “Floating floors,” or the laminate version of traditional hardwood floors, are highly popular because they maintain the appearance of hardwood and keep the price down. The laminate floors come in a wide range of colors, qualities and pricing but all are able to knock traditional hardwood floors down base upon price of materials and installation pricing.
What makes laminate flooring so fantastic!? The technology allows your regular kitchen contractor to oversee installation of the new flooring during the Tampa kitchen remodeling project, whereas hardwood floors requires the assistance of another specialist.
Rossi Construction, Inc. is capable of providing advice regarding the installation of new flooring materials during a Tampa kitchen remodeling project. If a home owner makes the decision to go with traditional hardwood flooring, Rossi Construction, Inc. will be able to install the new flooring during the Tampa kitchen remodeling project.
Be sure to review our next article regarding Tampa kitchen remodeling, which covers the installation of new counters. 
Questions To Ask A Tampa General Contractor
Many contractors find a sense of freedom in giving you a single overall price for the total project, but this leaves you in the dark about what they are charging about each phase of the remodeling project. Think of it in terms of a project initially calling for a granite counter for a large preparation counter in the area just off the kitchen, but you swap the idea for a poured concrete counter. How much do you need to be given as a credit for eliminating that work? Without an itemized bid, you have no way to know what you should be credited.
Getting an itemized bid will show the costs for the various elements of the remodeling project from the demolition to the fixtures and everything in between. Having an itemized bid allows you to compare the different prices from all general contractors, and see where any discrepancies exist. An itemized bid will also serve as valuable documentation about the overall reach of the project, and potentially halt any disputes in the future.
If a general contractor refuses to give you an itemized bid, please consider this a giant red flag for sure.
Most home owners assume that the bid they are receiving is a fixed price, but some general contractors view their proposal as an estimate that can increase in price as the project moves forward. If the proposal is called an “estimate,” you need to work on eliminating whatever unknowns are causing the general contractor to feel an estimate is the only format for the proposal.
A general contractor who has been working locally in Tampa for at least five years has an established network of subcontractors and supply resources in the area and a reputation that must be upheld. This makes the general contractor a safer bet than a brand new Tampa general contractor.
You have found a few potential general contractors and you have checked out their references, now it is time for one additional piece of homework. You are going to talk to some of their primary suppliers, as there is no better reference for a general contractor than the lumber yard where they know him by both his first name and his reputation for a job well-done.
It is not only the answers to these questions that will help you find a Tampa general contractor; it is the way that they answer them. Was the easy to talk to and free with the details, or did you have to pull the answers out with a little pushing? Ease of communication now means ease of communication as the remodeling job continues.
Rossi Construction has been working in the Greater Tampa Bay area since 1979.
