Looking around your property, you know what you would like to improve. So you know you want to do some renovations, but where do you start? Whether it be custom home renovations, grading, tree work, etc., here are 5 places to start before you commit to any contractor:

1. Make a plan (and plan for unforeseen events)

Though it may sound ridiculous to suggest you should plan for what you don't know, there are very little jobs that are straightforward, especially doing a renovation where something new is going in or with something old. If the work is a new room, deck, roof, etc., you never know what the last contractor did and how their work stood against the test of time.

2. Once you have your plan, set to it!

It is easy to feel indecisive and like you want to change the little things over and over until they are finally set. And this is fine to do, in the beginning. But after you have talked these things through

with your contractor and have a plan of action, the simple little changes could cost hundreds of dollars to make, like moving a light fixture a few inches or replacing the style of a deck banister.

3. Don't try to do too much at one time

Even if you have the budget to do multiple projects at one time, try to avoid running multiple projects at once. It can become easy to mismanage and become a bigger mess than expected (see 1). When it rains, it pours, and if it feels like one problem on one project is stressful, five problems on five projects are just too much. Slow and steady wins the race (and the checkered flag is a beautiful, functioning home).

4. Talk to your contractor

Any skilled and experienced contractor will be able to hear your plan and know the best place to start for each project to sequence together efficiently, saving your money and time). Even if all you have is a vision, this is where a plan can really take shape and become a course of action.

5. Make sure your budget doesn't always allow for the cheapest bidder

It is important to do your research on every contractor you're accepting bids from. Asking them questions about previous jobs and yours can help determine whether they are the right ones for you. Remember, while it is nice to save a few hundred dollars now, hiring the cheapest contractor could cost thousands of repairs and damages a few years later.