A 20-year construction veteran offers eight baselines to consider before you pick up a hammer You?ve scoured the internet for hours, pinning inspiration for the perfect bathroom upgrade. You?ve re-watched the entire first season of Fixer Upper and know your home would be better off if that wall between the kitchen and living room could just come down. These days, there are more ways than ever to get psyched for a home renovation?but how do you really know you?re really ready for the process"
Daniel Thomas has been in the construction business since he was 16 years old and landed his first house-painting gig. Throughout college in the late 1980s, he spent his summers working with a construction firm in California. "The owner was a fantastic mentor, teaching me that even the best-intentioned contractors can go out of business," Thomas says. "The other mentors were the truckloads of drywall we carried up the stairs."
In 1995, Thomas co-founded his own company in Portland, Oregon, called Hammer & Hand. Twenty-one years later, his firm has garnered a reputation for high quality construction, providing everything from historical home renovations to high performing green buildings throughout the Pacific Northwest. He offered Curbed eight baselines before picking up a hammer. Spoiler: He didn?t mention Pinterest or HGTV once.
1. Plan for lifestyle improvement, not resale
It might seem obvious, but a good place to start is to ask yourself why yo...