Your home · 10 guides
Renovations/Remodeling: problems and fixes, explained by Elliot
Elliot Presser is the only renovations/remodeling member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- What a bathroom remodel costs in Dallas, and the choices that move the number A powder room refresh and a primary bath rebuild are different projects with very different prices. Here is what actually moves the number, and where you have control over it. The range, and why it is so widePowder room, hall bath, primary suite: three different jobsWhat actually moves the numberOlder houses carry costs a newer one does not
- Turning the garage into a room: the mistakes that make it feel like a garage forever A garage conversion can add a bedroom, office or den without building outward. Done carelessly, it produces a cold, echoing room with a step down and a garage door outline everyone can see. Here is what goes wrong and how to avoid it. The mistakes, in briefMistake one: treating it as a weekend project without a permitMistake two: living with the step down and the sloped slabMistake three: walls and a ceiling that were never insulated
- The water is dried out, now what? Rebuilding after water or fire damage with a claim open Mitigation stops the damage. The rebuild puts the house back together, and that is where the claim, the contractor and your own decisions have to line up. Here is how it works in order. How the rebuild and the claim fit togetherFirst, make sure mitigation is truly finishedDocumentation that keeps the claim movingThe timelines Texas sets for insurers
- Red flags to catch before you hire a remodeling contractor in Texas Most remodeling disasters were visible before the contract was signed. These are the warning signs we would want a friend to catch, and the checks that take ten minutes and save months. The short listHow Texas licensing actually works for remodelersWarning signs in the first conversationWhat the paperwork should tell you
- Opening the kitchen to the living room: can that wall come out, and who should do it? Opening a kitchen to the living room is one of the most requested changes in older homes. Whether you can do it yourself depends on what the wall holds up and what runs through it. Straight answer: sometimes, but usually not the whole jobIs the wall holding up the house?What is hiding inside a kitchen wallPermits, older homes and paint
- Luxury vinyl plank, hardwood or tile: which floor fits the way your house is used There is no best floor, only the best floor for a particular room and household. Here is how luxury vinyl plank, hardwood and tile compare where it matters: water, wear, comfort, the slab underneath and long-term value. Which one wins, and whereLuxury vinyl plank: tough, forgiving and budget-friendlyHardwood: warmth that can be renewedTile: the floor that does not care about water
- Do you need a permit to remodel in Dallas? What needs one, who pulls it, and why Paint and new cabinet hardware rarely need a permit. Moving a wall, adding a bathroom or converting a garage almost always does. Here is how to tell the difference, what the city asks for, and why the permit should be in your contractor's name. The answer most homeowners needWork that usually triggers a permitWork that usually does notWhat the city actually asks for
- Dark grout, a soft floor, a stain next door: is your tile shower leaking? A tile shower can leak for years before anything shows on the outside. Here are the signs, the checks you can do yourself, and what a real repair involves when the waterproofing has failed. The signs that point to a leakWhere the water usually gets inChecks you can do before calling anyoneWhy regrouting rarely fixes it
- Adding a room to the house: what happens from first sketch to final walkthrough A room addition is a small house built against a big one. Here is every phase in order, what happens in each, where the schedule usually stretches, and how to keep living in the house while it is built. The whole process in one paragraphPhase one: deciding what the room needs to doPhase two: drawings, engineering and the permitPhase three: foundation, framing and getting dried in
- Three remodel bids, three prices and nothing matches: how to compare them and run the job You asked three contractors to price the same kitchen and got three documents that cannot be compared. Here is how to read a remodel bid, what the price actually depends on, what a well-run project looks like week to week, and the mistakes that turn a renovation into a saga. Three bids on the table and no way to compare themWhy remodel bids are so hard to compareHow to make the bids comparable yourselfWhen to keep planning, and when to bring a contractor in early