X
W inning
LJ
W isdom
■ Be efficien t. “Buy
as much as you can—
faucets, lights, sinks—
before the job begins,”
Dana says. “The trick is
to stay ahead of your
contractor so no one
wastes time waiting.”
Shopping from catalogs
and online saved Dana
driving (and lug) time.
■ C o m m u n icate . To
ensure they had the
same vision, Dana gave
her contractor a binder
with copies of magazine
and catalog photos. She
also advises asking for
a line-item rather than
“scope of work” bid.
“You want to eliminate
as much confusion as
possible,” she says.
■ Im p ro vise. Expect
surprises, Dana says. A
spiral staircase she
wanted removed was
structural, so it stayed.
“I painted it so it blends
with the floor, and I’ve
grown to love it.” ®
For buying information see
page
270
.
