by David Seiter
With plans in hand and everybody’s approval, you’ve got two options to make your blueprints reality: hire a builder/contractor or do it yourself with the help of a maestro de obras (foreman) and a consulting architect to stop by the workplace weekly to oversee the progress. Besides the obvious time and financial considerations, the decision depends on your understanding of the day-to-day machinations of contracting.
Many inexperienced people will opt to hire a contractor, but don’t make the mistake of being an absentee owner. The nightmarish tales of things being done completely wrong or not at all continue to pile up. The biggest single mistake people make is trying to manage the process from afar.
