When you moved into your home, you might have absolutely loved the décor, but now, years later, you’re tired of it and want to change it around. Perhaps you didn’t like the décor at all, and now you want to make your home your own and inject your own personality into it. Maybe you need to change rooms around because of a new addition to your family – it could be a lot less expensive than moving house.
No matter what your reason for a home renovation, and no matter how big or small that renovation might be, it’s important to be fully prepared for it when it happens. Read on for some useful advice that will help you make your home perfect for you.
Spend Time In The Property
As obvious as it may seem, it is critical to wait before making choices such as paint colors, flooring, and light fixtures until you have spent time in the area you are remodeling. You need to get a sense of the space you’re working with, and you need to have an understanding of exactly where the light falls, which direction furniture should face in, what colors are going to suit best, and so on. Even if you have lived in the property for a while – perhaps many years – being patient is critical. You need to pay real attention to the area you want to upgrade.
When you are making changes to a property, you don’t want to have to keep starting again because you’ve made an error in judgment or because you’ve changed your mind. By waiting a little longer at the start, you can save yourself several trips back to the drawing board.
Your Budget Is Key
Before you can do anything else, you must make a sensible budget for your home renovation. If you don’t have a budget, you can easily overspend, and that could leave you in financial difficulties, or it might even leave the renovation work half done when the money runs out. Knowing your budget from the start will help you stay on track, and you will only spend what you know you can afford.
Once you have your budget, it is important to stick to it as well. It is there for a reason, and the more you spend over that carefully considered budget, the more problems you could be causing for other aspects of your renovation. If you don’t have enough money to do what you want to do right now, wait until you do.
Have A Plan
When you know how much you can spend, you can then ask for prices from professionals. Also, work out what you can do yourself, as this will cut your costs and allow for more room in the budget for additional items.
When you have chosen your contractor or know what you want to do yourself, you can work out a timeline, planning out each section of the work so that you know precisely what should be happening when. Of course, this plan may not run smoothly, and you may need to be flexible, but it is a good starting point.
Understand The Timeframe
No matter what happens, your remodeling will take longer than anticipated, so plan ahead of time and make adjustments to prevent frustration; if you don’t and you become tired of the whole thing, you might rush some elements or give up altogether. It’s crucial that you are as realistic as possible about the renovation work that is to take place, even if the truth doesn’t entirely fit with what you were hoping for.
Always ensure that your budget and your plan have built-in contingencies for extra costs and extra timings. It’s always better to have this included and not have to use it than it is to suddenly realize you need that additional few days or weeks or that extra bit of money for emergencies only to find you don’t have it.
Declutter
Now that you have a plan in place and you know what is going to happen, how much it’s going to cost, and when it’s going to start, you will need to prepare the house for the work. This means decluttering. Decluttering is a simple process but a daunting one for many people, so it can often be put off until the last minute, making it much harder than it needs to be.
Start as early as possible, and you will find that once you get started, it’s not such a terrible chore. Throw out anything you no longer need – if there are a lot of throwaway items, then you might want to consider dumpster rental – and anything you want to keep can be boxed up and stored in the attic, basement, garage, or even in a storage locker while the renovations take place.
Speak To The Professionals
Once you’ve decided what you’ll require a professional to help you with at least some of the work that needs to be done, it’s time to talk with at least three to get a sense not just of pricing but also of what they’re like to deal with. This is especially crucial if the work is going to take a long time and they will be on-site (in your house) for many days or even weeks. You must be able to get along with them as well as afford them, which is why you should interview more than one.
Find a specialist you like and whose quote falls within your budget, and you’ll have a lot simpler time getting the job done and feeling less worried about the issue. Of course, you should also look at testimonials and reviews before making your final decision, but a gut feeling, although not scientific or measurable, can sometimes be helpful.
What Can Be A DIY Project?
Now that you know what design you want and how much it will cost, is there anything you can do yourself? Although some of the elements of what you want to have done are far better being completed by an expert who knows exactly what they are doing, there will probably be some things you can do yourself, and unless there is a good reason not to, this is a good idea.
Carrying out DIY work when it comes to having any renovation or remodeling works done will save you money, first and foremost. Even if you can’t get the discounts on materials that a professional contractor can, you’ll be saving money on labor, and that is often the most expensive part of any job.
The homeowner can generally do painting, tiling, and even putting together furniture, but more extensive or more complex tasks, such as plumbing and electrics, should always be handled by a professional. It will really depend on your budget, your timeframe (DIY usually takes longer), and how confident you feel in making the work look good.
Know What You Want
You have a budget to work with, and you are aware of the items you can purchase. You also know if you should hire a professional or perform part of the job yourself. You must now decide on how you want your home to look once the work is done.
This is the most enjoyable phase, as long as you keep to your budget and your abilities. There are many styles to choose from, and each one will provide you with something amazing. You have the option of going with something traditional and comfy or something crazy and unique, or something completely on-trend. The decision is yours, but you should know what you want before you begin, or otherwise the task will take much longer than it should.
Be Courteous
Speak with your neighbors before doing any renovations. There is a good possibility that a large amount of building work or noisy work (or both) may irritate them, particularly if the work takes a long time.
By letting them know what’s happening and how long you’ll have the work going on for, you’ll be making a good impression at the start, and even if the work is still going to take place, and even if it’s not entirely convenient for the neighbor, at least if they’re aware of it, it will make them feel as though you thought about them, and the situation will be a more positive one. If you can avoid it, the last thing you want to do is annoy your neighbors. Politeness will go a long way with the neighbors, and you will get a lot further with fewer disruptions if you’re courteous throughout.
Don’t Forget Yourself
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a home renovation, but in among all the budgeting, planning, and speaking to contractors, don’t forget yourself and your own mental well-being. Changes can be challenging to cope with, and a job like a home renovation could be something that disturbs your mental health. If you feel as though you are beginning to be out of control, step away from the situation and regroup. If you need help, ask for it; getting help means you can enjoy your home renovation without becoming ill.
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