Renovation 101: How to Plan a Successful Home Remodel from Start to Finish
Remodeling your home can add value to it and make it more comfortable. However, the renovation process can be very stressful. The most effective way of mitigating stress is to plan your project. Planning a home renovation carefully can make the process much easier to get through without losing your head and costing yourself a lot of money. If you have no experience renovating houses before, this post has you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about planning a successful home remodel project from start to finish:
Start from the Bottom Up
A lot of people’s home renovation plans put heavy emphasis on furniture, their walls, and sometimes even the façade of their home. However, yours should start from the bottom up. What’s the point in undertaking renovation plans of any kind if you totally ignore your floors? Whether you invest in durable floor tiles or new carpeting for the upstairs of your house, starting from the bottom up can be an effective way to increase your home’s functionality and comfort levels. Also worth noting is that certain types of floors can make your home safer for young children and pets. For example, if you have a baby who’s just learning to walk, carpeted floors can provide cushioning in the event that they fall over. Anybody who has lived with a young child will know falling over is a part of their daily routine.
Come Up with a Budget
A budget is essential. Under no circumstances should you attempt to undertake renovations of any kind without one. Once you know how much you can afford to spend, you will be able to decide whether or not to hire contractors, in addition to what kind of renovations you are actually going to perform. There are free apps and tools you can use that make budgeting much easier. If you have very little money to spend, you can save in the short term by using pay-in-three services to buy supplies. Some pay-in-three services give you virtual cards that you can even use to pay contracting fees.
Find Professional Support
Do you want to undertake renovations alone? If not, hire a contractor. A contractor will be able to work with you to ensure your home gets the care and attention that it needs. The process of finding a contractor can be complex if you have never had to look for one before. As a general rule, you should never work with contractors who operate without licenses or insurance. This is because an unlicensed, uninsured contractor won’t be able to provide financial compensation in the event they make mistakes. A contractor’s reviews should also be taken into account, as they can tell you a lot about them.
Enlist Outside Support
If you are unable to afford a contractor but need help with your home renovation project, you may want to enlist the support of family and friends. As long as the work you plan on undertaking is nothing too excessive, they should oblige you. Bear in mind that your loved ones likely have obligations of their own, so try to plan work to coincide with weekends or days your loved ones are not themselves engaged. Also consider paying them for their time, since home renovation projects can be both mentally and physically exhausting.
Source Supplies Online
If you want to renovate your home, as mentioned above, you need to work out a budget so that you know how much you have to spend on supplies. A good way to save money on supplies is to buy them yourself. A lot of people let the contractors they hire buy them, but a contractor is never going to give you a fair rate on supplies. Buying them yourself online allows you to save a massive amount of money. Make sure you find a reliable vendor to buy supplies from.
Obtain Necessary Permits
If you want to renovate your home, you may need permits. A permit is an approval from your local city council that allows you to go ahead with any renovations or repairs you are planning. Applying for and obtaining permits can be complicated, but thankfully there are lots of articles you can use online that break the process down. Make sure you read and use as many online resources as you can, so you become an expert in the permit application process. The more knowledgeable you are about it, the better.
If you want to renovate your home, take the suggestions made here into consideration. They will help you to get through the process without stressing yourself. Definitely enlist a contractor if you have no experience in construction or renovating a house, as a contractor can make the process even less stressful.