4 Things to Do Before You Renovate Your Home

Are you considering renovating your home?

Renovation is definitely rewarding but the transition can be daunting. With the labor in your living space, floor and furniture covered with dust and no appliances to use around, it will definitely not be a bowl of cherries! Moreover, no matter how organized you are, home renovation is something that takes longer than planned and stands costlier than expected. But planning ahead really helps to smoothen and streamline the transition process.

Whether you are about to renovate your home completely or just getting your living room redesigned, here are a few little things you can do before you go ahead with your home renovation.

1. Be Clear in Your Head

Home renovation is an intricate process and to make sure that it doesn’t get astray, you have to have a plan. Set timelines, prioritize your goals, check your budget, look at your options and most importantly prepare a list of questions regarding the why, what, when and where of the renovation.

• What are you trying to achieve through renovation – beautify your home, make it more spacious, raise its financial value or simply keep up with your neighbors?
• Do you need council approval for the changes?
• Should you do-it-yourself or hire the professionals?

When you know the answer to such questions, you know what needs to be done, what may be the shortcomings and how to plan the whole thing ahead of time.

2. Decide Your Budget

It’s good to set clear goals, but more importantly the goals should be achievable. That does not mean that you should opt for cheaping out but it’s good to be a little watchful about the expenses. Ask for quotes and make a thorough comparison of rates. Try not to accept the rates at the face value, negotiate wherever you can. Resist getting tempted and ending up over-capitalizing. Try to stay in the perimeters of your budget, though it’s a good idea to set aside a contingency of 15-20% for any unexpected circumstances that might spring up.

3. Get the Right Contractor

The best contractors are often found through a recommendation. Good work always finds its way to the customer through word-of-mouth. When searching for the right contractor, it’s worthwhile to talk to your acquaintances for any references. Moreover, you should do your own research well. While selecting contractors, ask for quotes, make a thorough comparison and zero in on the one that suits your needs.

4. Take Advice

The best way to go about renovation is to learn from those who learned it the hard way. Talk to your friends, co-workers or acquaintances, who have recently got their homes renovated. What were the challenges they faced? How did they tackle them? How did they find the right contractor? Try to be as thorough as possible in the research phase. Doing so might sound like hard work, but considering the time and money it will save, it’s totally worth it!

Final Thoughts

Home renovation can really be exhausting. To survive it, it’s important to stay inspired and optimistic. When it gets tiring, think of the relief you will get when the renovation is complete and you get to live in your space exactly as you visualized it in your head. Thinking of the ‘ends’ will help you keep going!

Happy Home Renovation!