The home remodeling process can be a lengthy and expensive one. When you are thinking about renovating your home, you may feel overwhelmed and stressed. Luckily there are 7 things that you can do before starting the home renovation process to give you a starting point and that will dictate the outcome of your project.
Hire a home inspector
The first thing you should do is to assess every square inch of your property. Make sure that your electrical systems and plumbing is up to par, that there is no dampness, foundation problems, or problems with the structural integrity of your house. This is important because problems with your house can complicate a renovation project.
Take your lifestyle into account
Before renovating, you should have a detailed idea of your desired lifestyle and how your newly renovated home will help to support this lifestyle. Think where and how you and your family spend most of your time at home. If you, for example, like to cook and your family likes to spend time in the living room, you may want to have an open plan kitchen and living room to allow for interaction between family members. If you are an active family, you may rather want a home gym instead of a guest bedroom.
Consult a renovation guide
Determine what you want the end result of your renovation project to be. Consult a renovation guide and familiarize yourself with all the ins and outs of renovating your home. Also, make sure that you are aware of every job that has to be done during the project. Assign a timeframe to each individual job in order to roughly determine how long the entire project will take.
Consult with an architectural designer
Make a list of designers in your area that specializes in home renovations. Look up reviews online and narrow the list down to two or three. Ask them if they’d be willing to provide you with an on-site consultation and quotation to work with you in designing your new home. Tell them your needs and what you are planning on doing. When you have their quote, you can then decide if you’d like to move forward.
Figure out the budget beforehand
It is impossible to know beforehand what all your costs will be, but when you draw up a budget, it helps you plan for unexpected expenses that will inevitably show their ugly heads. A good starting point would be to determine how much money you can spend on the project. When you know this, you can calculate how much money can go into each individual job.
Find a contractor
Merely contacting a contractor’s references is not always enough. You also have to ask the references if you can visit the sites where the contractors worked. Ask them if the contractors finished the job within the agreed upon time frames and if they went over budget.
Expect difficulties
Before you start a home renovation project, come to the realization that it will not always be smooth sailing. If you expect perfection, chances are that you will be disappointed. Having said that, renovating you home holds promise of a new and exciting time in your life and that is something to look forward to.
Also Read: 10 Home renovation hacks that will make life unbelievably easy
