Planning Your Major Renovation
Springtime is a typical time of year when homeowners start making major plans for their homes. These plans can range from painting the exterior, to installing a fence, or even a major addition to the home. Having a well-constructed plan will make any home improvement project go smoothly (or at least, less bumpy). Here is a list to help get you started on your latest home improvement project!
- Decide the reason you want to improve you home. Does your house really need a coat of paint, or are you just needing a change? Is that new family room needed, or can you convert a different space? By keeping your renovation and improvement priorities straight, you can help keep your budget and timeline on track.
- Have your home inspected. If you are planning on doing major interior work, such as adding a kitchen, bathroom, or adding a whole new addition, have your home inspected for anything that may come up during the renovation process. This will also save your timeline and again, your budget!
- Talk about the upcoming changes in your home with all household members. By letting everyone know what is going on, it will be easier to ask them to make sacrifices if necessary. Plus, it makes them feel as if they are involved in the actual project too!
- Plan your budget and arrange for financing ahead of time. Don't be caught with your pants down in the middle of a project, just because you've run out of money. There is nothing worse than staring at an unfinished project, due to lack of funds.
- Decide what fixtures you want in advance. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of planning the remainder of your project, and helps fix the costs if you buy them in advance. Hint- if you know what you want, and know that it will go on sale before your project is done, try to wait until it is on sale, so you can get the biggest bang for your buck!
- Don't be cheap! Choosing materials that are made of quality materials will not only last longer, they will save you money in the long run, as you won't have to replace them near as often as an inferior product.
- Make sure your renovation is in step with the rest of the house.
- Don't forget to GREEN it! Try to make green choices in materials, it will do both you and the environment good!
- Keep your long term needs in mind. For example, a kid's themed playroom may be pretty cool, but they will grow out of that theme in a few years. Paint can always be changed easily, but it's harder and more expensive to replace fixtures and more permanent structures.
- Hire a good general contractor, and tell him what your goals are for your renovation. There are a lot of good ones in our area, and they are very useful and knowledgeable and can help you with what you want to achieve.
- If you are renovating a critical space, such as the kitchen or only bathroom, consider alternative living arrangements during the renovation. Do you really want to live in a house without a functioning bathroom?? I didn't think so either. As for the kitchen, set up an alternative space in another area for food preparation (so you don't spend all of your money on takeout!).
- Don't wait until the demo/construction has started to tell your neighbors about your major home improvement project. Since you do live there, making your neighbors angry won't exactly help you in the future.
