How to Plan your Home Renovation
In this article, we offer some tips on planning for a home renovation and making it a success.
24/06/2020
If you are new to this, then your first home renovation might become a strenuous task, and the idea of changing your home can be overwhelming. For some a home renovation is changing the decor, getting new rugs or re-positioning the furniture. Still, for some other people, it might be changing the paint, remodelling the entire house, breaking down a wall and rebuilding it according to your needs.
A strenuous process
Sometimes going through this process becomes a pretty daunting task for the owner as the house remains in a mess until the process is completed and often, he/she has to stay in a hotel or rented apartment until the renovation is done. You can either do it by yourself with the help of your friends which will save you some cash, but if you want the job to finish quickly and have some extra money to spare, then it is better to hire professionals who work in home renovation agencies. Let them know of your plans and ask them for a cost estimate, you can also go for a house inspection if you want to start renovating from scratch. Here are some tips on planning for a home renovation and making it a success.
Observe the home and prioritize
You must spend a lot of time in the house you are about to renovate if it is a new house that you bought and are planning to renovate it then the best way to go is living in that house for some time so that you are able to understand how the house would be used. When you live in the home, you will be able to pinpoint the changes you will be actually needed, and you will know if you are using the drawing area more or the dining area, which bedrooms need to be allotted to the kids and which ones need a new paint job. This will help you track down, how much time you spend in each room so that you will be able to prioritize the budget for the places you will be spending most of your time in. Chose a room which provides windows for bright sunlight and cross-ventilation of air. Plan on the lighting beforehand, notice which areas are well lit during the day and which areas require adequate lighting, place your TV in a place which is away from direct sunlight so that you can avoid reflections on the screen.
Choosing a good architect or a planner
All home renovations require an excellent architect or planner, try to ask your friends, family and peers for recommendations so that you will know if they are good at their job. When an architect arrives at the property, the first thing he/she will do is that they will map out the home and create drawings of the entire area, while this process is on, make sure that you let the architect know about your plans and how you plan your house to look. Explain your ideas very eloquently so that you and your architect share the same vision, and the home gets a great outlook. If you want to get a second opinion on the design, then you should get in touch with a structural engineer who will be able too to look at the architect's design and let you know if there are any flaws.
Budgeting
The essential tip in the home renovations process is budgeting, and it can be the most stressful part of any remodelling process. Whenever you are building a home, no matter how big or small, there are always going to be unexpected costs, one of the great ways of tackling budget issues is still to have a larger budget than what the builder has quoted you because, in the construction process, budgets often get stretched. It would become a massive problem later if you don't have an extra reserve. Before beginning the procedure make sure that you take quotes from different builders, you will be able to see a varied range in the prices of these builders, also ask the builders for a quote which includes all taxes and VAT so that you are aware of their entire cost.
Conclusion
Renovating a house is a big deal for most people, and it takes a considerable toll on the owners both physically and mentally. It is a process which costs a lot and proves to be a bit harsh on the environment. When buying building materials, try to incorporate more of recyclable materials rather than non-biodegradable ones, these will help you save a lot on money and also be environment-friendly. Some charity shops and garage sales are also a great place to pick up additional material, if not anything, and then you can try your luck on e-bay.