Starting It’s never easy to plan a home renovation can be overwhelming, especially if you haven’t completed one before. So, where and how to begin? We’ve got 20 tips to help you get started.
Use these stages and recommendations for planning a home makeover to decide how to order, prioritize, and create a precise home project plan that will help you stay on budget and schedule while reducing stress.
How To Plan For A Home Renovation?
It’s exciting to move straight to the fun part of picking new paint colors, fixtures, and fittings when planning a home remodel. However, home renovation is also about planning, negotiating, and proper execution. Plus, there are a few things to consider before you start.
Tip #1 – Identify Your End Goal
Before deciding how thorough your renovation should be, you must first choose your home’s ultimate goal. For example, are you upgrading your home to increase its market value, or are you planning to stay in it for a long time?
Assess the state of your neighborhood and choose which modifications will provide a fair return on investment and which parts are excessive for the region. Having a defined plan for your future home can assist you in deciding how far to go for your project.
Tip #2 – Set Your Budget
One of the most crucial aspects of renovation planning is determining your budget and sticking to it. Remember to set aside a contingency fund for any unforeseen costs, as well as incidental expenses like eating out during a kitchen renovation or even staying in a hotel for a night or two.
You might just need a few inexpensive modifications to make your home appear more valuable. But, before you lift a hammer, do your homework and make a budget. You don’t want to get broke after a renovation. So, is your budget ready for home renovations?
Tip #3 – Plan The Dates
If you’re looking for a fresh new home for a special occasion or holiday, start with the end date and move backward. To minimize disappointment, leave a few weeks to a month in case of setbacks. In short, plan the date when you want to start building depending on how you want the renovation to finish.
Tip #4 – Do Your Research
Take the time to talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about the renovations they’ve completed and the problems they’ve encountered along the way. In the planning process, having a wealth of knowledge from homeowners who have been in your shoes can be helpful. So, this information may change your final strategy.
Tip #5 – Know Your Limits
DIY renovations are a terrific way to save money, feel accomplished, and include the whole family, but they may be devastating if you don’t know what you’re doing. So first, determine which activities you can safely complete and which should tasks are for professionals. It includes load-bearing walls, asbestos, or lead paint. Ask or look for a reliable contractor to assist you if you’re unsure.
Tip #6 – Ask for References
Before the renovation begins, look for any qualified contractor that will gladly provide references and liability insurance documents. Instead of relying exclusively on client testimonials, look for honest consumers who can provide you with a personal account and answer any questions you might have.
Don’t be afraid to ask for photos of a contractor’s previous work for any project before and after. But, most importantly, trust your instincts and know which questions to ask.
Tip #7 – Pack Up And Protect Your Belongings
Declutter, pack up or transfer any items in the renovation zone to make any house redesign as simple as feasible. Consider renting an offsite locker or an onsite storage pod for a whole-house refurbishment to keep all of your stuff safe and clean.
Tip #8 – Communicate Your Daily Routine
If you’ve hired a contractor for any aspect of the task, be sure to communicate your daily routine to the contractor and work together to come up with start and end times that create the least amount of interruption to your family’s day. After all, no one wants to run into a tradesperson while still in their robe.
Tip #9 – Establish Mission Control
Nothing is more aggravating than being in the middle of a project and not locating the instrument you require. So before you start your remodel, designate a room in your house as mission control. It is where you’ll keep all of your tools, materials, manuals, and checklists.
Tip #10 – Protect the Kids
A house renovation is an excellent opportunity to get the kids interested in designing your home. However, it may also be dangerous for very young children. So, you can install kid safety gates, electrical safety covers and keep sharp equipment out of reach of curious children.
Better yet, keep your children away from the construction area, especially during renovation hours. Some contractors may be too busy focusing on the renovation to see your children on their blindspots.
Tip #11 – Don’t Forget the Pets
Even for the house’s human occupants, the temporary upheaval of a home under construction can be distressing, let alone for the four-legged family members. So consider your pets’ safety and care when remodeling your home. You may ask a family member or friend to pet-sit while your home is under renovation.
Tip #12 – Plan For Outages
If the area you’re working on doesn’t have any plumbing shut-off valves, you’ll have to cut off the water at the main valve, leaving your home without running water. Prepare ahead of time by keeping water containers in the fridge for drinking or buckets for flushing the toilet. Filling the bathtub with water and placing a bucket nearby to pour into the toilet bowl is an easy way to achieve this.
Tip #13 – Make a Master List
Make a master checklist of materials you’ll need, from administrative duties like permits to paint rollers, to give yourself the best chance of success and aid in the budgeting process. It’s a good idea to divide the list into products you already have and items you need to buy. Establishing a list can help you decide which ones you can rent instead of buying new ones to save money when it comes to tools.
Tip #14 – Create Drawings
You don’t have to be an engineer to prepare job drawings, and you’ll almost certainly need one to get a permit for your home renovation. Make a note of the square footage, door and window heights and widths, and the current location of any utilities such as electricity, gas, or water.
Tip #15 – Obtain Permits
Many homeowners view acquiring a construction permit as an unnecessary hassle that will hold down the renovation process, but permits are a vital part of the process in most circumstances.
If not obtained in the first place, they will come back to haunt you. Building permits must verify that your home remodel complies with structural and fire safety regulations and code inspectors. Most jurisdictions can order you to pull out non-conforming work if it isn’t up to snuff.
It can be a costly problem if you plan to sell your house in the future. It’s usually a good idea to plan and follow the permit process. If you find it a bit of a hassle, home renovation services will take care of this process for you.
Tip #16- Plan a Reno-Free Zone
It’s a good idea to create a renovation-free zone for your family to congregate in semi-relaxation before undertaking all the muck of a renovation. Make sure you have everything you need, such as a kettle or microwave, in one convenient location so you can gather, dine, or unwind at the end of the day.
Tip #17 – Schedule Cleanup
It’s tempting just to turn off the light and leave the mess for tomorrow after a long day of renovations. Unfortunately, it can lead to delays, misplaced tools, and a loss of sanity. Make sure you leave enough time in your renovation schedule to clean up at the end of the day. You’ll be grateful to your future self!
Tip #18 – Plan Ahead
Even with a cosmetic redesign, there may be opportunities to improve the functionality or cost-effectiveness of your home. When ripping out a complete room, for example, this could be the ideal moment to insulate the walls, improve your electrical panel, or add more light or electrical fixtures. The trick is to plan ahead of time for how you’ll use the space and use cosmetic upgrades to improve the structure of your home.
Tip #19 – Ask Help From Professional Home Renovators
If you’re planning a remodel, now is the time to enlist the help of a professional home renovation company. Make sure you give yourself enough time to secure your desired time frame when working with a contractor.
Big renovations are only suitable for professional home renovators. They have the right tools, experience, and knowledge in doing the job. Of course, you can always ask and supervise the plan but leave the execution to your contractors.
Tip #20 – Check the Weather
Even if you’re planning a renovation for the spring or summer, don’t count on beautiful weather to complete it. Before starting a job, examine the long and short-term forecasts, and plan jobs that require outside access.
For example, would you spray paint or woodcut when the rain is coming? Definitely, you need to do these tasks on days with the best forecast. So always be aware of weather fluctuations.
You’ll be on your way to a successful house makeover in no time if you follow these and other cost-effective home remodeling recommendations! Contact us today for information and quotation.
Golden Star Home Remodeling
(408) 317-7412
1172 Murphy Ave #208, San Jose, CA 95131
