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A good home renovation is something we all hope for. A minimal amount of mess, no need to go over budget, and a team of contractors who are reliable and respectful of your space – it’s the dream! But making this dream a reality is a little tricky. It’s hard to mash all of these elements together. Indeed, you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you!
Even knowing this, it’s not impossible to arrange an excellent home renovation. You just need to know the steps involved in a home renovation. And thankfully, we’ve got a full list of those down below for your convenience. Check them out if you want to renovate a part of your home in the near future. The entire process doesn’t have to be stressful!
Home renovation steps to help you plan
Pick Your New Look
Now, this is the fun part! So it makes sense we put it first; give yourself something to look forward to and you’ll get on with the rest with little problem. The first step in planning an excellent renovation (and not just a good one!) is to ensure you’re absolutely sure about what you want to happen.
Pick the area that needs work, make sure you’ve got at least a basic blueprint of the structure to hand, and then work out where things can go and/or an idea of where you want the renovation to be focused. Then you can start fitting in things like the materials you want to use; whether you want Quartz Worktops or granite counters, whether you want a kitchen island or a clawfoot bathtub, etc. This is the time to get it all down on paper.
Investigate Planning Permission Needs
This might not affect you and your plans right now, but it could be an issue later on down the line. After all, if a whole town of contractors tells you you need to physically expand to fit all the renovation work in, you’ll need to check with the council first. Anything from the materials used to the amount of space you’re planning to cover needs to be checked out before work goes ahead.
Even if you think you don’t need it, it’s always best to check. Get in touch with your local planning authority through the government website and pitch your plan to them. You can also work closely with your contractor here (if you’re not going DIY), as they’ll be able to clue you in on the laws surrounding a job like yours.
Put Together a Rudimentary Budget
It’ll be hard to come up with an absolute budget for renovation work. Thankfully, a rudimentary one is just fine! You just need to know the basics here, such as what you’re expecting to pay and what is the maximum you can fork out. Get online to do a bit of research and see what the average prices are in your area.
It’s also a good idea to collect as many quotes as possible from local contracting companies to see how these figures reflect on your specific project. If they all come to the same conclusion, it’s a sign you’ll need to work around this figure throughout the duration of the work. Additionally, getting advice from Renovation Capital can provide valuable insights into the local contracting market, helping you make informed decisions when planning your project’s budget.
Comb Through Local Contractors
Speaking of contractors, you’ll need to find a good one right now. Take your time making the decision, of course, but get a good idea of how many local companies are around and what they cost. Go through the phone book, go through online reviews, and talk to friends and family members who’ve had work done recently.
Testimony from someone you personally know is worth ten times a 5-star review you see on a website! And above this, go with your gut feeling here too. If you don’t like a certain contractor because there’s an atmosphere when talking to them, you don’t have to use them. Never ignore what you feel, but be practical as you go.
Set Up a Schedule
Once you’ve got an idea about the budget, and you’ve narrowed down the potential contractors to 2 or 3 companies, it’s time to think about the length of the renovation. When should it start? How long will it take? And what’s the longest it can take, in case things go wrong?
You never know when the weather will halt production or when a material is out of stock and needs to be ordered elsewhere. But if you decide these things well in advance, you’ll be better prepared to take on the potential storm. Work can be slowed down by a variety of things, and some are more common than others, and you should always have at least 2 days’ allowance on either side for situations like these.
Prepare Your Home
Now it’s time to get your home in renovation condition. There’s a lot of prep work involved here, so make sure you get a good night’s sleep beforehand! First, you’ll need to clear the area – make sure any personal items are packed away and stored securely.
Secondly, you may want to consider booking into a hotel or staying with friends or family for a while. This is especially true if you’ve got kids. Renovation work can be disruptive at the best of times, but when there are toddlers or pre-teens running around, it can be hard to focus on anything!
You’ll also want to walk through the preparatory steps the contractors will take to protect your home. How will they keep the area clean? How will they ensure there’s no mess left behind? Will there be toxic chemicals involved or a smell left in the air? Talk about it now for peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
Planning an excellent home renovation takes a big setup, sure. But when it comes to your home, that’s what it deserves! Take your time, explore every avenue, and make sure you’re aware of the budgeting basics. Renovating even just one room can be stressful, but if you want the whole house done over, doing this will really help smooth things along!
