Are you planning to renovate your house soon? It’s an exciting prospect that many homeowners around the world chew over. There are many reasons why people choose to refurbish their houses. Some do it to improve their home’s resale value while others renovate to transform a run-down shack into a beautiful family house. Small renovation projects can be achieved using DIY. However, large-scale projects ought to be handled by trained renovators like Walter Soriano due to their complexity.
If you’re looking to refurbish your house, you must choose a company that offers reliable house renovation services at affordable rates. Apart from providing technical proficiency, licensed residential renovators offer insurance that sufficiently protects clients from property damage. Before you decide to spend time and resources on home renovation, there are some vital issues that you should understand.
Here are 5 things I wish I would have known before investing in a home renovation:
1. Renovating is expensive
The cost of renovating a house typically ranges between $18,000 and $80,000 depending on factors such as your home’s total square feet and your desired layout plan. However, most homeowners looking to renovate their houses often underestimate just how much money they’ll need to complete the entire project successfully. Big renovation projects require a more flexible budget – you should make room for miscalculations, costly errors and abrupt changes in design. To avoid getting into a financial quandary, make sure you exceed your budgetary estimates by at least 20%.
2. It takes longer than anticipated
Renovating a house might take longer than expected, so it’s important to set flexible timelines. Whether it’s redesigning your kitchen or simply replacing your ceiling, ensure you talk to your renovation company beforehand and request a thorough home assessment and timeline projections. Simple activities like hardwood flooring installation and baseboard removal could consume more time than expected. Renovating on a fixed schedule will inevitably lead to frustrations, especially when you have planned to move into your newly refurbished home as quickly as possible. There’s an assortment of factors that could cause project delays. For instance, some essential items could be unavailable in your local hardware shops, or the weather could suddenly deteriorate. When deadlines change, it’s vital to accept the situation and forge onward.
3. It’s challenging to live in a house while renovating it
Some people might find it unnecessary to move out of their homes during an ongoing renovation while others may not afford to rent an apartment temporarily. However, living in a house while it’s being refurbished can be quite challenging. You’re forced to deal with layers of dust, nails sticking out of floorboards, tools lying everywhere, and renovators walking back and forth. If you have the option of moving out of your house momentarily, then take it. Your family’s health and comfort should always be the priority. Ensure you put all your prized possessions in the storage room to prevent them from getting damaged during the renovation.
4. Renovating requires planning to a tee
Create vivid illustrations of your envisioned designs and layouts before bringing a trusted home renovator on board. If you don’t know the exact item dimensions for your house, it might help to hire a talented interior designer. However, you can kill two birds with one stone by hiring a reputable home renovator with many years of experience: such renovation companies provide all-inclusive services to clients. They will offer consultations, and design options and conduct remarkable renovations all within your planned budget. However, you should at least have an idea of what the finished product should look like. Writing things down not only helps to organize your thoughts but also prompts suppliers and contractors to remain accountable. Proper planning also prevents you from encountering too many hiccups along the way.
5. Designs may change during renovation
Your design ideas could be extremely brilliant but entirely impractical and virtually impossible to execute if you are unsure of what your client expects and what is within your wheelhouse to design. As such, you may have to implement a series of design tweaks when renovating your home. Although residential renovations are costly, they can dramatically boost your home’s resale value if done correctly. Ensure you use good-quality tiles, benchtops and other materials when refurbishing your home. Some layouts might be too costly to accomplish. However, if you’re resolute on achieving your dream home, it’s important to have two or more financing options. For instance, you can apply for a home improvement loan or fetch some money from your savings account.
Before you start renovating, ensure you visit local authorities to learn about all the appropriate laws and regulations you’ll need to adhere to.