How to Plan A Home Renovation?
Planning a renovation for the home? A new looking home can be very refreshing. After a few years, the same rooms and walls may start to become dull on the ol’ psyche. In comes renovation to rejuvenate and turn your home from dull to exciting again.
There are a lot of things that you need to consider weeks before you even start the work. It can be a very daunting task at first and if you do not plan it well in advance it can prove to be havoc. Working on a budget, deciding what kind of renovation work you need, looking for a builder, a painting contractor and the number of things you need to take care of are endless. In this guide we have listed easy to follow steps that you can help you with your stress-free renovation.
#1: Finalize the budget
The first and foremost thing to figure out before you start making plans for your new looking house is the budget.
It is vital to set a fixed budget at the beginning of your project. As per your ability to spend money, you can decide what renovation tasks can be done within that monetary limitation. If you simply want paint the brick walls with a fresh coat of paint then it will cost you a very small amount.
However, for a full-blown remodeling of the house you need a pretty huge sum. What is your ability to spend, based on the value of the property? how much you should be spending? if the remodel is necessary these are a few factors you need to consider? The amount of money you can spend on renovation will decide the quality and quantity of the work scope. You have to keep in mind, if the home is for sale, you may need to a move out cleaning done, so consider cleaning in your budget. During end of tenancy cleaning, you want to make sure your tenant has left no damages because this may affect your budget calculation for your paint budget. You then want to learn how to pack and label boxes for moving home items or hire a service for this. The goal is to have the home empty or mostly empty when trying to paint, as this makes your painting experience easier to manage,
#2: Get Inspiration
Once the major task of financial details has been worked out, you can move to the most exciting part of the renovation project.
Lookup for ideas online or from experts, to decide what you can do with your space.
Spend a good amount of time to consolidate a list of ideas that you are interested in. Inspirations for décor, new elements in the house, structural designs for adding space, furniture designs are the key areas that you should focus on.
Depending on your requirements there are a lot of inspiration and mood boards that you can find on Pinterest or websites that focus on interior designing. A few easier things like painting the walls or creating something basic for the home can become a fun DIY project as well.
#3: Determine the scope of your project
The idea of renovation can be overwhelming. The number of ideas and wishlist can increase exponentially and you may not realize when it starts going over your determined budget. Hence, now is the time to assess the scope of your renovation project.
It is a good start to associate all your ideas with estimate costs. For this, you can reach out to someone for a consultation or a builder who will give you a realistic number for the wish-list. If everything fits in your budget, it’s a win-win. But if it crosses the budget you can either remove a few tasks or tweak them to fit in your budget. Give priority to things which are a necessity over the elements that are a luxury. There will be a lot of back and forth in this step and will require a lot of effort from your end.
#4: Designing the plans
After the scope of your project is set, it is time to give life to your plans in the form of sketches and layouts.
For a bigger project that involves adding extensions to the house or a new level, designs can be very useful.
For smaller elemental changes, sketches are not essential but can prove to be beneficial to get a beautifully finished product at the end.
An architect can help you in designing your dream plans. Designs can also help you visualize how your home will look after renovation. Even at this stage you can make some structural and design changes to your scope of work.
If your project is pretty straightforward you will not need detailed sketches and drawings. A builder can very easily complete the renovation by just looking at the place and with efficient communication. It will save you time and money with the additional headache minimized
.You also might want to submit your plans to authorities if it needs approval from any local councils.
#5: Finalize your crew
Most of the time, you proceed with a recommendation from a friend or relative for a builder and painting contractor to finish your renovation.
If you don’t have someone, now you need to look for options. Go online and search for builders that meet your requirements. Depending on your budget and tasks, you can opt for someone who is efficient and has a good track record.
Most builders come in with their own crew. It is advisable to get in touch with multiple builders with the plan and get a quotation from them. You can then compare these quotations to shortlist a few. Look at their past work to assess their quality. Talk to their previous clients to understand their way of working and delivery timings.
#6: Get an itemized cost breakdown
No matter, whether you choose to go with a local builder or a company for remodeling, ask them for a detailed quotation.
This will ensure you know exactly how your money is being spent. You can also cut the costs down here if you know someone who can offer you the material at a cheaper rate. Ask them how many days they will take to finish the project and how much will they charge for labor.
For an extensive project, it is essential to review costings of paint needed for painting brick walls, other accessories, and manpower. If the project needs you to rent any equipment for a few days this is also an important aspect to consider. If you find anything unnecessary or unworthy you can drop it from your scope.
#7: Start the project
Now you are ready with the basics, all you need to do is get going with the project. Now there is no looking back and you are ready to face disruption and dust for the next few days at least until the builders and his crew leave your house. Take the utmost pleasure in choosing the colors for painting your walls, fabrics for the furniture and tiles for the flooring.