Remodelling your home is a wonderful way to help you fall in love with the space, make it more functional, and update the design and décor. For many homeowners, remodelling their home can offer enough of a transformation that it convinces them that moving house isn’t necessary. But for all its benefits, remodelling can also be extremely stressful. All too often you hear about friends who began a remodel project only to have it go sideways and be left with an expensive unexpected mess on their hands.
To ensure your home remodel experience is a success, here are six tips you’ll want to use.
Begin with a Budget
It would be wonderful if you could go about home remodelling and renovation projects without any thought to the money being spent, but that’s not the reality for the majority of people. Chances are high that you have a ceiling on the amount of money you can and want to spend. This is why the first tip is to set a budget and stick to it.
It’s also a good idea to build a contingency fund into the budget. This will be useful should you run into issues or overages. Generally speaking, it’s wise to set aside 10-15% of the total budget as the contingency fund.
Be sure to track all expenses throughout the project to ensure you’re sticking to the plan and not overspending. If you go over in some areas, you can either dip into the contingency fund or try cutting back in other areas to cover the difference.
Have a Clear Vision or Goal
Now that you’ve got a workable budget, it’s time to ask what your vision or goal is. What do you hope to achieve with the remodel? What is the purpose? Adding an extension to the home is a very different project than tearing out flooring to install fresh floors.
If you’re having a hard time coming up with a plan, try searching online for pictures that inspire you, pick up some home décor magazines and pay attention when visiting friends and family – they may have some elements you want to include in your project.
Don’t Underestimate the Usefulness of an Architect
Depending on the size and scope of the remodel experience, it may be wise to bring in professional help. Simple projects are one thing, but once you start dealing with more involved renovations, additions, moving walls, and so forth, you’re going to want a team of professionals. Homeowners are quick to hire a contractor but before that, you may want to begin with an architect.
Architects will be very helpful where the design is concerned. They will work with you to understand your wants and needs and then turn that vision into a solid plan. They will be aware of the structural needs, safety, design concepts, and so forth. They will also coordinate with other professionals involved in the project to make sure everyone understands the plan and the design.
24Housing can help you learn more about architects in Bristol, as well as designing and building, which makes you feel more confident as you search for an architect to work with on your project.
To put it simply, an architect ensures that the project runs smoothly and that you aren’t the one dealing with the stress.
Order Materials as Early as Possible
Supply chains around the world are facing delays and constraints that have caused unprecedented delays. Unfortunately, the home remodelling and construction industry haven’t been immune to these delays, which has made procuring materials much trickier. This is why you need to order your materials as early as possible.
Waiting on materials can significantly set back your timeline and because you don’t want to be living in a construction zone longer than necessary, you want to try to avoid this situation.
There’s also the fact that many items are back-ordered, which can cause a significant delay. If that’s the case, ask yourself if that particular item is necessary or if you could choose something else that is in stock – or that will at least be shipped soon. Having flexibility is necessary for any home renovation project.
Prepare the Home for the Remodel
This tip will be time-consuming but it’s the kind of thing that will pay off in a big way. Preparing your home for renovations and construction means you are protecting the items that you want to keep. This means packing up all the decor, collectibles, and belongings in the room, so it is essentially a blank slate. If you can’t move the furniture out of the room temporarily, it can be moved to the centre and then covered with a heavy drop cloth.
Because space can be an issue, you may want to rent a storage pod or locker to store items in until the remodel is complete. Just be sure to label all boxes and containers so that unpacking is smooth.
Do You Need to Set Up a Temporary Space?
Depending on the room you are remodelling you may need to temporarily relocate its items to another area of the house. The kitchen is a prime example. You can’t go without a kitchen for days or weeks, so how can you set up a temporary space in the home for preparing and eating meals?
Some great solutions are to opt for recipes that are easy to prepare/cook, try to ensure the kitchen sink is accessible at all times, set up a temporary worktop, and get creative with the appliances you use for cooking. Some small appliances you’ll want to keep handy include:
- Food processor/blender
- Instant Pot
- Toaster oven
- Air fryer
- Electric grill
It’s Time to Tackle the Remodel Project
Using all of these tips, taking the time to plan, and giving yourself a realistic timeline to complete the project means you’ll have a much higher chance of success. It’s still important to expect obstacles and challenges, but these tips will help you to better weather those issues and not stress about them.