The Dos and Don’ts of Home Renovation Projects

Home renovation projects can add considerable value to your property while simultaneously improving lifestyle and making selling easier in the future.

However, it’s essential that homeowners understand the do’s and don’ts of home renovation projects in order to ensure a successful process from start to finish. This will help make sure their projects run as planned from beginning to end.

Don’t Skip Permits

If the city building inspector discovers that you did not apply for permits in advance, they could stop your project and instruct you to redo all work until a permit has been secured. This would incur significant time and financial costs that could have easily been avoided had permits been secured in advance.

In case you decide to sell your home at some point in the future, it’s essential that all renovations be properly disclosed to potential buyers. Otherwise, appraisers could discover unpermitted work that significantly reduced its value or caused damages that must be compensated.

Don’t Work Without a Design

Renovating a home can be more complex than it appears on television; there will likely be many details you won’t understand until after you begin the renovation project.

Reputable contractors can help by creating a design plan to reflect all your goals and needs, along with reliable cost estimates that minimize risk and unpleasant surprises.

At first, it may be tempting to select paint palettes or carpet samples before beginning work on your property, but once seen on walls or in rooms your tastes may shift significantly. Lighting fixtures could also benefit from additional adjustments; having several rethinks could save time and money down the line.

Don’t Work Without a Budget

Renovation projects can be expensive and take longer than planned, so it is crucial that a budget be set prior to initiating any work on the home.

Contingency funds can also be helpful to cover unexpected costs during renovation, so that your project doesn’t go over budget and costs exceed anticipated.

Prioritize the tasks to be performed. Doing this can save money and make recruiting help from family and friends much simpler during a renovation process.

Don’t Work Without a Schedule

Without tracking how you spend your time, it can be hard to know whether a renovation project is taking longer than anticipated. Use a productivity tool as a way to keep an eye on its timeline.

Larger projects may necessitate temporarily shifting your life away from its usual routine for an extended period of time, which may necessitate staying with family or in a hotel while work gets underway. Are you comfortable rearranging your priorities to accommodate this work?

Before initiating any home improvements, it is wise to draft up a detailed contract that includes protective clauses. This will show contractors that you mean business and increase their likelihood of treating your home with care during work on it.

Don’t Work Without a Plan B

Many homeowners opt to remodel their home for various reasons. Some projects address obvious problems while others are want list items they’ve always desired.

No matter the reason for renovation, having a plan in place to guide the process is key to successful execution of any renovation project. This should include how you will eat, sleep and bathe during construction as well as creating a timeline for each step of work to be performed.

Before making your choice, it is a good idea to obtain multiple quotes from different contractors and carefully compare their estimates. This will ensure you get the best value for your money. It would also be wise to have written contracts with protective clauses in them in case contractors attempt to take advantage of homeowners.

Don’t Work Without a Team

Homeowners should view their builder as a partner during the renovation process and work collaboratively together on projects. Fostering good relations will help ensure all work is carried out according to your plans and that projects stay on time and within budget.

Consideration should also be given to how you’ll live during a renovation, depending on its scope. In some instances, you may require temporary accommodation during construction work.

Before beginning work, make arrangements for housing; either renting a house or staying with family for several months may be best. Also ensure you have an emergency fund set aside in case unanticipated costs such as burst pipes or circuit breakers arise unexpectedly.