8 Things to Consider Before Renovating Your Home
Are you thinking about renovating your home? Before tearing down walls or picking out new paint colors, you should consider a few things to ensure a smooth, stress-free experience. From designing a home office space to allocating your finances, here are eight things to remember before starting your home renovation, courtesy of Alumawoodfactorydirect.net.
1. Determine the scope of your renovation. Are you looking to do a complete gut job or make some cosmetic changes? The Spruce points out that knowing the size of your renovation will help you set realistic expectations for the project and determine how much it will ultimately cost.
2. Design a home office space. If you work from home more often after your renovation, design a dedicated space that suits your needs. In addition to a comfortable desk and chair, your home office should have good lighting and plenty of storage for all your work-related materials.
3. Find skillful and credible contractors. Not all contractors are created equal—some are more skilled than others, and some are much better at communicating than others. When hiring someone to work on your home, research and only choose contractors highly recommended by people you trust. Fortunately, there’s a way to simplify finding vetted contractors and staying in contact with them throughout the project. The Frontdoor app helps keep your home running smoothly, even to the point of chatting via video to ascertain the details in the future.
4. Set a timetable and target dates. Renovations can often take longer than expected, so it’s essential to set a timeline for the project and target dates for milestones along the way. This will help keep everyone on track and prevent unexpected delays from throwing off the entire schedule.
5. Clear out space for renovations. If your renovation includes demolition or construction work, you’ll need to clear out any furniture or belongings that could be in the way—or worse, damaged during the process. Putting these items in storage is a great way to keep them safe while freeing up extra space in your home. If you are looking for self-storage, your belongings must be stored safely. Store them according to the climate and time frame of where they will eventually go so when renovations start or move-out time comes; nothing is holding up progress!
6. Keep your files organized. Staying on top of paperwork is critical to successfully navigating a home renovation. Keeping digital copies of important documents can save you time, energy, and money in the long run. Consider converting any paperwork into PDF files that you can easily adjust.
7. Budget for unforeseen circumstances. No matter how well you plan, there’s always a chance that something will go wrong during a renovation—and when it does, it will usually cost you extra money to fix it. As such, allocating at least 10-15% of your budget to unforeseen circumstances is essential. This may seem like a lot, but trust us; it’s better to be safe than sorry.
8. Remember about a home warranty. Once the dust has settled on your renovation and everything is up and running smoothly, it’s essential not to forget about a home warranty—especially if any significant appliances were involved in the project. Investopedia notes that these warranty agreements will protect you (and your wallet) in case anything goes wrong. When determining how much home warranties are, look for providers that offer the coverage you need at a fair price. Be sure to also focus on a company that provides stellar customer service and quick response times. Renovating your home can be a great way to improve your quality of life and increase the value of your property, especially in a competitive market. Just plan, get familiar with contractor terminology, use a home maintenance and repair app, and think about what you want your finished product to look like.
We hope you enjoy renovating your home as much as we enjoyed writing this blog post for you! Image via Pexels Using the Alumawood brand of materials ensures that you’ll get a patio cover that will look new for decades, with no maintenance other than an annual washing with your garden hose. Contact us today for more information! 714-713-2240 or 949-233-2376
Special thanks to our guest blogger.
