Things to Know Before you Renovate

Renovating your space can be a big project! Before you get started, we have put together a list of the 5 most important things you need to know before you renovate:

1.Know Your End Goal: Before starting your renovation, it is important to know what your end goal will be for the project. How extensively are you renovating? Are you doing so to improve the resale value of your home, or are you doing it to improve your own daily environment? Knowing the reason for the renovation can help you determine a plan for how to proceed and how in depth you want to go.

2.Set a Budget - and Stick to It: Once you determine the scope of your renovation project, you need to determine your budget. Determining your budget - and sticking to it - is one of the most important parts of any renovation. Renovations can easily spiral out of control or become much bigger than anticipated, if proper budgets and goals are not in place. However, even with the strictest budget there could be unexpected costs, so be sure to add in a contingency fund. While it is easy to want a top of the line renovation, it is important to consider looking at alternative products or substitutes that may be just as sturdy but save you some money upfront.

3.Obtain Permits: Many homeowners forget about this one, but it is extremely vital to your renovation project - especially those that are on a larger scale. While you may consider obtaining a building permit to be an unnecessary headache, it is necessary and will ensure the changes you make today won’t come back to haunt you tomorrow. These permits are necessary to ensure your house remodel meets structural and fire safety requirements. If you ever do put your house up for sale, code inspectors in most jurisdictions can enforce the removal of any non-conforming work if not up to snuff - creating a further (and more expensive headache) down the road.

4.Ask for References: It is important to be sure that the work you are having done to your house will be done in a manner that ensures it remains safe and structurally sound. This is what makes asking for references so important! Don’t rely solely on client testimonials, seek out customers that can give you a firsthand account and answer any questions you may have. It is also important to see before and after images of a contractor’s prior work. Take the time to gather the information and determine which questions to ask!

5.Consider Your Routine: My mom was always a DIYer when it came to home renovations. She painted herself, re-tiled entire rooms and had my dad help her put up drywall to split up big spaces! So, when it came to considering our routine this was a non-issue. However, for those of you like me (absolutely not a DIYer) who are planning on hiring a contractor, be clear about your daily routine! Work with the contractor to come up with start and end times that cause the least disruption to your daily schedule and help everyone remain comfortable.

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