Renovating your home can be a huge challenge, especially if you are taking on the majority of the jobs yourself. It can take a massive toll on your expenses, and it can also wear you down mentally. This is why you should be making sure that you are only taking on jobs once you have put a lot of time and planning into them, and ensure that you are using the correct tools to get the jobs done properly. This can be a great way to reduce the amount of stress going into the build and renovation, giving you an easier time.
Going into a renovation with a doubt-filled and clouded mindset can be a recipe for disaster, and you shouldn’t risk it. Therefore, you should do thorough research and as much planning ahead as possible. Considering the list below can help you get your home renovation off to a good start.
#1 You are going to have to make sure you have a good order of renovation
You need to plan your renovation order carefully before you start anything. This is because of how heartbreaking it can be to have to redo things. This can also be a really big problem if you are tight on your budget, so you are going to have to make sure that you are getting the big jobs done and out of the way first, before moving on to the little, lower-budget tasks. Here is the order you should be renovating in, and why.
- You should start with the upstairs bathroom(s). This is because it is a huge job, and if there is any water damage, the whole room and its floor might need to be ripped out, especially if you have bad pipework or an infestation that needs to be taken care of before anything else can happen.
- Then you should move onto the downstairs bathrooms and the kitchen. These can involve moving and replacing wiring and pipework, so you are going to have to get them out of the way next. The kitchen is also a hugely expensive job, therefore it makes sense to do this when you have the most money left in the kitty.
- You should then work in a way that is convenient for you and your family. This is likely to involve working through the bedrooms one by one and then moving on to your living rooms when they aren’t going to be used as much. You should highlight other areas in the house that your family can use as a substitute for these to help minimize the stress and disruption.
#2 Checking for damage
You should also be checking your house over for damage before the renovation begins, so you can either fix it at the same time – or at least know what you might have to cope with. This is important as it can help you see and budget for damage that you might not have noticed was there, with the usual culprit being water damage.
This can be a nasty shock when it comes to pulling up floors, and you might not notice that it is there until you are halfway through the project. You may then have to put the work on hold until you can afford to have the major structural work done to fix the problem.
#3 Your budget
Next on the list is ensuring that your budget is realistic and that you are able to stick to it. It is there for a reason, and although going a couple of hundred over isn’t going to hurt too badly, you are going to have to make sure that you are sticking to approximately what you have saved up or put aside. Remember, you still have bills to pay and a family to feed, so all of your money shouldn’t be going on expensive paint or a nice sink if the money isn’t there.
This doesn’t mean you can’t have what you want, it just means that you ensure that you are checking everywhere for the right prices and are getting the best deals when doing your research.
You should also budget for any potential work you are going to need done by a plumber and electrician, as these fees could be very expensive. It is highly likely that you will need the aid of at least one of them to help make your renovation safe and professionally certified, which can help you when it comes to selling the house as you have proof that you are less likely to have faulty wiring or pipework.
#4 Pre-planning is your best friend
You need to pre-plan your renovation. This is ensuring you know what you want in each room and trying your hardest to stay with it. By planning as carefully as possible (down to how you will use each socket to perfect its placement) you should also be able to focus on your budget. You can aid your planning by using high-quality tools and software that can help you create an accurate floor plan and help you to make the best decisions possible.
Need to get your planning done accurately, especially in areas such as your kitchen where a mistake can be most costly. You should also be making sure that you are getting the help of others when it comes to planning to get a second eye over your plans and a different opinion.
#5 Know when to call in a professional
Lastly, you need to know when to call in the professionals. This is important for your own safety and the success of the project as a whole. You need to make sure that you are getting a professional to sort out any complicated jobs that you either feel uncomfortable doing yourself, or you shouldn’t do yourself.
You should also invest in a professional electrician to help you with your electrics, so you lower the risk of having a fire hazard from faulty wiring – which might take a chunk out of your budget but is not a corner you should consider cutting.
Also read: Is Water Damage from Rainwater Included in Your Homeowners Insurance?
