After years of living and enjoying your home with family, you’d want to renovate it to match the current designs and trends. Or maybe you’ve bought a new home and want to renovate it before relocating. Whatever the case, you must plan carefully before starting the renovation project. Planning for renovation isn’t easy because you must gather resources and get advice from various professionals. But worry less because these ten steps will help you complete a major renovation process smoothly.
1. Set Clear Goals
Setting goals before starting a major renovation project for your home is crucial because you’ll ensure the project stays on track and meets all your expectations. According to Forbes, setting renovation goals involves defining your vision and setting the budget to accomplish what you want. Moreover, it involves consulting household members because you’d want to have a functional home that suits everyone’s interests.
Start by defining your vision in terms of what you want to achieve after the end of the project. Consider factors such as functionality, especially if you have several household members. Including structures like a patio and gazebo can increase home space for different activities like holding a small wedding, a birthday party, or other events.
Aesthetics is another factor you should include in your goals. Everyone loves an appealing living space, and that would vary depending on the household members. Consider features like the windows and doors materials and designs, the roofing, and the garden design. Remember to prioritize comfort. List all the items you’d want to replace as well as additions. For instance, you could swap the furniture for new ones or increase the living room and kitchen space.
2. Look for Inspirations
The second thing you must do when planning for a major renovation is to look for inspiration. According to Harvard Business Review, inspiration is the springboard for creativity and facilitates progress toward goals. So, how do you find inspiration for your major home renovation? It’s actually simpler than you may think.
Online platforms and websites have thousands of home renovation project images and videos you can take for inspiration. You only need to visit platforms like Pinterest and search for specific home renovation ideas. For instance, you can check the styles and room designs for already completed projects to tailor your goals.
Houzz is another platform to get inspiration for your home renovation. The platform contains thousands of home design photos and articles categorized by design styles. Additionally, you can check their locations and other details like the budget and project time.
Besides Pinterest and Houzz, social media platforms are popular for displaying renovation ideas. According to Statista’s report, social media advertising has grown since 2020 after the COVID-19 lockdowns and is expected to grow by 3.86% between 2024 and 2028. Many home renovation companies post photos and videos of window replacements, toilet cleaning, and others to inspire potential clients who want to transform their homes. Visit these platforms and search for hashtags related to your project, like #kitchenrevovation or #homeremodelling. By viewing different photos and videos, you’ll definitely come up with excellent renovation ideas for your home.
3. Set a Budget
Setting a budget for your home’s major renovation project is essential for ensuring you don’t experience financial difficulties or overspending. Failure to budget and define the scope leads to projects stalling or owners getting into debt to complete them. Getting into debt without proper payment plans can affect you mentally and cause bankruptcy. According to the Mental Health Foundation, debt triggers anxiety, stress, and depression.
Precise budgeting for renovation projects should start with assessing your finances. Determine how much you can afford to spend on the renovation without seeking financial assistance. That includes your savings or how much you can add to the budget from your paycheck each month.
After determining your working capital, check the available credit and other financing options you may have. Personal loans make sense if you have an emergency home repair. Emergency repairs may include leaking roofs, a flooded basement, fence installation to discourage burglary or other scenarios that put your family in danger. However, you can consider financing to complete the project.
While you may define your budget well, it’s good to understand budgets normally change due to unexpected expenses. For instance, you may find the windows more damaged than expected, forcing the contractor to do replacements rather than repairs. Therefore, you need to budget for unexpected expenses.
4. Look for Quality Contractors
Hiring quality contractors for your home’s major renovation is undebatable. Top-notch contractors offer quality services the first time – no trial and error. Additionally, professional contractors have excellent communication, respect for your time, and excellent project management skills. You can rest assured of experience and expertise. Normally, the company comes with highly skilled professionals like an electrical contractor, a plumber, and roofers who handle various aspects of the renovation efficiently and effectively.
Moreover, seasoned contractors can access resources and networks, easing your material sourcing process. These professionals work with various material suppliers who can give better offers and warranties. Moreover, they pay attention to even the smallest details, like faults in the building materials, ensuring you have peace of mind.
So, how do you find quality contractors for home renovation? First, you can check online reviews and testimonials from Google or social media platforms like Facebook. Secondly, you can ask for recommendations from family members, friends, or colleagues. Regardless of the research method, ensure you do due diligence before signing the contract. Once you find a suitable choice, visit their offices to speak to the contractor directly. Consider asking several questions to gauge their expertise, pricing methods, and customer service.
5. Consult With Experts
When planning a major renovation, don’t be satisfied with setting your goals without consulting experts. Why? Experts such as interior designers can offer valuable advice and insights based on their expertise. For instance, after researching the designs and coming up with ideas, they can review and recommend the best approach to fine-tune them.
Consulting experts in a remodeling company can also help you come up with solutions to maximize space, improve functionality, and enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of your home. Yes, you may have the style and design ideas, but expert advice is crucial to ensure everything falls into place at the end of the project.
Working with professionals may also help you avoid costly mistakes that arise from poor planning or lack of knowledge. After planning your goals, ask the renovators to inspect your house. They might identify potential issues early on and offer solutions that will save you time and money.
Finally, you should understand the building codes and regulations before starting the project. Renovations firms are familiar with all these codes and regulations. Understanding all the legal requirements will help you budget for the project, including the cost of obtaining permits and licenses. You will also avoid unnecessary fines.
6. Plan for Setbacks
You’ve planned for your major renovation by consulting the experts, setting clear goals, and budgeting. Should you expect setbacks? Yes, major home renovation projects are complex and may have various setbacks even after planning.
One of the major setbacks you may face is budget overruns. According to Harvard Business Review, the average cost overrun of projects is 27%. Changes in design or unforeseen issues, such as structural problems and code requirements, can increase the costs. Get detailed quotes from the contractors and suppliers to ensure you don’t face financial challenges when unexpected costs occur.
Another common setback is the delay in permit approval. Obtaining permits from local authorities can take longer than you expected, delaying the start of your project. To avoid such setbacks, research permit requirements in advance. Also, work closely with the contractor to submit the permit application early.
Beware of supply chain disruption because they can also delay the project. For instance, your cabinets supplier may fail to supply them on time, causing a delay in moving into your renovated home. Delays can result from global events, manufacturing issues, and transportation problems. So, order materials in advance, keep open communication with the supplier and have backup plans for sourcing materials.
7. Find the Best Materials
A major renovation project is an investment that will need a lot of money and commitment. As such, you’d want to achieve all your goals and feel your money’s worth. So, find the best materials by considering factors such as quality, durability, and aesthetics. However, do not forget to check the budget.
Research and compare different materials available for the project. You can visit reputable local brands and suppliers for easy and better comparison. If you can’t find materials from local suppliers, ask an experienced person to help you find an ideal supplier. For instance, a local pool contractor can connect you with other suppliers within their networks if you want a pool table for your game room.
When sourcing the best materials for your home, look at functionality. For example, if you’re choosing materials for the kitchen, you’ll need materials that can withstand heat and moisture. On the other hand, bathroom materials should be resistant to water damage and easy to clean.
Another thing you should consider is the sustainability of the materials. For example, if the weather is your concern, look for materials that can withstand harsh climates. The same case for environmental concerns; you should look for eco-friendly materials.
8. Maintain Open Communication With Contractors
Open communication with the contractor is crucial for your home’s major renovation project. For starters, it helps you to set your project expectations, including design preferences and timelines. Communication will also help solve issues and challenges during the renovation project. It prevents minor issues from escalating to larger problems that can delay the project or increase the budget. Besides solving the problems, staying in touch with contractors will help you stay informed about the work progress. Good communication also builds trust and creates a positive working relationship, which may benefit you. For instance, the contractor can refer you to other professionals, like local kitchen designers, if you need small changes at your home.
9. Remain Flexible
You must remain flexible to ease the contractor’s work at your home during the major renovation project. First, understand that inflation can cause the budget to increase. Also, the contractor may suggest upgrading some features you hadn’t budgeted for.
Conversely, designate work, live, and play areas to avoid project delays and accidents within your home. Ensure the areas under renovation are sealed to keep children and pets off. Also, install temporary barriers and covers to protect your family from dust, noise, and the dangers of an active work site.
Inaccessible rooms in your home will deprive you of the storage capacity. Keep all the items you may need in a safe and accessible area to avoid distractions. Don’t forget to remove anything that may get in the way or could get damaged during the renovation.
Moreover, make plans and communicate well with your family members about the areas that would be inaccessible. For example, if you have a bathroom remodeler working on your bathroom, it will be inaccessible. Ensure the family members have alternative bathrooms for use, or else you relocate them to a nearby hotel or relative’s home.
10. Obtain Necessary Permits
Obtaining permits for your home renovation is a process that may push you to seek assistance from experienced people. However, you shouldn’t worry much because your contractor can help you navigate the process easily. First, research the local regulations and codes. These codes and regulations vary with locations, so it’s crucial to understand what is required. If you need more information about the permits, you can contact the local permit office or seek advice from your contractor.
After familiarizing yourself with the requirements, the next step is filling out the necessary permit applications. The application typically includes details like structural changes you need to make, electrical work, and plumbing. Application is also associated with fees to get the permits. Fees vary depending on the scope of the project.
Once you’ve submitted your applications, you’ll have to wait for approval. After the approval, you’ll schedule the inspections at various project stages. For instance, if you’ve included basement remodeling services in the project, the foundation must be inspected after completion before working on the upper parts of the building.
Embarking on a major renovation project for your home can be daunting. However, following these ten steps can ensure the process is smoother. Take your time, stay organized, and be flexible as you wait for your home to be transformed into an appealing sanctuary.
