Renovating your home takes a lot of work. And a lot of money. Figuring out the right way to go about a big project requires a lot of thought and planning—don’t skimp on the planning; it will save you in the long run.
One of the most important places to start when it comes to remodeling your home is a clear plan. Depending on your situation and on the extent of the remodel, you need to plan out how your living situation will work. If you are remodeling your basement, figure out if you still want to remain living in your home. Think through the pros and cons of this option.
Additionally, consider the various stages of your remodel and how those could potentially change through the course of the project. Yes, you should understand the ideal situation. But prepare yourself and think through the possibility of the remodel running a different course than anticipated. Thinking through things that could go wrong will help you be more prepared.
One of the next steps that you need to take when performing a remodel is to get the necessary permits. As you envision how you want your home to change, don’t go too far before figuring out what you are permitted to change and what you are not permitted to change.
For example, you may feel excited to bust out a wall and open up your floor plan more. But, if that wall is load-bearing, you may find that you are not allowed to do that without other renovations to accommodate the weight shift. Getting all your necessary permits will help you define the scope of your remodel and ensure that all your goals for your home are doable.
Getting the right tools is the next step. As you think about your remodel, you must do your research. Let’s say you’re hoping to majorly renovate and transform your kitchen. Maybe you already have a contractor who is willing to take on the project. As you go through the various details of the remodel, ensure that your contractor has the right expertise and the right tools to perform the different aspects of your remodel well.
Don’t risk the viability of the most important parts of your remodel by having someone try to perform those renovations with less than great tools or with less than great expertise. This could cost you big bucks and end up in a remodel that you don’t love or that devalues your home.
While thinking about the big picture of your remodel is important, you also need to think about the practical details. Failing to prepare well for the real-life situation of the remodel could make it much more miserable than it has to be. One of these important details to think about is your waste disposal. If you are planning to gut large areas of your home, you will need a place where you can safely discard these materials. Self-dumping hoppers can create a safe environment when you’re working.
Having a self-dumping hopper on-site gives you a place to dispose of your materials. And then when it’s time to empty the hopper, you can take it to the nearest dumpster. With the pull of a chain, the hopper will dump the materials into the dumpster. This will help you eliminate the time-consuming process of manually emptying the on-site disposal receptacle.
Another important element to think about when it comes to your remodel is the overall style you’re thinking about. While it’s easy to get excited about a certain look when it comes to performing your remodel, you need to think carefully about the house at large. While a brand new updated kitchen will look amazing, doing this remodel in a style that does not at all match the rest of the house could end up creating an odd spectrum.
If you can’t afford to update all areas of your house, think carefully about your remodel design and how to add different touches and splashes to other areas of your house to ensure that your home still feels cohesive.
As you start to iron your style and what you want your end goal of your remodel to be, be sure to enlist some design advice. Remodels often require a million little decisions—from countertops, backsplashes, and flooring to trim, crown molding, and cabinetry.
If you are performing a large remodel across multiple rooms, it can be difficult to figure out how to choose all these different elements in a way to ensure cohesiveness as well as timelessness. Enlisting the help and advice of a professional can go a long way in helping you be sure of your different decisions and feel confident that you will love the result of your remodel.
In addition to thinking carefully about the end goal of your remodel, you should also have a solid financial plan. Think through each of the different costs of your remodel and prepare accordingly. But in addition to this preparation, be prepared for the unexpected.
Virtually every remodel will go at least a little over what you initially expected. Having a little extra cash on hand to go towards these surprises will make a big difference.
One way to help you have a better idea of what the cost will be for your remodel is to get multiple estimates of the work you are requiring. Have multiple general contractors look at the rooms you are wanting to renovate. Then have other specialty contractors look at your rooms. Having a variety of eyes will give you a better perspective and will also help you find the best contractor who will do the job for the best price.
As you’re preparing to remodel your home, be aware of these different suggestions. Taking your time to do it right will be worth it. Missing some of these steps might initially seem trivial but could result in serious regrets later if something goes wrong.
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