Your Complete Guide To A Successful Home Remodel

Introduction

Home renovations may be a luxury for some and a necessity for others. Perhaps you’ve outgrown your home’s interior design, or you need to knock down a few walls for a bigger living space. Whichever the case, investing time and money to refurbish your home is one of the wisest decisions you can make. After all, you’re entitled to tweak it as and when you want; your home is your own safe space, so, understandably, you’d expect to be in an environment of your pleasing. From budget barbie advice to laying down framework, here are some tips and tricks for success –– especially if you’re looking for home renovation toronto.

Set Up Your Dream Team

Engaging the right people to work on the project is imperative for a successful renovation.

We recommend beginning by sourcing for a good renovator; you’d want to look for someone reliable, trustworthy, and armed with the relevant experience to work together with you. Ensure that you feel comfortable with them and are confident in their ability and experience to execute your dream properly. When you think you’ve found the one, remember to check with their cited references as well.

Should your renovation plan require the construction or deconstruction of structural designs, your renovator will link you up with an architect. To keep your project within budget and in line with your plans, have your renovator sit through the design discussions with you.

As the design consultation with your architect is underway, you might want to consider engaging with an interior designer too –– especially if you’re planning for a major renovation. With their expertise, interior designers could help navigate through all the nitty-gritty regarding the space ideation of your new home. However, if the areas of concern are few and the workload isn’t too much (such as renovating one or two rooms), then you might want to handle the interior design on your own. In such a scenario, we encourage you to seek advice from the right vendors to aid you along the interior selection process.

Stick to the Plan

Discuss what can get done within your budget with your renovator and settle on it. Don’t be swayed and give in to the urge to edit, redo or add on to your renovation plans halfway through the process. In the worst-case scenarios, these last-minute checks may potentially bring the entire project to a complete stop –– thus putting a strain on manpower, budget, and delaying the timeline.

It’s also important that you formulate an achievable target from the get-go, and be informed that the house makeovers shown on television programs aren’t the best examples to follow because they are often unrealistic.

Be Realistic

To get the ball rolling, start by asking your renovator to quote a workable sum for the project, whilst being clear that you have no intention of going above the limit. We highly recommend doing this tactic, especially if you’re negotiating with several builders at once. By establishing grounds of transparency from the beginning, you’re now able to minimize encounters with dishonest renovators who intend to low-ball you. Furthermore, having such open conversations allow you a peek into their budget estimation process, so you’re able to gauge how thorough they are in coming up with a quote.

As with all things, not everything can go according to plan. Allow yourself the flexibility of going with the flow, as it’s likely that you may run into unforeseen obstacles that can cost you time, effort, and manpower. It’s also important to ensure that the overall budget encapsulates an extra margin to buffer for unexpected emergencies. For example, larger-scale projects and older houses are more prone to encounter problems with wiring, furniture, and interior design.

We recommend beginning your search by identifying the most costly feature that requires a replacement –– such as an old roof, for example. If left to fester, the excess moisture let in by the damaged roof will cause bacterial problems and potentially wear down the existing housing structure.

In most cases, mature houses (especially ones built before the 1980s) are likely to contain asbestos, a cancer-causing material that requires the expertise of a specialist to remove it. Other common finds include mold, rot, rust, cracks, and external other damages, so check meticulously before buying a house to renovate.

Finalize Renovation Plans Early

The earlier you’re able to settle on your choices, the easier it is to save time, money, manpower labor, and have a generally enjoyable renovation experience. From the choice of tiles, the color of paint, and even the placement of furniture, we strongly encourage planning everything before commencing the renovation. This is because finalizing your decisions too late may cause a delay in lead time, which could result in your materials being delivered way after they’re needed. Subsequently, this could result in you having to rework an entire area to accommodate any unexpected changes, which may eventually delay the project timeline.

Look for Short-Term Lodging

To take care of both the physical and mental well-being of your family, we suggest considering temporary accommodation while your home is undergoing renovation. While small-scale renovation might still be tolerable, large-scale projects will cause a major disruption to your family’s daily life. After all, who would want to live with the constant drumming of construction and breathe in dusty fumes?

Whilst it’s ideal for the residing family to move out during the entire course of upgrading, you may consider opting for temporary housing for a certain period if you’re unable to find one for the full duration. In such a scenario, seek advice from your builder to identify the crunch period where the most disruption would occur and give suggestions on when it will be safe for you to move back in.

Manage Your Budget

When it comes to budgeting, think about what’s important to you; you’re guaranteed to have things that you can afford to spend more or less on. Don’t be shy to identify ‘splurge-worthy items! Certain features or parts of the house deserve a little more investment because they are used more often than others or have more significance. There’s no shame in that!

Similarly, make a list of items that aren’t of significant value to you –– we recommend sticking to cosmetic items that are easily replaceable or repaired if something were to happen to them down the road. Should you run into financial difficulties during renovation, you’ll be able to shift funds from these areas and allocate them to areas where the extra finances are needed. Some of these items may include floorings and tiles in a secondary bathroom, garage cabinets, or a backup landscaping plan. 

Look on the Bright Side

Brace yourself for the onslaught of chaos and disruption that the renovation will bring into your life, but don’t let it damper your mood. Construction works hardly go according to plans –– it’s normal for problems to occur, so take each challenge in stride. Tackle the issues one by one and proceed with the project.

Just because one or two hiccups have occurred along the way, it doesn’t mean the project has failed. Every time you feel down because of a little setback in the renovation, picture the end goal in mind. Simply visualizing what the finished project will look like will significantly lift your spirits and motivate you throughout this grueling period. In the long run, way after the renovation is finished, you won’t even remember what you were stressed out about.

Conclusion

Regardless if you’re searching for a new home or seeking to revamp your current one, all you need is to follow these simple tips for a successful home renovation journey. Wait up! Your dream house is coming in no time.

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