Finally ready to start working on the home of your dreams? A home makeover is like getting to design the perfect present, watching it get made, and then enjoying it for the rest of your life. But it also takes a lot of time and prior planning.
Contrary to what HGTV suggests, a home remodel doesn’t happen overnight. Before you begin, there are several things you need to take into consideration and plan for.
1. The Design
Whether you want to do a home addition or a complete home remodel, you have to know what you want to be done and where. You don’t need to be an architect to plan every little change, but you can work with one or with a contractor to plan out how you want your home to look.
Construction and home remodeling involve a lot of moving parts, so knowing your design goals helps get the ball rolling so everything can be planned out. Even if you only want one room redone, you need to know what that will look like or what your expectations are for the final product.
2. DIY or Professionals
Are you capable with a paintbrush and know how to work with wood? You might think there are aspects of your remodel you can do yourself. If so, be realistic about what you’re able to accomplish and what might be best left to a professional contractor and work crew.
One of the most important parts of a remodel is safety, both for the home and the people in it. You don’t need to take any unnecessary risks when you can have professionals work on your home safely. You might be able to do some parts by yourself, but plan out what the remodel looks like and what you can do before you start knocking down walls.
3. Upscale Resale
Are you planning to remodel your home to sell it at a higher value later? If you are, you need to consider that in your plans and design around what would add value and what could take it away. Not everyone wants an oddly shaped pool or vaulted ceilings in the kitchen.
If you’re unsure what designs you may want, looking at what will add value to your home can give you some ideas. This is especially true if you are home building as well. If you plan to live the rest of your life in this home and want to do your dream home makeover, you don’t have to worry as much about the resale value.
4. Working With Work Crews
Hiring a contractor can take a lot of the stress and work off your hands, but you also need to learn how to work and communicate with them when doing a complete home makeover. Home renovations can take a long time, so you’ll be working with these people for a while.
Starting off on the right foot and respecting their expertise is important. You also want to choose a company you like, so interview around and ask friends who they liked. You don’t have to work with the first company you speak to, so choose carefully.
5. The Timeline
The timeline for construction is different when you add in how long things take to be delivered, and also how long it takes to choose certain fixtures and appliances. There are possible delays all over in the home remodeling world, and you don’t want to go into the process thinking it will be done in a week.
Plan for a long process, and at times overestimate how long it might take so you are prepared if delays occur. Typically the timeline gets thrown off by slow delivery or certain supplies being unavailable. Certain delays can’t be planned for, but if you expect delays somewhere you will be more prepared to handle them when they inevitably happen.
6. Kitchen First
If you’re planning a home remodel and don’t want to do everything all at once, the kitchen is the first thing you should focus on. Having a new and improved kitchen can increase your home’s value fast, so if you’re remodeling to sell, you will get a lot of that money back.
A kitchen makeover is also usually a mess. There will be lots of dust and house parts out and about while the kitchen is being worked on. Doing it first helps prevent any damage occurring to other spaces where you might want to add new paint or spruce up.
7. Plan For Unplanned
No home remodel goes off without a hitch from the start to finish. There are always things that aren’t according to plan, whether that’s a load-bearing wall you weren’t expecting or some unidentified pipes discovered while digging for a home addition. The important thing to remember is that this is okay.
Things pop up that aren’t in the original plans and they can be handled. This is part of why it is important to communicate well with your team or contactor about the timeline and other expectations. Having open lines of communication and mutual respect will help a project go as smoothly as possible.
8. Permit Problems
If you’re doing a big home addition or a lot of home renovations that add size to your home, whether that’s up, down, or out, you may need certain permits. Learning about the permits necessary for construction and what you can do in your area, as well as any possible zoning issues, is crucial to do ahead of time.
You don’t want to halt construction just because a permit is missing or was never started to begin with. Add learning about the limitations in home renovations for your neighborhood at the top of the list so you know what you can do before you design your dream home.
Making Home Makeovers Easy
Having a complete home renovation done in the space where you live can be stressful, time-consuming, and exhausting. But if you plan your home makeover ahead of time, practice good communication with your contractor company, and expect things to go a little off-kilter from time to time, you’ll be in good shape.
And the end result of living in the home of your dreams is always worth it. If you need specific renovation ideas, find everything you’re looking for right here.