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Consider these advice from homeowners before beginning your next renovation project. They wish they had known it or done it before.
You’re aware that you want to improve your home, but where do you begin? You’re not alone, after all. Many house owners begin the planning process for a remodel without any idea of what to anticipate. They simply regret not having a strategy after going through remodeling setbacks. Because you aren’t beginning from scratch with home renovations, unlike when building a new home, they might be disappointing if you aren’t prepared. Unexpected costs and problems might arise, making the procedure complicated. Here are seven things you need to know about where to start remodeling a property before you start down the winding path of restoration.
1. Invest in a Key Lockbox
Consider purchasing a key lockbox if you’re far away and remodeling your house before moving in. If there are substantial jobs on your list that you can’t complete on your own, you’ll need to engage a contractor. Remember that contractors start early, so make plans to connect a lockbox or install smart door hardware that enables you to provide admission to visitors with a code unless you want to travel in morning rush hour to let employees inside. You can avoid many hours of work, tanks of fuel, and grueling early-morning wake-up calls by doing this.
2. Spend Time in the Space
Even though it might seem apparent, it’s important to wait to make some choices before using the room you’re remodeling, such as paint colors, carpeting, and lighting. For instance, if you want to replace worn-out carpet, the choices might be daunting. Tight or floppy fibers? Is there a trend or not? What particular gray? The answers rely on how other renovation decisions, including selecting paint colors, turn out.
You still need to view the paint colors on the walls if you choose your paint palettes before the remodeling begins. As you spend more time at home, your opinions on colors may evolve. Additionally, recently installed carpet and newly painted walls may make it apparent that the present lighting doesn’t properly illuminate the space.
You may save multiple trips back to the drawing board if you take a bit extra time before painting and replacing the carpet in the room you’re redecorating.
3. Be Realistic About Your Timeline
Be prepared when planning a home remodeling and make allowances to minimize dissatisfaction because your project will take longer than you anticipated. For instance, you could believe it will take little time to replace an old double vanity and whirlpool tub in a bathroom. While finding a new tub and vanity that you adore might take many weeks, removing the old fixtures can be done in a few hours. They might not arrive for another two weeks. The week you had planned to use your new hall bathroom may develop into a six-week delay. Prior to removing the present materials, choose your new improvements and be realistic about the remodeling procedure and schedule.
4. Expect the Unexpected
Every house has mysteries hidden within its walls, beneath its floors, and elsewhere. These may become apparent during a refurbishment.
For instance, after taking measurements for your eagerly awaited new hardwood floors, the contractor informs you that your floors are uneven because of a moved central joist. Before the replacement material can be erected, you must deal with the house inspector who overlooked it and get the floor joist fixed. This is just one example of the unexpected, which is why you should add extra time and money into your remodeling budget to account for unforeseen setbacks along the road.
5. Interview Multiple Contractors
It pays to compare bids and conduct interviews with many contractors. Let’s say you want a new water heater placed in the garage and the old one moved from a cupboard upstairs. The first plumber you speak with could estimate a cost of $6,000 and claim he would cut through the tray ceiling of your living room to reroute hot water pipes. The second plumber could discover that it takes up too much of his time. Without needing to reroute the water main, plumber number three expects to do the task in a day for $3,285.
Without doing many interviews with contractors, you run the risk of overpaying and not receiving what you want. It pays to conduct your research and consult with numerous experts before deciding on a course of action.
6. Renovate Your Kitchen First
Homeowners frequently ask about the best sequence for home renovations. Since these renovations significantly increase the value of your property, it is advisable to start with the kitchen. Realtors predict that homeowners may recoup 75% of the cost of a full kitchen makeover if they sell their house, according to the 2022 remodeling impact study from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Additionally, updating an old kitchen will improve your enjoyment of the room when you’re at home.
Practically speaking, you should renovate the kitchen first since it will produce the most dust and dirt, which you don’t want to get on freshly painted walls or other finished surfaces. Isolating demolition messes is usually a smart idea, so cover any entrances or pass-throughs with plastic. You’ll want to set up a temporary substitute kitchen in your home’s dining room, family room, or another nearby location because a significant kitchen reconstruction normally takes several months.
7. Be Specific About Design Ideas
Before meeting with an interior designer, it is advisable to focus your design preferences. Look through home décor publications, interior design websites, and design programs for ideas. You may avoid getting lured into a designer’s own ideas, which might not align with your remodeling goal, by having a firm grasp on the design direction.
Keep your designer well inside your allotted budget. Don’t let them buy pricey materials and then bill you for them. Your expenditures will remain minimal if you make an effort to stick to a deadline.
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