A home remodel can be both exciting and stressful. Use these five tips to ease the process.
Jumping into an ‘out-with-the-old’ mindset and choosing to start a home remodel is an extremely exciting time. There are countless ways you can revamp your home, but you may quickly find yourself in too deep if you don’t prepare. Follow these five important tips when tackling a home remodel to reduce stress and let your creative juices flow.
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Five Important Tips When Starting a Home Remodel
The idea of a home remodel always seems idyllic right off the bat. However, most people start to get cold feet when they see how much money, time, and planning a remodel can take. Each of the following tips can help you address the logistics of your remodel before and during the process:
1- Plan ahead of Time
The first step of any home remodel is to plan the process ahead of time. Think about what you want to install in each part of your home so that you can make purchases ahead of time. If you know you want to install RTA gray shaker cabinets into your kitchen, for example, you could get these items ahead of time to avoid shipping slowdowns.
You should also, ahead of time, decide on which contractors you are going to hire for certain parts of your project and ensure that they will be available to work as and when you require them. Beyond this, you’ll also need to organise elements like waste removal and dumpster delivery for home projects early on in the remodel so that you can be sure that your site remains clean, tidy, and free of any hazards, especially as large amounts of debris begin to pile up.
Additionally, plan out which rooms you want to renovate first. The reasoning behind this is that if you are renovating your bedroom, as an example, you will be unable to stay in that room until it is complete. Prioritizing this room may allow you to return to your house sooner than normal.
2- Set a Budget
Setting a budget is a crucial part of any home remodel. With the average cost falling between $10,000-$50,000 for a kitchen remodel alone, planning where your money goes is an important step. Consider creating a list of the top items you want done in your home remodel, another category for second-tier items, and a third category for things you could live without.
By following these categories, you can help ensure that you secure the most important parts of your remodel without blowing cash on less necessary items.
3- Determine How you Want to Finance the Project
As mentioned earlier, a home remodel is not a cheap project by any means. Very few people have the ability to come up with tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket on the spot, unless they have been saving for years.
Personal loans, equity loans, borrowing from friends and family, or credit cards (for smaller items) are all financing methods for home renovation that you can consider. As with any kind of debt, never take out more than you are able to easily repay.
4- Don’t be Afraid to Bring in Professional Help
Some people may have knowledge of contracting or a unique skill set in regards to building, but some things are best left to the professionals. Keep in mind that making a mistake during a remodel means paying to have that mistake rectified. In some cases, it may just be cheaper to hire someone who does the work for a living.
It’s important to understand your own limitations and know when to hire an interior design artist, general contractor, florist, or some other professional in regard to home renovation.
5- Set up a Temporary Living Area
Depending on the type of home renovation you are going with, the process can take some time. Keep in mind that just setting up a home renovation can take one-to-three months on average, let alone the actual renovation itself. Workers coming in and out of your home can quickly make it feel less like a home and more like a project.
Consider finishing one room first and designating that room as the new living area while renovations are being completed. This could mean setting up the garage as a temporary kitchen if it has a sink or turning the living room into a bedroom.
All of the above tips can help make your home renovation a smoother process and reduce some of the stress you might experience. Start by building an effective home renovation plan that fits within your budget, all while preparing your financing and leaving the heavy work to the professionals.
Create your dream home today
No dream home is created overnight. No matter how much planning you put into the process, there will inevitably be setbacks or unique situations you simply can’t plan for. However, your perfect home is waiting at the end of this stressful journey. Rather than focusing on the stress of a home remodel, remind yourself of how fun renovation can be and set your sights on your end goal.
