When it comes to our homes we can often be rather particular with how we decorate, and who’s to blame you? We spend a long time saving up for a deposit followed by years or repayments, so ensuring we are living somewhere we love is really important. Remodelling your house is something loads of homeowners think about and often write it into their long term plan for the house but when it comes down to it are we looking at it in the right way? Have we done everything in our power to make sure nothing is going to go wrong?
Here are some things you need to look at before starting any work on your much-loved home.
Paperwork
Firstly, we need to think about the relevant paperwork that is needed to start any building work. The last thing you want to happen when renovating or remodelling your house is for the authorities to come and start asking you questions about the permits you didn’t realise were a necessity. If that does happen you will be taking down and reversing all of the work you’ve completed so far. If you’re planning on remodelling then I would thoroughly suggest reading up on everything needed to legally complete the build. You might want to consider this helpful article to get yourself started and put you in a good position to start your build. Having all the permits in place will not only allow a quick and easy renovation but it will also provide a safe one. Don’t try and get any work done without the required paperwork, it will go against you further down the line and can end up wasting valuable time and effort.
Planning
Something that most likely will be linked in with the paperwork section is your plan, to be successful with remodelling your house you’ll have to be meticulous in the planning stage. You hear of horror stories where people discover old electric cables that were never decommissioned and that is something you have to put up with when renovating old houses but if you’re prepared then it will be a much easier job to complete. Get the plans for your house and decide what you want to do, this is something many people don’t think about until it’s too late and they are rushed into making large decisions that usually require some time. Make sure you’ve set everything you want out first, for example, if you want more space in your front room then make sure you’ve stated that and looked how and where you can create more space.
Something else to think about is your schedule, make sure to have a tight schedule and follow it as closely as you can, this will save you time which will save you money.
Contingency Plan
It’s important to plan for every eventuality and whilst you may have planned every section of your housing remodel, have you accounted for anything that might go wrong? Set aside some money for that scenario and try not to touch it unless something unforeseen happens.
Professionals
Something you should be thinking of before starting any work is what you can do yourself and if there is anything you will need to hire a professional for. Certain jobs require qualified professionals to complete to ensure the safety and functionality of the work, for example, if you’re moving things around in your bathroom then having a plumber is essential. The last thing you want is to start moving pipes around without extensive knowledge as it could and most probably will create more work. Cut your losses and hire someone to do it the first time around, it will save money and ensure you’re sticking to your schedule. Electrics is another area where hiring a professional is essential, any work done to your electrics will need to be signed off by a qualified electrician for your renovation to pass guidelines.
Don’t Decorate Until You’re Finished
Impatience is something we are all unfortunately blessed with and we should all learn to try and control it. Don’t decorate anything in your house until all the work is complete, the place will be dirty for quite some time and builder's dust is a type that you’ll wish to never encounter again. Make it livable if you need to, but putting down your expensive carpet or sofa will guarantee it will be ruined, stay patient and decorate when everything is complete.
Remodeling your house is an exciting project and one that can add huge amounts of value to your property, as long as it has been completed to a professional standard. Plan everything first and things will be as simple as you make them. When it comes to your budget try to forecast that you will spend more money than you would like to and things won’t be a surprise when you near that number, being prepared for every eventuality is key when renovating, but at the end of it your much-loved house will be your dream home.