This is the perfect season for renovating your home. As the weather gets better and there is less rain, it is the ideal time to renovate your kitchen, living room, or any interior space that you want to modernize or improve. To help you successfully and seamlessly renovate your home, we have gathered eight do’s and don’ts you should follow when you are beautifying or improving your home! Check out the tips:
- Create a Detailed Blueprint
From the tiles that will go on the walls to the appliances that will be installed, anyone who has completed a home renovation before knows that it is better to have just about everything picked out before you begin the work. This is because you will need to make numerous decisions once the renovation starts, and the more of those you have made beforehand, the better off — and the better educated — you will be. Online tools like Pinterest, showroom visits, and/or material samples can help, and do not be afraid to start purchasing items to get the ball rolling.
- Rent a Storage Unit
Renting a storage unit lets you protect your belongings and prevent them from getting damaged during the renovation process. Accidental incidents such as paint spilling on your sofa or debris getting on your clothes in the closet are all common and almost inevitable incidents that will occur if you do not store your belongings elsewhere outside your home. By renting a self-storage unit, you can make sure that your belongings are stored in a highly clean and secured place. If you have only a few items to store, you can rent a 5 x 5 feet storage unit, which is roughly the same size as a regular closet. This storage unit size is ideal for storing personal items, clothes, boxes, skis, children’s toys, small furniture items, and some documents. If you have a few more items to store, you can go with a 5 x 10 feet storage unit. This storage unit is approximately the same size as a walk-in closet. This storage unit size is perfect for holding a few pieces of furniture, sofas, chairs, a chest of drawers, boxspring and mattress, business supplies and records, plus other small items and boxes.
- Do Not Do It Yourself
Sure, you could tile your own backsplash, and lay your own hardwood floors, and rewire your sound system, but should you? Honestly? While the desire to save money on what is bound to be an expensive renovation is always a draw, when it comes to the bones of your home, and renovations with major ROI potential, it is best to leave it to the professionals. Buyers will be able to spot less than perfect work on your home, and while it may be a point of pride for you, it will be a point of contention for them. You might also be interested in watching and learning.
- Make a Realistic Budget
While it goes without saying that any project needs a budget to keep costs in check, it is not always an easy task to find the balance between your dream designs and the amount you have allotted for a project. This is why it is essential to get a true understanding of pricing, on both materials and labor, so you can gauge expectations accordingly.
Unfortunately, home improvement and renovation television shows can sometimes be misleading in terms of costs, which can vary greatly based on location and timing. Therefore, be sure to have a contractor look over your budget and confirm that it is realistic.
- Hire a Good Team
Whether you decide to hire a general contractor or individual subcontractors for the job, it is important to find the right team to complete your home renovation. While word-of-mouth recommendations from friends might be enough for some, you may also consider doing a full-blown check on your contractor—looking into their license, certificate of insurance, lien history, bond number, and certification—to ensure you are dealing with a professional who is in good financial standing. Equally important is finding a contractor you get along with and who understands your vision, so it can be helpful to have an interview or preliminary discussion before the formal engagement of services.
- Do Not Believe Everything You See on TV Shows
While we are fans of home improvement shows just as much as the next person, oftentimes, many series can make certain projects, such as throwing up a stud wall or installing a new bathroom vanity, seem extremely simple—and they might be for a professional or advanced DIY-er.
However, if you are considering a home renovation, think practically about what you can and cannot do; painting the walls of a small bathroom on your own may be totally feasible, but painting all of the walls of a 4,000-square-foot house is likely less so. While you may think you would be saving a lot of money by doing the work yourself, if it is something unfamiliar, it might cost even more to have a professional undo your work and then properly complete the project.
- Do Not Follow Bold Trends
Avoid browsing high-end design magazines and websites for inspiration and look to homes on real estate sites for ideas. You will get a better sense of what’s standard on the market, and be less tempted by up-to-the-minute trends whichwill be long-forgotten before you even place the “For Sale” sign on your lawn.
- Prepare to Live Uncomfortably During the Renovation Process
Living through a home renovation can be a trying experience—one that is often filled with dust, exhaustion, and plenty of take-out. Even the most meticulous of contractors cannot keep dust and dirt from flying everywhere, so know that your house will not be as clean as you would typically keep it. Try not to let that bother you, but if you think it will be too much for you to handle, it is not out of the ordinary to rent a place to stay, go on vacation, or live with friends or family for a few critical weeks until your home is a bit more “liveable.”