Preparation is one of the greatest keys to a successful renovation project. Inadequate preparation can cause many costly delays, inconveniences, and stressful situations. This post shares the top ten tips for preparing for your next home remodel project.
1. Plan for Your Project
Planning is critical for your project’s success. It helps you foresee the project’s requirements to avoid surprises and annoyance. Effective planning enables you to budget your money, time, and materials. It also lets you detect possible challenges and prepare to overcome them.
2. Inform Your Neighbors
While your renovation task is personal, consider your neighbours because it will somehow impact them. Major renovation work can be noisy and affect your neighbour’s peace. This way, you will improve your home’s value and appeal without spoiling your relationship with neighbours. Additionally, respect the rules and adjust your renovation to safeguard your neighbours’ serenity.
3. Prepare for Chaos and Inconvenience
Every successful major remodel is chaotic and inconvenient. Renovation affects you financially and emotionally. The job also affects your home’s privacy because strangers must access it during remodeling.
If you intend to stay in your home during the renovation, ask your contractor to help facilitate that stay. They can set up a plastic wall with a zipper to separate your living area from the construction area. Here are some steps to help you go through this inconveniencing moment.
- Join a gym to have somewhere to shower during a bathroom renovation.
- Adjust your home to make it more convenient to utilize different entryways.
- Build a safe room for your pets if you will leave them alone with renovation workers during the day.
- Add a dish drying rack to your bathroom to reduce inconveniences while upgrading your kitchen.
- Avail extra fitted bed sheets for covering your furniture to prevent dust from settling on the furniture.
- Close doors to other rooms during remodeling to control dust.
4. Arrange for Your Temporary Accommodation
Sometimes you may need to leave your home during major renovations. If you go, research your accommodation alternatives to get an alternative that meets your budget and family’s needs. Select an option in your neighbourhood to remain close to work and school if you have schooling kids. Also, choosing a nearby alternative makes monitoring the remodeling project more convenient.
Leaving your home during remodeling is necessary, especially if using the bathroom and kitchen is impossible. Also, the inability to use comfortable bedrooms for a long time necessitates leaving your home. Experts recommend leaving your home if the renovation covers over 60% of your home or you can’t comfortably divide the house into a living and construction area.
5. Have an Appliance Plan
You need a safe and functional appliance plan if you temporarily leave your home. Putting your appliances out of use for a long time can be disruptive. Thus, consider temporary downgrades, like a mini-fridge, for simple life basics. You might also want to use an outdoor grill more during the renovation. If you do, select a grill that fits your family’s needs.
6. Take “Before” Photos
Undertaking a successful renovation is a milestone you definitely would like to share with others. It can inspire other homeowners online and in other offline publications. So, take “before” photos of your home’s appearance before renovating it. These images will significantly motivate your future remodeling works.
7. Keep It Safe
A remodeling project exposes your home to strangers. Therefore, plan for its security during this disruptive season. You can store your most valuable assets in a safe, secret place. Remember to purchase an in-home safe to safeguard your documents.
Installing a video doorbell is another excellent way of monitoring deliveries while away. Fitting easily programmable smart locks to give access to contractors during limited periods is another excellent way of protecting your home.
8. Audit Your Belongings
Auditing your belongings is another preparation to make before renovating your home. This rule applies to all renovations, such as the bathroom or kitchen. List your home’s permanent home items for these reasons:
- Insurance Purposes
Tracking all your valuable items can be challenging. Thus, use this chance to list all of them and their values for compensation should you lose any of them during remodeling.
- Preparing for Easy Decluttering
Listing your assets also helps you with home decluttering. It lets you know what to retain or give away before renovating your house. Subdivide your stuff into four categories that determine which items go to donating, selling, saving, and handing down.
- Identify Storage Solutions
Lastly, it helps you identify the correct storage solutions for the items you decide to keep. You may use your spare guest room or basement if you have them. However, large or seasonal assets you don’t use for a long time will require different storage. For instance, renting a portable storage box would be ideal. Such containers are suitable for parking in driveways and organizing your belongings safely.
9. Organize Your Contracts and Receipts
Organizing your essential documentation and keeping it safe during your next renovation project can benefit you in the future. When organizing these documents, considering the following ideas is critical.
- Keep your renovation project’s quotation and contracts with you throughout the process.
- Select a cloud storage system and digitize other receipts and contracts for permanent and secure keeping.
- Utilize shared calendars and spreadsheets to avail critical information to anyone needing it.
10. Talk to Your Contractor
The preparation is incomplete without consulting your renovation contractor. The reason is that your remodeling work will be messy, especially if you are redoing several rooms. Consulting your contractor helps you plan for the mess. The renovator will also inform you about their cleanup schedule, for instance, if they sweep every evening. This consultation also lets you know who will do the necessary site preparations before renovations.
Parting Shot
Adequate and timely preparation is the golden key to unlocking your renovation project’s success. Our post shared insightful and practical tips to help you prepare for your next remodel.
Do you have a home renovation project in the pipeline? Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation and estimate.
