Thinking of renovating your home? Residential renovations can dramatically improve the appearance of your home. They can make your residence look beautiful and make it more functional too.
However, the process can also get stressful, especially when you fail to plan. In this post, you’ll discover five important tips for a headache-free residential renovation. Or at least as few headaches as possible.
When renovating your home, follow these tips to prevent additional stress and leave the aspirin where it belongs: in the medicine cabinet!
1. Know Your Budget and Timeline
When you’re doing residential renovations, know what you can afford. Always stash a cushion of extra money away for your project.
Sometimes unexpected issues may come up during renovations such as bad plumbing or faulty electrical wiring. When considering your timeline you also need some extra cushion. Delays can occur due to several reasons.
Examples may include materials taking longer to arrive, an error with materials, or extra work coming up due to unforeseen issues like an electrical problem or a concrete floor needing leveling.
Shopping for Materials
When considering your budget, shop around for different materials. You probably don’t want to buy the cheapest material due to poor quality.
Something in the middle of the road serves as a smart choice to save you money. Don’t buy the most expensive materials. Also, keep in mind that customized orders take longer to receive than stocked items.
2. DIY or Working With a Contractor?
When you’re doing a home remodel, you need to decide if you should do a DIY or hire a professional. Handy with construction? You can save money doing the job on your own. Then you’ll take pride in your completed project.
On the other hand, certain projects will be too much for a homeowner to take on and may require a construction crew. While you might be able to put in a new deck on your own, you may find a bathroom remodel too much to handle.
Working with electrical, structural elements, and plumbing? Call in a professional.
3. How to Choose a Contractor
If you’ve decided to hire a contractor, look around unless you know someone who can do the job. Here are some tips:
- Make sure the contractor holds a license and insurance
- Ask the contractor for references (if they won’t provide them walk away)
- Check review sites like Google Reviews and Yelp
- Ask for photos of work or a link to a portfolio on their website
- Get estimates from different contractors
- Beware of the cheapest price
A cheap price may seem too good to be true. Often, it requires a redo.
4. Do You Need a Permit? Check Before You Lift a Hammer
Your residential renovation project may require permits by your local township or municipality. Structural changes such as breaking down a load-bearing wall or even a non-loading bearing wall to open up a room require a permit.
You’ll also need a permit for any electrical work or plumbing work. Considering hiring a small construction company? You may need to obtain the permit on your own. Your city will require a few things:
- The description of your project
- Your address including block number and parcel number
- The license and insurance information of the contractor performing the work
- A check or credit card to pay for the permit
After you obtain the permit, you may begin the project. When it’s done, you must contact your municipality. They’ll send over an inspector to make sure you performed the work up to code.
When working with a larger construction company, they get the permit for you. They’ll either ask you for a check to cover the cost of the permit or add it to your construction bill.
Working With a Home Owner’s Association
Do you live in a community with a home owner’s association (HOA)? Then you’ll also need them to approve your home remodel before you begin renovations.
Look in the rules and regulations guidebook or contact the HOA to learn their requirements. You may need to get approval from their architectural board.
HOA’s often require a separate permit from the township. They will need similar information as your municipality, including a sketch and description of the work you’ll perform and additional paperwork.
They’ll also need your contractor’s license and insurance information. The good news: not all HOA’s charge for their permits. But they may require permits for things your municipality doesn’t require such replacing carpeting with a new floor.
5. Start From a Clean Canvas
It’s always best to start with a clean canvas. This means a clear space free from furniture and decor. This will give the team room to work and avoid your furniture and items from getting damaged.
Is your home filled with clutter? Consider throwing away what you don’t need. You can make some extra cash by having a yard sale. You know the saying: one person’s trash is another’s treasure.
After your sale, hire a junk removal company to haul the rest of your items away like this service. Another thing to ask yourself: do you want to live there during residential renovations? Saws and machinery make noise and dust.
You’ll need to decide if you and your family and pets need to stay somewhere temporarily. Perhaps you can stay with another family member or get a short-term rental.
A Stress-Free Solution for Residential Renovations
Follow these five tips to remove the stress for your residential renovations. They’ll help get the job done faster and with fewer headaches.
Looking for more advice on home topics? Read more articles for expert tips on our blog.
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