Are you planning a home renovation this year? If so, you’re far from alone. Over the past 2 years, the trend for home renovations has been on an upwards trajectory, and by all accounts, it’s still going strong.
If a remodel is on the cards for you in 2022, there are some things you’ll need to consider and home renovation tips you’ll need to know. A home renovation is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful, taxing, and frustrating. In order to make sure it goes as smooth as possible, there are some things you should think about.
Use the following article as your guide through your home renovation journey. Whether you’re planning home exterior renovations, home interior renovations, or tearing it all down and starting from scratch, we’ve got you covered. Read on for your ultimate guide on how to survive and thrive during your home renovation.
1. Take It One Room at a Time
Despite what it says above about tearing down your house, this approach isn’t something we’d typically recommend. More accurately, it’s recommended only in a few specific circumstances.
If you have a structural issue that needs addressing, obviously you won’t have much choice but to go this route. If you’ve got the funds necessary to rent another home, or you’ve got family or friends you can stay with during this time, then doing everything at once might make sense.
In almost all other circumstances, however, you’ll want to take things bit by bit. The last thing you want is to end up without a roof, a bathroom, and a kitchen all at the same time. Although it might take longer to finish, renovating room by room is generally the best way to go.
2. Get Your Timing Right
Sometimes, renovations wait for no man. It will often happen that you’ll need to do renovations urgently, and you won’t have a say about when or how to do this. However, if you do get to decide when to renovate your home, then you’ll need to think about when the best time to do this is.
The best option for you will depend on different factors. If you want or need it done ASAP, then of course that’s the best option for you to take. However, there are advantages to picking certain times.
For example, doing renovations in winter is generally cheaper than in summer, so if budget is a consideration, this is something to think about. If you’re doing a lot of the work yourself, or if you live in a place with harsh winters, then you may want to wait until summer when the weather is a little more forgiving outside.
3. Planning Is Everything
If you want to make it out of your home renovation with your sanity intact, it’s very important to be organized and on top of things. The more you plan in the beginning, the easier the whole process will be for you. Be as detailed and thorough as you can be.
Plan out both the big picture and the more minor features. What paint are you going to use? What kind of materials and labor will you need? Can you take advantage of your homeowner’s insurance or home warranty plan to help cover costs?
Knowing these things in advance will make your build much faster, and it will also mean you won’t have any surprises or last-minute changes ahead of you.
4. Overestimate Your Timeline and Budget
When you’re planning your renovations, the first thing you’ll need to do is to figure out a projected timeline and budget. You should get quotes and estimates from different tradespeople to get an accurate overview, and cost and time everything in as much detail as possible.
All of these steps are pretty standard and don’t necessarily constitute home remodel tips. What does, however, is this simple yet crucial piece of advice. Whatever timeline and budget you come up with, no matter how thorough you think you’ve been, add about 10% to 20% onto both of those figures.
Home renovations are tricky and almost never go exactly as you want them to. The cost for new asphalt roof you are quoted is only an estimate and could go up or down.
This is just the way life is, and if you stick too stringently to a particular timeline or budget, you’ll probably be disappointed. Give yourself some wiggle room and you’re more likely to finish on course.
5. Create Contingency Plans
As part of the planning discussed above, you’ll want to have a series of contingency plans in place for the period your renovations are ongoing. If you’re planning to live in your home as it’s being remodeled, how can you make this as easy as possible for yourself?
Many people create makeshift kitchens in other areas of the home while they’re doing a kitchen remodel. If you have a mini-fridge, a few temporary shelving units, and a hotplate or microwave, you’ve got everything you need to tide you over.
If your bathroom is being worked on, do you have a second toilet, and somewhere to shower? This could be a family member’s home, your local gym, your office, or a neighbor’s. Just make sure you’ve thought these things out before the time actually comes when you’ll need to avail of them.
6. Go for Timeless Over Trendy
One mistake that many homeowners make when they’re doing a big remodel is to decorate their new house in a style that’s on-trend at that moment. While this can seem like a great idea at the time, it’s usually a recipe for disaster.
Trends come and go, and you don’t want to end up having to redecorate your home again in two years’ time. Instead, if you try and go for timeless and classic designs, you’ll have a home you won’t have to touch for the next 10 to 20 years.
Home Renovation Tips for a Seamless Remodel
Hopefully, these home renovation tips will help you to better navigate the tricky process of a total home remodel. It’s not always easy, but in the end, it’s definitely worth it. If you’re looking for more home improvement tips, check out some of the rest of our content now.
