How to Tackle Home Renovation?
How to Tackle Home Renovation?
The problem with the issue of home renovation lies in the fact that people who have never done it have a fake image on how much work they have around it. In theory, all they have to do is find the right construction agency (as if this was easy) and negotiate what they want and what they can afford. Still, there’s so much more to it, starting with covering all the costs, living through the project and scheduling it within your, already busy, calendar. All in all, here are several tips on how you should tackle home renovation.
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Don’t Underestimate the Cost
The first thing you need to understand about this is the fact that you need to underestimate the cost of renovations. Sure, purchase and construction of the property cost more, however, making a somewhat decent renovation is virtually impossible without a sizable investment. In other words, an average kitchen remodel can come down to an average of about $23,000. Even a low end remodel will cost at least several thousand dollars. If you decide to work on the exterior of your home or make it eco-friendlier, the cost of these remodels might be even greater.
The worst thing you can do is enter this project underprepared and run out of cash in the middle of it. The delays themselves are a costly thing, which is something that you should never underestimate. In other words, it’s always going to end up costing more than you’ve initially assumed, which is why entering the project over-prepared is definitely a better idea than going into it underprepared.
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Make Sure You’re on the Same Page
There are some last-minute decisions that can really divide the family. When this happens you need to make sure that you’re on the same page. Wanting one thing while your spouse wants something completely different is not just confusing for the contractor and the team performing works but it’s also something that may the household atmosphere unbearable. Think about it, your stuff will already be all over the place, your day-to-day life will be disrupted and you’ll be under a lot of stress, as it is. The last thing you need is to have one more seed of discord in an already divided household.
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Prepare for a Temporary Change in Lifestyle
When remodelling your kitchen, you’ll have to find an alternative way to prepare food for you and your family or eat outside. When remodelling the bathroom (if it’s the only one in the house), you’ll have to take more showers at the gym or find an alternative. If, on the other hand, you decide to go for the full-home remodel, you’ll probably have to find a place to stay, for the time being. This means using the guest house, going to a friend or relative or paying for a hotel. Either way, you have a big choice to make.
On the other hand, people who work from home will be the ones who will suffer the biggest change. You see, people who go to the office every day will at least get a break from these works, while telecommuters will have to witness this on a day-to-day basis. Other than this, your home office may become unavailable, which might make you look for some alternative workspace. Ideally, you should look for a shared office in your vicinity, at least until the situation settles itself.
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Consider the Safety
The most important thing for any home renovation is the issue of safety. This is directly connected to the equipment used and the skill of the team performing works on your home. When it comes to the first, you need a stable work platform, so instead of ladders, you need at least a scaffolding or a mobile tower. For those who still fear the cost of such a thing, you don’t really have to buy when you can just hire Universal Mobile Tower Hire. As for the skill of the team, all you can really do is talk to the contractor, inquire on their previous work experience and hope for the best. Some people insist on meeting the team, yet, this is not that reliable. After all, what kind of questions will help you figure out if someone is a skilled or careful construction worker?
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Consult the Calendar
Lastly, you need to understand that the part of the year that you choose for the start of the project greatly impacts its course and its successfulness. The start date and the end date are equally as important and planning the project around a major holiday usually tends to be a bad idea. Moreover, the weather impacts both the outdoor and indoor renovation, which is why going for a dryer part of the year seems to be the key. Sure, an unexpected weather occurrence may disrupt the works any part of the year, still, there are some seasons in which the likelihood of this is substantially smaller. Why take any chances?
In Conclusion
Keep in mind that no matter how much trouble this may be it is A) worth enduring and B) not something you do every year. Nonetheless, your actions alone will decide just how difficult this will be. With enough research, planning and efficient execution, it can be much easier to tackle. The problem with this is the fact that your home is supposed to be a place of rest and relaxation, as opposed to the hectic environment of your workplace. The fact that things are now different may be something you’ll have to get used to.
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Bio: Patrick Adams is a freelance writer and rock-blues fan. When he is not writing about home improvement, he loves to play chess, watch basketball, and play his guitar. More than anything, he loves to spend his time in his garage, repairing appliances and creating stuff from wood.
