How to Prepare for a Home Remodel
Are you ready to prepare for your home remodel? Remodeling the interior of your home can be a major disruption to your daily life. Workers coming in and out, tools and materials throughout the work area, noise and rooms that are off limits are a number of factors that can and will affect your normal daily schedule. With winter approaching, many people consider this to be a good time to renovate the interior of their home. Preparing for a remodel can be exciting as well as potentially stressful. For a winter renovation you need to be prepped and ready beforehand.
Budget
Let’s begin with the most important part of the planning process, set a budget! This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but many factors of the budget are often overlooked. There is a plethora of aspects that are involved in the budget; such as material costs, any unforeseen issues, and labor costs. Many people do not consider that their project can, and often times will, go over budget. Then they end up choosing the more expensive materials and then when an issue arises they do not have any extra money in their budget to solve the issue. Things may go awry, so be prepared and know what you are walking into.
Timing
Most contractors will give you a starting date and also an estimated end date, so you can plan ahead. However, it is best to keep in mind that timelines are usually an estimate and can often change due to unforeseen circumstances. It would be a good idea to remove all furniture, wall hangings, or valuable items from the project area to avoid possible damage. Any furniture too big to be moved should at least be wrapped in plastic to prevent dust and other damage. Think ahead about your morning routine. Most workers will show up around 7:30-8 in the morning, so you may have to consider adjusting your schedule so that you still have the house to yourself while getting prepared for the day.
Preparation
Most of your planning will be determined by the size of the renovation, and which rooms will be under construction. If you are remodeling your kitchen, it would be wise to consider finding another room where you can at least store a mini fridge and a microwave so that you can have some food readily available. If the bedroom is being updated, you may want to set up a temporary space in the guest room or living room so that you can still be comfortable at home.
It would be best to decide which rooms you will inhabit before the renovation begins. In this way, you can set yourself up to living a close to normal, comfortable life if you will be staying home through the duration of the construction. Some people choose to stay at a friend’s house if possible. While others choose to stay at a hotel for the duration of the project to avoid disturbances a renovation can cause. Kids and Pets should also be thought of when preparing for your remodel. There are many dangerous tools and equipment being used. So putting up safety gates to keep them out of the project area is highly recommended.
Conclusion
Lastly, prepare yourself. Renovations do not always go as smoothly as planned. There an be delays in schedule, issues with materials, or an unforeseen issue in your home that needs repair. These can impact the schedule and budget of the project. While you don’t want to be paying for unnecessary maintenance, most contractors will be able to give you a recommendation. Your Contractor can inform you if the issue needs to be tended to immediately or that can be taken care of in the future. It is best to have a flexible attitude and listen to the advice a reputable contractor.
If you are looking for some inspiration for your remodel, check out our portfolio page to see our previous projects.
