Home remodeling is a powerful tool that allows you to shape your living space into the home of your dreams, all without the hassle of moving. Not only is it often more cost-effective than relocating, but it also allows you to stay in a familiar neighborhood. This is why over 70% of Americans prefer to renovate and stay put, rather than uprooting their lives.
Depending on the scope of the work, renovations can impact your life in many ways, from the upheaval of emptying a room for the weekend to months of living on a building site while you have more extensive work carried out.
But this is the preferred option as statistics show that the home renovation sector surpassed $400 billion in the previous two years (source: USA Newswire), while a survey by Today’s Homeowner found that over half of respondents carried out some type of renovation work in the previous 12 months.
So whether you’re going for a full house remodel, a home addition, a new bathroom or kitchen, or nothing else, let’s take a closer look at some of the do’s and don’ts of home renovation. Even the slightest mistake can send all of your best-laid plans into disarray and leave you with a house that looks more like a building site than a treasured sanctuary, and no one wants that.
DO: Research, Research, Research
Don’t walk into your renovation plans blind and with a naive view of what is possible and what you can achieve. Don’t simply decide to get a new kitchen because you hate your current one, but pick the first one you see. You need to research anything and everything to help you understand what the work involves, how it will impact you, the cost of the project, time, space, etc.
You need to look into aspects like planning permission permits, building codes, HOA approval, and so on so you don’t fall foul of the law. The more you know, the more informed decisions you can make, and the better your chance of success will be.
Don’t: Think You Can Do It All Alone
But those home DIY renovation accounts make it look so easy, don’t they? What you likely don’t see is that they potentially have experience or training in much of the work they do. They won’t have undertaken massive projects alone most of the time or even as their first attempt at DIY, and they’re likely to not know everything they need to know.
So while they might make it look easy and roll out the standard “if I can do it, anyone can” trope, if you’re not experienced at DIY and don’t know your water pipe from your electrical cable and supporting walls means anything other than literally holding your house together, do not jump feet first into massive renovations.
Remember, the type of work you undertake will determine the level of professional advice you need. Whether it’s from electricians or plumbers, an architect to draw up plans, or someone to sign off on building regulations, seeking professional advice is crucial. You cannot and should not do everything yourself, especially for major projects. This reassurance will boost your confidence and ensure a successful renovation. Except painting walls white, this is something everyone needs to know how to do and after all, practise makes perfect.
Do: Listen To Advice
If you’re working with professional contractors for some or all of the work, while you are quite within your rights to get the exact work done you ask for and envision, it’s important not to dismiss any ideas or suggestions they might have fully.
The reason is that this is their bread and butter. This is the work they do; well, you are paying them to do it too, after all, and over the years, the best contractors will have picked up tips, tricks, and ideas that can help you to make your plans even better. They will have seen successes and failures; they will understand how things flow better than you can as they will have been there creating people’s ideas and bringing them to life whether they work or not.
If your remodeling contractor has suggestions on what they think would work better, your plumber has other ideas for improved layout or design in your bathroom, or your family and friends want to offer advice on interior decor or usage for spare rooms, for example, listen, take the ideas on board, and don’t just brush them off because you never know how right they might actually be. Being open-minded and receptive to advice can lead to unexpected solutions and a more successful renovation. The one piece of advice you didn’t take might just be exactly what you needed.
Don’t: Make Changes Based on Resale Value Alone
The last thing you want to do is to carry out extensive, expensive work only to find that you lowered the value of your home or exceeded the ceiling price for your area, meaning you’re not likely to recoup your losses. However, and this is a big deal, you should never make home renovations solely on the expected resale value it can offer you.
There are many reasons for this; firstly, it’s your home, and you want to create a space you love that works for you and your lifestyle and makes you happy. Secondly, trends change, markets change, no two people have the same taste, and lastly, you never know who will be coming to look at your house, so the work you do might not appeal to someone else and put them off. Making changes based solely on resale value can lead to a home that doesn’t reflect your personal style and may not attract potential buyers.
So, if you’re considering adding a home addition because Jeff down the road did, and he almost doubled his resale value, ask yourself if you don’t sell (which is probably the reason why you’re doing work instead of moving). Do you want what Jeff has? Would that work for you, or are there other ways to invest more effectively in your home to improve it?
Do: Prepare for Massive Upheavals
“I had the best time of my life living in a building site while getting my new kitchen done,”
said nobody ever. If they did, they would likely wouldn’t have be living at home during the work being carried out. Massive upheavals like dust, noise, and temporary loss of certain facilities are common during renovations. It’s important to mentally prepare for these disruptions.
Home renovations on any scale are disruptive. How disruptive depends on you, your lifestyle, and the work you are doing. Preparing yourself realistically can help you to understand the process. It can give you a better idea of what to expect and what you will be required to put up with. Renovations are a journey and one you simply shouldn’t wing; you can, but you shouldn’t.
Take your time to understand what is involved, the projected timelines (we say projected, but you should always anticipate them running over), and the level of disruption you can expect. It might be you choose to move out for some or all of the work, you might decide to pack up and put your life in storage and go on vacation, or you feel you can suck it up and make it work. But if you aren’t prepared, then it’s highly likely you won’t cope as well. So, take point one about doing research, and this will help you understand the scope of disruption you might expect to face. Plan for the worst and hope for the best, as the old saying goes.
Don’t: Start Without A Design or an Idea
This is typically more applicable to more extensive renovations or significant changes, but wading in without a plan and expecting everything to come together is, at best, chaotic and, at worst, disastrous. Don’t do it, basically. Even if you sketch a few ideas or drawings, absolutely do not do anything major without a plan or a guide to follow. Even renovating your kids’ room needs a plan of sorts.
Your plans need to be as detailed as possible, especially if you are bringing contractors in. Otherwise, chances are things will not go as planned, and you will become overly stressed.
Nothing will look right, and things will be a million times more complicated than needed. A project manager can help you out here, as can detailed drawings from architects or an expert renovation or remodeling contractor who can work with you to find the best outcome and deliver exceptional results.
There are so many more do’s and don’ts to consider when considering renovating your property. When making modern changes, DO keep the original structure and design of the building in mind. DON’T be tempted to take on too much at once. DO keep a contingency fund for any unexpected issues that might crop up. DON’T leave ordering your furnishings and fittings until the end.
Essentially, this post is pointing out that there is a lot to think about when undertaking any type of renovation work, and the more plans you make, the more prepared you will be and the higher the chance things will go exactly as you want them to.
