Is this the first time you are doing a home renovation? Here are tips that you should follow to have an easy time.
Start with the kitchen.
Homeowners renovating their homes for the first time frequently inquire about the best order in which to renovate their homes. The best way to go about it is to start with the kitchen because a well-done kitchen adds value to your home.
According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s 2022 remodeling impact report, Realtors believe that homeowners can recoup 75% of the cost of a complete kitchen makeover if they sell their home,
Furthermore, if you have an outdated kitchen, renovating the worn-out room will allow you to appreciate the place more. Renovations also tend to make the space more comfortable.
Besides improving the kitchen’s aesthetics, you should also consider its size. If it’s too small, talk to your home addition contractors and devise ways of increasing the size.
You should start with the kitchen makeover because it generates the most dust and debris, and you don’t want to land on fresh paint or finish projects.
Isolating any demolition mess with plastic over entrances or pass-throughs is always a good idea.
Because a major kitchen renovation can take several months to complete, consider setting up a temporary substitute kitchen to use in the meantime. You can set it up in your home’s dining room, family room, or adjacent area.
This way, you continue with your cooking and, at the same time go on with the remodeling.
Interview several contractors
You should interview and compare bids from multiple contractors. This is because you find the most qualified and work with them.
Assume you want your water heater removed from upstairs and replaced with a new one in the garage.
The first plumber you call may quote you thousands of dollars to reroute hot water lines through your living room tray ceiling.
It’s also possible that the second plumber will find it too much labor for his timetable, and they won’t turn up.
Plumber three may intend to complete the task in a single day and charge a lower fee with no water line rerouting required.
When you interview several contractors before deciding, you get to interact with them and make the right decision.
The best way is to ask for referrals from friends and relatives. You should then contact these contractors and, after interviewing them, decide on the ones that are a right fit for your project.
Have a realistic time flame.
Your renovation will take longer than planned, so plan and make allowances to avoid irritation.
You might have the impression that replacing a tub will be simple, but this isn’t always the case.
While removing the old tub may take a few hours, finding a new tub and vanity you adore may take many weeks. It could be another two weeks before they arrive.
As a result, expecting to use your new hall bath within a week can evolve into a six-week delay.
You should be realistic about the renovation process and schedule, and choose your new fixtures before removing the old ones.
You will meet some contractors who will give you unrealistic time frames. Some will say they will complete the project within a few days but don’t believe them. As a rule of thumb, allow a couple of weeks.
Be ready for surprises.
Every house has secrets—in the walls, under the floors, and everywhere else. Unfortunately, it’s during renovations that you discover these surprises.
For example, while measuring for your new hardwood floors, your contractor informs you that your floors are uneven as a result of a moved central joist.
Before the new material can be installed, you must deal with the house inspector who missed it and get the floor joist fixed.
This is just one example of the unexpected, so you should budget for extra time and money during your remodeling to account for unplanned catastrophes along the road.
Take your time.
As much as you want to start using your new space, take your time with the renovations. This is because you can easily make expensive mistakes.
As mentioned above, take your time hiring a contractor. Take your time interviewing several of them before deciding on the one to work with.
As simple as it may seem, postponing decisions such as paint colors, carpet, and light fixtures is critical until you have spent time renovating the place.
For example, the options can be daunting if you want to replace aged carpets. Are the fibers dense or loose? Pattern or no pattern? What hue of gray is it?
The solutions depend on other makeover components, such as selecting paint colors.
If you choose paint palettes before the renovation begins, you must still see them on the walls. Your color preferences may evolve as you spend more time in the house.
Additionally, freshly painted walls and new carpet can reveal that existing light fixtures do not illuminate the space as well as you expected, and you have to get new ones.
To avoid this, you should take your time and spend more time in the house.
You can avoid going to the drawing board if you take more time before painting and recarpeting to analyze how everything fits together in the room you’re redesigning.
Parting shot
These are some of the things you should know before you begin your renovation project. The home addition companies DC you work with significantly impact the project’s outcome of the project so take your time when hiring them.
As a rule of thumb, interview multiple of them and only consider the most qualified.
Before you decide on the paint and fixtures, spend time in the house. As a rule of thumb, don’t choose these too early, as your taste and preferences might change, and you are forced to change your mind.
