Are you planning a home remodel? There are some essential factors to consider before you pick out that first paint swatch or light fixture. The team at Top Home Builders has put together this handy home renovation checklist for your remodeling house plan.
Know Your End Goal
If you’re reading this, you’ve already thought, “I want to renovate my house, where do I start?” Well, before beginning a house renovation, you need to determine the ultimate goal of your reno. Is this your forever home or are you trying to turn a quick profit and move to something better? If you’re considering the latter, look at what other homeowners have improved before going to market and focus on those particular features. Thinking about these things beforehand will save you money in the long run.
Budget
Don’t underestimate the importance of a detailed and well-thought-out budget. Leave some extra funds aside in case of cost overruns, such as mistakes or unforeseen issues lurking behind the drywall! Also, if you’re doing a kitchen, for example, factor in the cost of eating out more. If you’re going to be without power or running water, consider the cost of staying in a hotel for a few nights. And depending on the ultimate goal of your renovation, maybe you don’t need to shell out big bucks for top-of-the-line materials or appliances. If you are wondering ”How much does it cost to build a custom home ?” click for the details.
Plan Your Time
Renovations almost always take longer than expected so don’t bank on having every detail completed by a big event like a holiday or a wedding day. Give yourself several weeks or even a month of wiggle room so you don’t set your expectations too high and end up disappointed.
Research
Talk to your friends and family who have already gone through renovations to get an idea of the emotional and physical toll it can take. Sharing experiences could help you put things into context when you’re in the thick of a big renovation and could ultimately help you make some decisions to save money and your sanity.
Pack Up
If you’re looking to remodel a single room, be sure to move all the furniture out of the area and neatly pack up any valuables to avoid dirt and damage. If you’re doing more of an overhaul renovation on your entire home, you can rent a storage locker off-site or even in your own driveway to keep everything safe, secure and clean during the project.
Plan for Outages
In some cases, you may be required to shut off your water supply during a renovation. You can easily prepare yourself by keeping containers or buckets of water around the kitchen for cooking and washing, as well as in the bathroom for basic hygiene and flushing the toilet. One pro tip is to make sure you fill the bathtub for a generous supply of water to last you through the day.
Create Drawings
Even if you’re not a designer or an artist, it’s important to make some rough drawings of your basic vision and measurements for the renovation space in question. Noting some important details will help the project run smoothly, including the location of electrical outlets, windows, doors and utilities such as water or gas.
Permits
Don’t overlook this necessary step of the home renovation process. It might seem like a huge pain to obtain permits, but ignoring this essential part of the work could lead to even bigger headaches down the line. Building permits ensure your family’s safety so you know that all the work being done on your home is up to code and fully insured. If you do some work without a permit, an inspector could easily make you tear everything out and start over. Do your own research about your region’s standards and guidelines when it comes to building codes and permits.
Plan a Reno-Free Zone
It’s easy to let a major home renovation take over your entire life and that’s why it’s good to set aside at least one space in your home that’s a “reno-free” zone. It’s a place where you and your family can do stuff together that doesn’t involve talking about or thinking of construction.
Schedule Cleanup
As you go along the home renovation process, be sure to pencil in some time for daily cleanup. This ensures your tools don’t get lost and your materials, like paints and plasters, don’t go to waste. This will also stop the amount of dust and dirt that will inevitably build-up from becoming unmanageable. You don’t want to be cleaning up drywall dust two years from now!
Ready To Get Started?
At Top Home Builders, we take pride in being an expert home remodeler that San Jose residents can rely on. We are also more than just a construction company – we provide our customers with exceptional home remodeling services to suit their every need. We’re happy to serve many locations across California including Fremont, Hayward, Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Pleasanton, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Atherton, Cupertino, San Carlos, Belmont, Saratoga and the rest of the Bay Area.
Call us today for a free design consultation to get started.