Undertaking a home renovation is exciting, overwhelming, and everything in between. This article is aimed at articulating three essential steps that you can take as a homeowner, to ensure that your renovation experience is as smooth as can be. Plan carefully, stick to a budget, and carefully select your renovation team and you are giving yourself the best chance of a positive experience when renovating your home.
Plan, plan, plan!
The best way to avoid a rocky renovation experience is to plan ahead.
Renovation projects can become complicated and overwhelming with many moving parts, especially if it is your first time, regardless of the extent of the renovation. One way that you can help yourself have a smoother experience is to thoroughly plan your renovation including the sequence of tasks with timelines, and your budget, and speak to contractors to get an idea of costs and timeframes in the end you just have to get started. A detailed timeline will help to keep the process on track. Invest time and energy into the planning stage of your renovation and you will thank yourself in the future.
If you know individuals who have recently renovated their homes, have a chat with them to find out their own do’s and don’ts to learn from their experiences, they will be happy to share if they know the information they give will save you time and money.
An integral part of your renovation planning process should include getting quotes from different contractors to compare your options for the tasks which you intend to outsource, and even the tasks you think you will do yourself, get some objective information because you may be better off investing your time elsewhere than figuring out how to plaster a wall for the first time. Be prepared with questions for your contractors, and know your options and what they involve to make an informed decision.
Planning the sequence of tasks is vital for the project to run smoothly. For example, once your suspended ceiling is constructed, you’ll need to get an electrician in to install downlights into your suspended ceiling before the plasterer comes to patch up and smooth the surface ready for painting. Considering the call-out fees, you’ll want to have all the work the electrician is needed for, ready for when they arrive so that they can smash it out in one hit instead of coming back and forth, which costs you time and money. Speak to your contractors about the sequence they need for their work to be completed well, they will know at what stage their services are needed.
Keeping a budget with wriggle room
Keeping a budget in your planning stage and execution stage is vital to get the monetary outcome you’re after. Try to be as accurate as you can with devising a budget, and allow for extra wriggle room for unexpected things to come up, because they most definitely will, a recommended amount is an extra 10-20% for extra wriggle room. After all, home renovations can end up costing a lot more than you originally thought if you run into issues especially if your home is an older home. Your contractors’ quote shall initially guide you to the costs of your renovation, they will usually give you an itemised quote that details material costs too.
Other things to consider in your renovation budget include accommodation if you need to relocate for the duration of the renovation or parts of it as well as holding costs of the property if you are doing a buy and flip or if you are planning to rent it out as soon as you can.
Having a budget will enable you to prioritise and plan which tasks are non-negotiables and which are ‘would be nice but not necessary tasks, which will be dictated if there is money left over. Stick to the budget and make decisions according to what your budget tells you. This will enable you to complete the renovation without your budget blowing out.
Carefully select your renovation team
Your renovation team is essential to getting your renovation done to a high standard. Be selective about who you work with, and take advice from trusted tradespersons about their own referrals because if you work well with one person, chances are they like to work with others that work similarly. Finding a great contractor could be done through local references or recommendations or referrals from other trades. You will interact with the contractor’s team as well as his or her subcontractors so it is vital to thoroughly vet each of these service providers. Make sure to check each company’s license and website to ensure they are licensed and experienced.
You’ll need to work with a contractor who is dependable and trustworthy. A contractor should be able to manage unexpected issues. A home renovation project is never an exact science, and even the best contractor might encounter problems. Therefore working with people that are respectful, flexible, and good at what they do will make your life a lot easier.
Conclusion
Undertaking a renovation for your home is exciting, all the positives of a renovation including added value, and new skills learned, have the flip side of an overwhelming amount of decision-making, long days, discomfort, and costs. 3 ways that you can ensure you have the best chance of a smooth renovation experience for yourself, your wallet, and the trades you work with include thorough planning, budgeting and hiring the best trades team that you can find.
For affordable solutions from renovations to plastering, partition walls, and skylights, Paul’s Plastering has been servicing in the areas of Sydney City CBD, Inner West, North Sydney, and Eastern Suburbs for almost two decades now.
