8 Things You Should Always Do Before Renovating Your Home

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Thinking about renovating your home, but not sure to start? Want to make sure that you do everything right so that your remodeling project can go as smoothly as possible? You are definitely not alone, and you are definitely doing the right thing by trying to make sure you plan ahead and get everything ready before you jump head first into a renovation. So, let me help you by putting together a list of 8 things you should absolutely always do before you start renovating your space. You can find them below.
  
1. Set your budget and timeline

When you’re thinking of renovating, you first need to have a budget and a timeline for completion of your project, otherwise, these things can just run and run and end up costing you lots of money while your home is left in chaos for months and months making your whole family miserable.

So, sit down and work out how much you can realistically afford to spend on your renovation, and research how long it should realistically take. Make sure you keep a little of the budget back as a contingency for any unexpected issues that crop up and then you can move on to the next important starting step.

2. Research contractors

Okay, so before you do anything else, you are going to want to spend a fair amount of time researching contractors so that you can find the best people for the job, You need to do this first and foremost because it will take time and there is no point proceeding until you have found competent people who can help you with your project. 

Whether you are looking for a general contractor who can help you with several aspects of your renovation project or a specific contractor like a carpenter or roofer, you need to make sure that you get at least three different quotes, and that you check out reviews and ask people you know for recommendation too, where possible, Then you need to talk to the contractors to see if they really know what they are talking about, and if they are a good fit for you and your project. Once all that is done, you should be fine to proceed with them, but there are a few more things you need to do before your renovations begin.

3. Apply for permits

Depending on what you are doing to your home, you may need one or more permits before you can get the work done, so applying for these as soon in the process as you can is a really good idea.

Your contractor should be able to tell you if any permits are needed and what they are, but it’s actually a good idea to check out your local municipality so that you can be absolutely sure that the work is being carried out within the law and all the I’s have been dotted and T’s crossed. 

4. Make a plan to get through it

If your home renovation is likely to cause you and your family some disruption, it will be much easier for you to get through it if you have a plan in place that minimizes these disruptions where possible. Sure, it would be nice if you could just check into a fancy hotel for the duration of the work, but this is not always financial or practically possible, so if you can’t do that, you will need to think about maybe moving your life into one part of the house hiring a trailer to live on site for a while, or maybe even hiring an office space if you work from home, so that your work is not interrupted - things like that.

5. Plan for your pets

If you have pets, then it might not be a good idea to have them around when your renovation is ongoing, especially if it is a major remodeling project that will have contractors coming in and out of your house all day for months, and lots of mess and debris that could be dangerous.

So, you may want to see if any friends or family members are willing to host your pets while the work is happening. If that is not possible, then you might want to look into something like doggy daycare so they can at least be kept safely out of the way during the day, and then you can create a safe zone for them at home in the evenings.

6. Work out the scope of the project

It’s also useful to try and define the scope of the project, covering things like the design and aesthetics you want and how they can be balanced with functionality. You will usually need to work with your contractor to get this right, but you can start planning, your design and working out what you want and need from your space as soon as you decide to do it and have your budget worked out.

7. Plan the order of the work

Work with your contractor to plan the optimum order of all of the works that will be carried out, so that everything flows optimally and takes as little time as possible to be completed. It won't always go to plan, but at least if you have a rough idea of when things should ideally be done, it should make life easier for you all.

8. Speak to the neighbors

We all want to be good neighbors, so you really need to take the time out to go and visit any near neighbors you have and let them know you will be getting work done on your home, You should also try to give them a brief outline of your plan of works so they know when the noisiest and most disruptive tasks are going to he happening. Maybe take them a bottle of wine and a pie to sweeten the deal, too.

Now, you’re ready to renovate, and hopefully you’ll have fewer problems because you’ve planned so well!

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