Remodeling has been the biggest trend in housing lately, whether to increase the property’s value or make a home more aesthetic. For many Connecticut homebuyers/owners, remodeling in itself can be a daunting task. It’s best to have a plan and a strategy to implement it.
Home renovations can transform any space in your home into an attractive and functional space for your family. While remodeling can be a lot of work, it can also be a fun, rewarding experience. You might be excited to dive into the project, but hasty decisions can lead to less-than-desirable events. So, it’s best to take a breather, calmly take stock of the task ahead, and go through the dos and don’ts before diving in.
The Dos and the Don’ts:
Here are some DO’s and Don’ts so you can be less stressed and can focus on remodeling your dream home:
1. Don’t Do It Yourself:
One of the things to determine while remodeling a home is your abilities. Whether a task is DYI-able or not. You might be able to tackle a bedroom, dining room, or living room, but kitchens and bathrooms require technical skills and expertise. It is best to hire a professional because electrical work and plumbing can be quite tricky. It is important to hire people with professional expertise, like US Remodeling Group, who can offer a range of high-quality home remodeling services.
2. Do Your research:
It’s best to do your research before getting into the remodeling project. You should cover your bases, know about current design trends and available materials in the markets, and get referrals for contractors. Also, do a costing analysis and don’t underestimate on how much it will cost and budget accordingly. You should take time to understand your needs and wants and how you want them implemented in a reasonable amount of time.
3. Do Keep Your Style in Mind:
While renovating, it’s best to consider your family members, your lifestyle, and the functionality of each space. From home decor magazines to social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, you can find abundant inspiration everywhere. But it’s important to stay true to yourself and stick to what fits you best. Your main goals should be functional efficiency and comfort first, and then you can think about aesthetics. You should look into smart technology that could benefit your family and then incorporate it into your design.
4. Don’t work without a Design Plan:
Before tackling any remodeling, one should have a solid design and floor plan. Whether you have hired an architect or an interior designer, establishing your design aesthetic and a floor plan is crucial. To create any functional space, it’s important to know its parameters. Without proper sizing and plans, you can end up with furniture and fixtures that might not adhere to or fit into your spaces. So, it’s important to plan. Remodeling a space for multiple functions also offers the opportunity to optimize the area and ensure that no square inch goes to waste.
5. Do have a Storage Game Plan:
It’s best to take stock of your belongings and have a game plan for storage. Where will all the things go while you remodel? Do you have a spare room for storage? Is your work done in stages, tackling room by room, or all at once? So, you can move things around from one room to another as things progress, or do you need to get some extra storage units while the remodel takes place? It will take the hassle of keeping your belongings safe from your mind.
6. Don’t underestimate the cost.
While social media can make renovating look easy and glamorous, it can create financial discomfort if you haven’t budgeted properly. In times like this, when the market is particularly volatile, it’s best to keep in mind the constant change in market prices and remember that renovation takes time, and estimated project costs could look very different now than they did six months ago. It’s a good idea to budget an amount that is a certain percentage higher than the estimated cost while keeping the market in check so you can avoid surprises.
7. Do: Anticipate Renovations Taking Longer Than You’d Like.
Delays are the most common issues in construction. It’s important to be patient with a remodel because so many trades are involved, and anything can set the timeline off, or you could add things along the way, or something unexpected can happen. So, one should always anticipate that it can take longer than the desired time set to achieve the remodel.
8. Don’t be unorganized:
All the planning won’t matter if you aren’t organized. Keeping a planner set up with tasks and important timelines would keep you on track. Also, keep a binder with all your space plans, design choices, and material swatches and samples. Keep it organized with different tabs for different rooms and subtabs for each room’s requirements. This will help you make quick decisions and stay on top when you need to quickly remember the type of fixture, flooring, or anything that was selected for a space.
9. Do Put in the Work:
One of the best ways to save money and take ownership of the project is to handle some of the tasks yourself. Make a list of tasks that match your skill sets, and you can put in the work yourself. There are a lot of tasks that one can be capable of doing, like painting, etc. It would be a rewarding and liberating experience.
Concluding Thoughts:
While renovating a home can be an exciting project, it’s not something you can jump into without any planning. With a calm, well-thought-out plan and strategy, you can achieve a functional yet aesthetic home.
