Renovating your home is a serious undertaking — no matter how big or small your project is. Whether it’s as easy as installing new tiles in your shower or as big as extending your kitchen, sufficient planning is needed for any renovation project to be successful. Lacking foresight for what a renovation project entails will lead to issues that can cause delays and cost you big bucks.
So if you’re planning to do any kind of home renovation project, it’s essential that you’re prepared. With that being said, we’ve listed down four important things you should consider before you start renovating your home.
Ensure a Foolproof Budget Plan
Any homeowner should be realistic about how much money they are willing to spend so they can create a foolproof budget. Doing so allows you to plan ahead on the renovations that you want to do and the kind of materials that you can use. Moreover, making a budget allows you to find where you can cut costs and where you should splurge. For instance, a Business Insider article on the average expenses of home renovation projects notes that an average kitchen remodeling project costs $23,556, and this is because homeowners need to allot money on quality fixtures such as marble countertops, bespoke cabinets, and manufactured wood flooring.
So, try to analyze your finances and figure out how much you want to spend on a renovation project. If you’re at a loss when it comes to prices, you can always obtain an estimate from a contractor or builder.
Find Out If You Can Do It Yourself
If you’re not the handy type, it’s best that you hire a professional contractor for home renovations. However, one way to reduce the exorbitant costs of home renovation is by doing it yourself. If a remodeling project is simple enough and you have the sufficient know-how and skills to do it, it’s best to go the DIY route. What’s more, some materials are actually made for easy installation. Take our hardwood wall panels for example. Each of our wall panels feature a pre-applied, peel-and-stick VacuuBond adhesive that makes it easy to install our sturdy Wallplanks.
But, Reader’s Digest notes that there are some home renovation projects that you should never try to do yourself — especially if it deals with plumbing, electricity, or demolition. If you’re looking to cut costs when it comes to renovating your home, be sure to assess first if you can do it yourself. Doable projects include tile and engineered wood flooring installation. However, if a home renovation projects is beyond your skills, then feel free to find a contractor that best fits your needs.
Figure Out What You Want Out of Your Renovation
You also have to know what you want out of renovating your home. Are you planning to renovate to add living space? Or are you undertaking a remodeling project in the hopes of raising your property’s value?
Another question you should ask yourself is the kind of aesthetic and design you want your renovation to have. As you do this, you can make sure that your design choices look consistent. By doing this, you make it easier for you, your contractor, and designer to envision your house and buy materials. For example, if you settle on a cool ocean aesthetic, you can easily head to the Coastal Wall Plank section we have here on Wallplanks which showcase wooden wall panels that will remind you of the sea. You can then pair it with rustic-looking natural engineered wood flooring.
By asking questions like this, you can have an easier time finding out how much you need for the whole project, what kind of contractors you need to hire, and the legal permits that you need to apply for.
Or, perhaps, you want to upgrade your home with new technology. One increasingly popular home renovation trend is installing smart home technology, such as smart lighting, thermostats, and locks, which can improve your everyday home life and even help you lower bills and keep your family safe. These can be controlled through a smart home hub like the Amazon Echo or Google Home — letting you communicate with different household appliances with ease.
Make Sure You Actually Love Your Choices
Aesthetics plays a big part when it comes to home renovations projects. Whether it’s your kitchen or bedroom, you’re going to spend a lot of time searching for the perfect color, material, and motif to use. After all, you can’t easily change your choices after it’s been installed. That’s why it’s best that you take your time looking for the perfect design elements to use in your renovation project. During this time, it’s also crucial that you find sturdy but visually appealing materials. For example, instead of using wallpaper which has been the de facto interior decor material for many homes in the US, you can use wooden wall planks which are more durable and have that timeless look. By mulling over your design picks, you can make the most out of your home renovation project and avoid regretting your choices in the future.