If you are planning a home renovation, these five tips will help you with the process. Budgeting, researching and DIY are all topics discussed.
Planning a home renovation? Then these five tips are going to help you. No doubt you already know it isn’t going to be an easy ride. Renovating a home is never easy, but the end result is usually always worth it, as long as you plan it right. With these five tips, you’re going to have a head start on your renovation planning so that you can avoid potential issues and a result at the end that you really didn’t plan for.
- Overestimate costs
It is so common for those renovating to underestimate costs and then end up spending a lot more money than they intended to. One key way to do this is to ensure that you understand that an estimate is completely different to a quote. A quote you can trust as the full amount for whatever work and items are listed in the quote paperwork. An estimate is only an estimation of costs but they could be more or less than that estimated amount given to you. Overestimating and having a ceiling height for work is a good idea, so you don’t end up paying over the odds for your renovations.
- Do what needs doing, but don’t overdo it
Clearly it is a personal decision as to whether or not your renovations are more or less than you want or need. If you want to pay for everything in your home to be renovated clearly that is your choice. However, the time, effort, money and inconvenience involved is enough to make most people strongly consider only doing the bare minimum. This is especially true if you are renovating to sell a home. Often the most simple changes yield the best results, so think carefully about what you want doing and what needs doing. It may be that you are trying to get everything done at once, when in fact your budget, schedule and family would be much better off if you spaced things out over the year.
- Consider DIY
Having somebody carry the work out for you will save you time and effort. It may also save you money in the long run if you know you are not the kind of person who does well with DIY. However, if you are ‘handy’ and you reckon you could pop up some wall tiles, or learn enough to do a good job laying floor tiles for your bathroom or kitchen, then why not look at doing it yourself? You will save a lot in labour costs. If you do plan to get somebody to do the work for you, then make sure you put the time in to get a lot of quotes, so you know you are getting the best deal.
- Don’t get ahead of yourself
It is so easy to excitedly book the work and get things underway, but it is so important to slow down and make sure you are doing all the research and planning first. Budgeting is especially important because it means you know how much you need to save, or how much you need to put aside in your savings. Budgeting also ensures you are spending within your means, as the last thing you want is to get into debt over home renovations that could have waited.
- Take your time
Take your time throughout the entire process. This will ensure you:
- Are taking the time to save the money up
- Are ensuring you are getting the best products and work for your money
- Ensures you aren’t making any mistakes, which could end up costing you dearly
- Ensures you are making renovations that benefit your family, home, finances, or current situation
Hopefully these tips have helped you feel more confident about your next renovation project. Being patient, researching and budgeting will ensure you end up with the best possible results for your current situation.
