7 Key Things to Keep in Mind When Renovating Your Home

Renovating a house is never easy, no matter how much experience you have. The most challenging aspect of a home renovation project is planning. Unless you have worked as a professional interior designer, the chances are you will encounter myriad challenges. However, just because something is difficult doesn't mean it is not worth doing. The intention of this post is to explore seven things you need to keep in mind when renovating your home, so you can properly plan and ensure that your project is completed in a timely and efficient manner. 

TL;DR - Renovating Your Home

• Plan Your Budget: Set a clear and realistic budget before starting. Use cost guides (like for bathroom or kitchen projects) to estimate expenses and avoid overspending or financial strain.

• Hire a Reliable Contractor: If you’re inexperienced, hire a professional with strong reviews on independent sites like Google or Trustpilot. A good contractor saves time and ensures quality work.

• Understand the Process: Learn how home renovations work. If unsure, consult an interior designer or renovation expert and review their portfolio before hiring.

• Find Temporary Housing: For major renovations, arrange alternate housing since your home may be unlivable during construction. Opt for short-term rentals or budget hotels.

• Plan Thoroughly: Map out each stage of your renovation in advance. Good planning helps communicate your vision clearly to contractors and prevents costly mistakes.

• Secure Planning Permission: Depending on your location, you may need approval before starting major work. Hire a qualified surveyor to create blueprints for submission.

• Prepare Your Home: Protect valuables and clear work areas to prevent damage. Store belongings safely or move them to other rooms or a storage unit.

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Think About Budget

One of the first things you need to think about if you are planning a home renovation is the budget. If you are renovating your bathroom, for example, use a shower installation cost guide or any guide related to your project. This is so you can get a better understanding of how much you are going to have to put into your project. A lot of people make the mistake of totally overlooking the budget when they are planning interior design or home renovation projects. However, by overlooking the budget, you could end up committing to doing more work than you can afford to. This could get you into trouble not only with the contractors you hire, but also with your loved ones and anyone you have made promises to. 

Hire a Contractor

If you are new to home renovation projects, why do the work yourself? You can direct your project without actually doing the work independently. You can hire a contractor and pay them to do all of the work for you. The good thing about hiring contractors is that they make it possible for you to focus your efforts on other things, i.e., obtaining planning permission or planning different phases of your project. Make sure that if you do hire a contractor, you hire one with good reviews and a solid reputation. A contractor’s reviews will tell you everything you need to know about them and help you to quickly determine whether they are the right choice for you or not. Make sure you read independent reviews posted on Google Review and Trustpilot, and not ones posted on the websites of contractors, as they are usually biased and unreliable. 

Understand the Process

The process of renovating a home can be stressful, to say the least. If you do not understand how it works, then you could end up going into it from a position of naivety and ignorance, which won’t help you when it comes time to actually start designing your project. If you do not have anywhere near enough knowledge to start the project yourself, you can always enlist an interior designer or professional home renovator’s support. Either of these professionals will be able to help you with your project and ensure it is effectively and efficiently designed. To find out whether somebody is worth hiring, as recommended above, read reviews. Also, take a look at their portfolio. A professional’s portfolio will give you clear insight into what they are like to work with and help you to gain a quick understanding of the quality of their finished projects is like. 

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Find Elsewhere to Live

If the renovations you plan on undertaking are massive or are going to significantly change your home’s design, you may need to find somewhere else to live in the interim between you starting and finishing your project. If you do not find somewhere else to live, you could end up in a very awkward position when work begins. This is because your home could become uninhabitable. Finding somewhere else to live is only necessary if major renovations are taking place, though. If you are just redecorating or repainting, the chances are you won’t have to leave. If you are going to be out of your home long-term, you may want to rent somewhere else. Alternatively, if your project is going to be wrapped up quickly, you can just stay in a hotel. Try to find the cheapest option you can, so that you don’t end up wasting money. 

Make Proper Arrangements

A lot of people make the mistake of leaving planning until the very last minute. If you want to renovate your home, you need to plan every single stage of your project. Don’t make the mistake of neglecting planning, because if you do, you could end up being unable to communicate what you want in an effective manner to the contractors you hire. The completed project might also make you unhappy. If you do not know how to plan a project of this kind, get in touch with a professional planning service and pay them to do all of the hard work for you. 

Obtain Planning Permission

Planning permission is something you may need, depending on where you live. It is essentially just written permission that enables you to go ahead with any modifications or renovations you plan on making. In order to obtain planning permission, you will need a blueprint that showcases the different types of work you plan on undertaking. A surveyor will be able to develop a blueprint for you. Make sure that if you hire a surveyor, you hire one who’s experienced in working on projects similar to the type you plan to go ahead with. A surveyor’s website will tell you everything you need to know about them and the types of projects they work on. 

Prepare Your Project

The final thing you need to think about is preparing your home for the project you plan on undertaking. A lot of people make the mistake of neglecting preparations. If you do not clear your precious items away, contractors could damage them when they begin undertaking work on your property. Preparing is just a case of cleaning up and making room for contractors to work. If you are only renovating one or two rooms, you can move the things stored in them to other rooms, or alternatively, into a storage locker. 

If you want to renovate your home, keep the things listed above in mind. Doing so will help you to stop mistakes from being made. It will also enable you to oversee the project more effectively. Make sure you always read reviews before you hire contractors, so you can be sure they are the right professionals for the job.