Renovating a home is an exciting and stressful time. Sometimes it is done out of necessity, and sometimes it is done to simply improve the look. Whatever the reason, there are certain things you should bear in mind before getting started, here’s what you need to know.
Get A Professional Survey Done
Before you do anything, it’s generally a good idea for you to get a survey done. These professional surveys will be able to tell you the condition of your home, so you know what to prioritise, and what can’t be moved. These experts specialise in structures, and can even provide you with costs for repairs with other experts.
Take Your Time Planning
It’s crucial that you plan your renovation ahead of time. This could be with getting construction people in for taking down a wall, or it could be the right time to paint. There will be certain steps can’t possibly be done without something else coming before it, so plan well. The last thing you want is to have paid a construction crew to come to your house whilst you’re on holiday and they can’t get in.
Budget Yourself
One of the most important steps in renovating is to budget yourself accordingly. That means you should understand what will cost you the most, and what money you are willing to spend. This way, you will be able to plan your renovations without overspending and running into any money issues.
If you don’t budget and plan well, then you could end up with a half-built house that is unliveable and will cost more to get going again.
Measure Everything
What you don’t want to happen, is to get started on your renovation and purchase some pieces that don’t fit. That’s why it’s important that you measure everything, from the length and width of a wall, to the dimensions of a new piece of furniture. You should keep these measurements on you and take a tape measure when looking for new purchases, in order for you to work out if what you’re looking for is a good fit.
Understanding the measurements is important in other aspects too, such as when it comes to remodelling a room, fitting a new door or window. If you get these measurements even millimetres wrong, then it could be disastrous and prove much more costly than you originally thought.
Some people underestimate the importance of measuring a window fitting for either curtains or blinds. Blinds especially are usually built to be fitted to a specific measurement, in order to look good and not be droopy.
Consider working with a trusted blind supplier in order to find a fit that works for you. One such company is Make My Blinds who have everything you need to know about measuring blinds and fitting blinds on hand, as well as guides and different products to browse, to suit your style.
Consider What New Electronics You’ll Use
Most of the time, people start renovating their homes because they want to modernise them. What they don’t think about, is how they will implement new pieces of technology. Working from home is becoming the new norm, and people are creating office spaces for themselves.
New offices will mean new technology, and you should consider the space you’ll need not just for technology, but for pieces of furniture too. What some people are doing, is building office spaces with internet access ports in the room, thinking ahead of how they will work.
For living rooms, surround sound systems can be a great tool for boosting enjoyment and audio levels. There are electronics in place that you can link from the tv to behind the sofa, all without any wires. You may need to knock slightly into the wall, in order to create a fitting that is at ear level, for optimum sound requirements.
There are, of course, other electronic needs to consider when renovating. Many people choose to use new smart devices, such as the ones offered by Google or Amazon. These devices, if paired with the right electronics, can help to automate functions within your home, such as starting to prepare your morning coffee whilst in bed, or switching the colour and intensity of light.
Be Careful Removing Walls And Pillars
Sometimes, renovators make the mistake of looking to expand a room by knocking down a wall without doing any research or work first. You may find that the reason that wall was in place, was to help keep the structure secure, and knocking it down could lead to the ceiling caving in.
That’s oftentimes the reason that there are seemingly random pillars in place, as they are there to strengthen the integrity of the structure itself. It’s not impossible to remove these, it just may be the case that you have to consider strengthening the structure in other ways, even if it’s moving it slightly.
Either way, you should consult an expert before you do anything, in order to ensure you don’t do any damage to your home. This cost or hiring an expert will most likely be far less than repairing a damaged structure that’s collapsed in on itself.
Colour Can Be A Powerful Tool
Don’t underestimate how useful colour can be to transforming the look of a room. Oftentimes, people will spend money on renovations to change up the room as they feel like that’s the only option they have available.
What they don’t realise, is that a lick of paint can often times go a long way in doing this at a much cheaper cost. Whether it is slightly changing the colour to a similar tone, or being drastic and going for a completely different contract. Either way, it can make a big difference in changing the appearance of a room, to get the goal you want.
Look At The Roof
Before you start ripping down the house and doing it up, you should look at things such as the foundation, or the roof. These are some of the most important elements of your home, and if they are not properly looked after, could end up ruining everything.
Leaky roofs are usually a simple fix if caught earlier, but the longer they are allowed to leak, then the bigger the risk. For example, you could be dealing with damp, which can be costly to permanently repair, or issues such as collapse or flooding.
Consider Hiring An Expert
One great idea, is to hire a design expert who can come in and suggest ideas that you perhaps hadn’t thought of before. You can work with them so that they understand your personality, and what you want, in order to create the best space possible.
Of course, this is optional and not a necessity, but it’s certainly worth thinking about. Even a consultation could go a long way in finding something that inspires you.
Talk To Those Within Your Home
Lastly, it’s certainly worth speaking to those within your home about any changes you want to make, to ensure that everyone is on board. Especially if it directly affects their day-to-day. Of course, it may be that they actually have ideas themselves for implementing change.