Home renovations are time-consuming and often stressful to take on. What and how much you’re renovating in your home will determine the length of the project. A kitchen remodel typically takes six to eight weeks to complete but can take up to 12 weeks if you have a larger kitchen.
An entire home renovation can take anywhere from three months to a year, depending on the size. That’s a long time to be dealing with so much extra stress on your plate, but these tips can help you save money, time, and your sanity during this exciting yet trying time.
Create a Budget
A major renovation requires creating a budget and sticking to it in order to save you money and save your sanity. Knowing your budget will allow you to make the best decisions down the line, including hiring a contractor that can meet it, provided it’s feasible.
If you’re taking advantage of home improvement financing options, be sure to factor in interest fees and charges into your overall budget. Consider each and every expenditure, from granite countertops to new paint brushes.
Understand Where to Save
Be patient throughout your project and wait for higher-end items to go on sale before purchasing. It can save you a significant amount of money. You might also reuse and refinish old items and browse garage sales and consignment stores.
There are also some portions of a renovation that you may be able to do yourself. Tell your contractor that you plan to work with the team, perhaps to paint a room or install a new appliance.
An easy do-it-yourself that’s a part of many major home renovations is to take the old stuff out. You might donate or sell the usable items or take them to an architectural salvage which is kind of like an antique shop for building materials. They collect everything from doors to cabinet hardware and hardwood floors, then resell them so that they can be used on other renovation projects.
Hire a Contractor
Hiring a contractor to oversee your renovation is the most important thing to do before starting your renovation. A contractor works with you to manage the entire project. They’ll hire the workers, obtain permits, and purchase necessary materials, among many other things.
Before hiring a contractor, be sure to get recommendations from friends and family, conduct interviews, and ask lots of questions along with references. But not just any references. Request the names and numbers of some of the contractor’s most recent clients. As they’re the manager that will be overseeing every little detail so that you don’t have to, a contractor can make or break your project.
Plan Ahead
Renovating is exciting, but you should also prepare yourself for inevitable hiccups along the way. Search for inspiration while planning every detail of your new design. Don’t forget you’re going to have to live in a construction zone. Is it livable, or will you need a place to stay throughout the project?
If you’re remodeling your kitchen, prepare easy slow cooker dishes, plan to barbecue, or come up with other creative ways to make your meals advance.
