Are you ready to upgrade your home design, both aesthetically and functionally? Whether you’re looking for a complete overhaul of your living space or just some minor renovations here and there, undertaking a home renovation project is not something to take lightly. In this guide, A1 Property Inspections discusses everything from budgeting tips to design practices that will help ensure your success in transforming your home into the perfect reflection of yourself.
Choose Your Renovations
The first step in any renovation project is to determine what updates you want to take on. Choosing the right home renovations can raise the value of your property. Start by getting an idea what your home is worth by looking at online listings or for the median sale price for similar properties in your area. This research will help you determine if there are any popular features of other nearby homes that you want to add.
Anticipate Any Difficulties
One of the first things to consider is your living arrangements. If you plan to stay in your home during the renovation, expect difficulties like noise, dust, and human traffic around your house. If you have a pet, it is worth thinking about a boarding facility or leaving them with a friend or family member, especially if they’re the type to get overwhelmed by loud noises and unfamiliar faces.
Expect Delays
Many factors can impact the completion of your renovation, from weather-related delays to supply chain disruptions or permit-related issues. Keep in mind that the unforeseen often happens, so it’s crucial to be flexible with your schedule. Even the most well-planned renovation projects can get off track, so prepare yourself for a range of scenarios to ensure that your renovation stays on time as much as possible.
Allow Flexibility to Your Budget
Undertaking a home renovation can be an expensive endeavor, so it’s essential to understand what you can expect. Costs can vary significantly depending on the extent of the work required and the materials used. It’s important to remember that unexpected costs may arise during the process, so allow for flexibility in your budget to avoid any financial stress.
Keep Your Documents Organized
Renovating a house generates a lot of paperwork, from your contractor’s invoices to your building permits. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution to staying organized throughout your renovation journey. Fortunately, there are now apps that let you scan documents from your smartphone.
So gather up what you want digitized and then you can scan a document by essentially taking a picture through the app. And if you want to edit that new PDF file in any way, you can find free online tools to do everything from file conversion to editing.
Plan for Code Inspections
Before work can commence on your renovation project, you will need to obtain appropriate permits and adhere to various building codes. Besides being in compliance and avoiding legal penalties, ensuring that your renovation meets local codes ensures quality and safety.
Code compliance can delay construction completion and increase the cost for rework if an inspector calls out an error. Before starting work, understand the local requirements for permitting and inspection and ensure your contractor knows and follows them.
You’ll also want to conduct your own inspections when things are done to ensure everything was done correctly. A1 Property Inspections does traditional home inspections, radon testing, water analysis, and more so you know exactly what you are dealing with during this process.
Add a Functional Home Office Space
Nowadays, working from home has become increasingly popular, and it seems that remote work will be a part of the new normal. Therefore, it’s important to consider adding a functional home-office area.
This space should be free from distractions, have plenty of natural light, include air conditioning and a window that allows fresh air to come in. The area should primarily be about function and not style, so prioritize the design elements in that order. The design should help curate an ideal working environment that will help you be more productive and focused.
Use Technology to Protect and Maintain Your Home
After finishing your renovations, you’ll want to ensure that home is well-maintained. Fortunately, technology allows you access to two key services through a home management app: repairs and maintenance. The right app will provide you with access to quick work quotes from service providers, as well as easy appointment making, status tracking, and system info. This can make it easy to keep you home in good working order.
Stay Organized and Enjoy the Ride!
When undertaking a home renovation, many things can go wrong, but with the right planning and preparation, the process can be relatively stress-free. Anticipate difficulties, expect delays, and allow flexibility in your budget. Also, keep all contracts and documents in order, plan for code inspections, and add a functional home office space. It’s essential to be proactive and thoughtful at each step of the process, stay open-minded, and adapt to whatever curveballs come your way. With this guide, we hope you have gained the insight needed for a successful renovation project!