- If you want to renovate your home, there are steps that you can follow that will help make the process less difficult and stressful. These have to do with the planning and preparation for the actual renovation, and here they are:
- First decide what you want. You should take your time to do your research, see the different options that you can take and then imagine how your home will look with them. One easy way to do this is to go through magazines and then cut out items and walls or ceilings or doors that you think look good. Get a scrap book and create the rooms as you imagine them, doing each one on a separate page. You can add and remove as you review, but at the end of this, have a firm idea of what you want.
- You should then go on and make a budget based on the items that you have narrowed down to. Proper budgeting requires that you shop so that you get the items that you need at the best prices. You shouldn’t forget to factor in quality as a factor of price the better quality of home furnishings, the more they cost. A budget will tell you whether you need to take a loan to cover the renovations. Include some contingency money, about 20% just in case.
- Depending on the renovations that you want, you need different kinds of designers and engineers. Narrow down to see who you need to be working with and then meet with them and give them a brief. At this point, you are still flexible because they have some ideas that would help the project along. You might decide that you want to manage the project yourself, but engage at least one person who will be the outside eye for you.
- Get all the necessary consents. They are usually easy to obtain from your local city council so long as you have all the documentation that you need. For really major renovations, they might want to come around just to be sure that you are not constructing an entirely new building.
- Let the work begin, and get reports every so often. You should drop in once in a while if you are not doing it yourself. You should be working with a reasonable timeline to make sure that you are not too rushed or too lax.
After renovations are finished, you should get a full report of the state of your home from an independent professional.
About the Author:
This article was written by Josh. Josh worked in the building industry for many years and has since then written many guides and articles with advice on building and DIY projects. He is also the content writer for homerenovators.com.au.
