Read This Home Renovation Guide Before You Renovate!

I want to renovate my house, where do I start?

The home renovation process can be confusing or overwhelming, but with the help of a reputable contractor, it doesn’t have to feel that way. This home renovation guide can provide you with all the answers you seek, including, how to plan and the most important factors to consider. Continue reading to discover the steps involved in a less stressful and more enjoyable home renovation.

Identify Your End Goal

The first stage of the home renovation process in identifying your goals. Before you put together a budget and a design outline, you need to understand the purpose of your renovation. Maybe you want more space for your growing family, or perhaps you’re looking to improve the comfort and functionality of a certain room. Once you have your end goal, you can effectively prioritize aspects of the renovation into your budget. This helps ensure you receive everything you want and need out of the project.

Develop a Budget

The next step in this home renovaiton guide is creating a budget. Your budget is the total cost of your renovation, including all the involved expenses such as design fees, materials, and labour. Every project budget will vary depending on the size and scope of the renovation. For example, renovating a bathroom usually costs more than a bedroom but less than a kitchen. Developing an accurate budget is crucial because unexpected costs during a renovation can result in project delays, design changes, and unfinished work. To help you stay within your budget, it’s highly recommended to work with experienced renovation contractors who will provide budget assistance, such as Select Urban General Contractors.

Getting help with budget planning and management during your renovation ensures cost control without compromises.

Here are some of the expenses that make up a budget:

• Labour
• Permits
• Materials
• Design fees
• Finishes
• Appliances
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Fixtures
• Contingencies

Understand The Limits

There can be limitations to certain renovations, whether from budget, property size, or permitting. Understanding the limitation to your particular home renovation plan is necessary for success.

If you’re applying for a renovation loan, there are limitations you may need to research. Unsecured home renovation loans typically have limits of $50,000 to $100,000. Each home renovation will be different and limits are based on individual circumstances, such as local regulations and borrowing rates.

Find a Good Renovation Contractor

Working with a general contractor you can trust and rely on for excellent craftmanship and customer service is one of the best ways to have a hassle-free renovation. Qualities you may look for in a great home builder include a team of highly skilled professionals and a commitment to honesty, transparent pricing, punctuality, and long-lasting results. These qualities can be overlooked by some home builders, but we understand how important they are to a successful home renovation. Creating a home renovation plan is just one of the many ways we put our customer first.

Another factor to consider is whether the home renovation company has its own in-house team. This can greatly reduce your stress as you won’t have to coordinate with multiple companies and professionals, all with separate schedules and pricing structures. Designers and technicians play a critical role in bringing your vision to life. When there’s an in-house team, they collaborate with you throughout the home renovation process, from the initial consultation to the final walkthrough.

Plan for Outages

Outages in a home renovation process can occur for a number of reasons including, weather delays, equipment malfunctions, foundation problems, unexpected plumbing issues, and more.

Factoring outages into your home renovation plan helps ensure steady progress without major changes to your schedule or budget. If you’ve already accounted for potential outages, you can have peace of mind, knowing that you and your contractor have a plan to overcome them.

Create Drawings

From rough sketches to complete architectural plans, having drawings of your home renovation can provide a clearer picture of your desired outcome. These drawings not only give you a visual representation of the end result, but also help guide your construction team.

Sometimes, the vison you have in your head can conflict with the structural, plumbing, or electrical components of your home’s existing layout. If you’re working with a skilled design team they can provide suggestions that keep your dream intact while ensuring functionality.

The following detail may be included as part of home renovation drawings:

• Interior and exterior walls
• Floor plan
• Room dimensions
• Door and window placement
• Height specifications
• Different perspectives of the room
• Fixtures, features, and materials

Obtain Necessary Permits

Home renovations can require permit approvals for structural changes, plumbing and electrical work, and footprint adjustments.

Your local municipality will have the information you need about building codes, regulations, and permitting. Some contractors help ease the stress of permit application by handling the city permits for their customers.

Here is a list of renovations that require permits:

• Excavation or foundation construction
• Building or placing a structure of over ten square meters on your property
• Modifying the use of a building
• Installing, altering, or repairing sewer systems
• Sunroom, garage, or porch additions
• One and two-storey home additions
• Finishing a basement