What to Know Before a Major Home Remodeling Project
Starting a major remodeling project in your home is something that you need to take very seriously. Not only is it a lot of work, but it can also be a very expensive process. If you don’t plan ahead, you could find yourself in major trouble midway through. You also risk damaging your home if you don’t know what you are doing. Renovations can be a worthwhile investment. After all, a replacement roof can get you 85% of its investment costs back on resale. But it is important to know what you are doing. Here are some things to know before a major remodeling project.
Where Are Your Valuables?
If you have any valuables in your home, you need to make sure you’ve accounted for all of them before you begin. This is a step that many people don’t consider. However, it can come back to haunt them when something is damaged or stolen by strangers working in the home. Document all of your valuables before the renovations start. Make sure you know what they are worth and that you have photographs of them. Decide where you are going to keep them while work is happening in your home. If you plan these things out before you start, you’ll be much less stressed during the renovation process.
Where Will You Stay?
Can you stay in your home during renovations? And if you can, do you even want to? If you’re renovating your whole home, you’re going to be doing some demolition first. It could be dangerous to stay in the house. Some contractors won’t even allow you to do so. This means you’ll need to find somewhere to stay. Think about where you’ll go and how much it will cost. Then put those plans into place in advance. That way you won’t be scrambling to find a place to stay at the last minute.
What Is Your Budget?
This one is extremely important. You need to know exactly how much you plan to spend on your renovations. You also need to know exactly how much you are able to spend. That way, you aren’t caught by surprise when a new expense comes up midway through the process. Having a little bit of wiggle room in your budget can be very helpful. It protects you in unexpected situations. However, you should have all of your purchasing decisions made before you begin, so that you aren’t tempted to upgrade to something more expensive halfway through. If you don’t know your budget, you risk running out of money. Then you’re paying extra money, potentially taking on debt in order to finish the work. Or you have to leave it half done.
You also need to budget for future maintenance as well. These costs can add up. For instance, carpets should be professionally cleaned every 12-18 months. This keeps them in warranty, improves their appearance, and improves the air quality inside your home. If you don’t budget for these cleanings, you might not be able to afford them.
What Is Your Plan?
Finally, you need to know exactly what remodels you’re doing. Are you getting a new roof? The average residential roof is about 1,700 square feet, though there are some larger homes with roofs over 20,000 square feet. If you don’t know what kind of roof you want in advance, how will you know what you have to pay? Plan out everything beforehand so that there are no surprises.
Home remodeling does not have to be a nightmare. However, successful projects will take a lot of work before you even begin. Make sure that you know the things listed above. They will cover most of the problems that might pop up, helping you solve them before they even exist.
