How to Plan a Successful Renovation Project at Home

A lot of things can inspire people to get into home renovations, from wanting to increase the value of their property, to learning a new set of skills or just improving the quality and feel of their home. Whatever the reason is, and if you are thinking about doing the same, then here are a few things to consider if you want to be able to plan a successful renovation project at home. 

Make a plan for your renovation project 

The first and most important part of making a successful plan is actually making a plan. It might be tempting to just get on with your renovation project and not bother to think about all the ins and outs of the entire process, but if you do this you will put yourself at a disadvantage, and likely cost yourself a lot of time and effort trying to fix or re-work problems that you didn’t expect to encounter. Some people may feel intimidated by creating a large plan for their renovation project, and not know where to begin. If this is the case, then just break it down into smaller and more manageable sections. For example, most of the following points will be a part of the master plan, and therefore if you consider any or all of them, you are already making the start of a plan. 

Choose the right designs and layouts for your way of life 

You want to set aside some time to think about and plan your interior design renovation ideas, and potential layouts that you will have for each room. This can be done by gathering inspiration online from social media platforms such as Instagram or Pinterest, or from places that you have visited or seen in person. You could also look into speaking to an interior designer or architect who will both have suggestions and opinions on how best to design and layout your rooms. You should think about what you will use each room for to help you choose colors, the type of furniture, and the function of each room when the renovation is complete. So, whether you are going for a minimalistic room with nothing on your walls and limited furnishings, or a more rustic vibe with Scaffold Board Shelving full of ornaments and plants, make sure that you take some time to visually plan your end goal as this will help you reach your desired aesthetic, and give you a great chance of success and happiness with the final result. 

Set a reasonable and achievable budget 

So that you don’t get yourself into any hot water, or come up against any unexpected financial issues, it is advisable that you plan in and try to stick to a reasonable and achievable budget. When using a budget your project will not only go a lot more smoothly, but you will also have a greater chance of success due to managing your resources better. For example, if you pay no attention to how much money you are spending on labor or materials and find that you run out before a section of the project has been completed, you would then need to find a way of gathering more funds to finish off that particular section. If you had properly planned your budget, you would be able to see this issue beforehand and take steps to ensure that the project did not hit this avoidable issue. To help plan your budget, consider what funds are available at the start, how much you will have available to spend on addition throughout the project, and how much you will possibly need to borrow, either in the form of a loan, or perhaps a close family member or friend. 

Figure out what DIY you can do 

When someone starts a renovation project, often it is a reasonable assumption that at some point there will be DIY that can be done to help save time or money. This could be anything from cleaning up and prep work, to painting and decorating, or even drywalling, and if you hold the relevant skills and qualifications electrical or structural changes. You need to make sure that if you have the skill set to complete these parts of your renovation project, that you also have the essential tools for the job at hand. Sometimes it might not be worth buying brand new tools or equipment for a one-time or limited use, in which case there is always the option to look at borrowing or hiring them. So, when you are planning your renovation project, make sure that you consider what parts of the project you can get hands-on with, and complete it yourself. Once you know what you can get involved with, make sure that you have the relevant tools, equipment, and personal protective equipment to do the job properly and safely. 

Obtain quotes and research external help 

For all the areas in which you lack the relevant skills, knowledge, tools, or qualifications you will need to plan in and hire professionals. There should be several things to consider when you are looking for external help and contractors to do work on your renovation projects such as cost, reliability, and workmanship. So, prior to hiring and exchanging any money or contractual agreements, make sure that you get several different quotes from different firms, this way you can gauge the prices and figure out what seems to be a fair price. You should also look at any reviews available for the contractors that you plan to work with, to see how other people found their workmanship and professionalism to be. A lot of tradespeople get well known by word of mouth, so it might be worth asking any friends, family members, work colleagues, or even neighbors if they have had any work done recently and if they could recommend anyone to help you. 

Create a schedule of work 

When embarking on a large-scale renovation project it can be tempting to try and do everything at once to get the work completed as quickly as possible. But if you do this you are very likely to run into problems or clashes between different jobs that need to be done in a certain order. For example, if you have drywalling and electrical work scheduled for the same week, you will have a lot of people getting in the way of each other, or unable to do the work. So, make sure that when you are creating your plan you look at the jobs required logically, and don’t plan too much all in one go. 

Set yourself reasonable timescales and deadlines 

You will want to set yourself some timescales and deadlines so that you might finish your project in a reasonable timeframe, but you should ensure that you don’t expect too much of yourself or the contractors you hire, as this can lead to rushed decisions and missed issues, or even poor workmanship. Take an educated guess as to how long you think the project will take and add a little extra time to allow for problems that you may encounter throughout the project. 

Taking on a renovation whether it is a large or small-scale project can be stressful, but it can also be exciting and rewarding. Just make sure that you take into consideration these points if you decide or are currently involved in doing a renovation of any kind, as they should help you achieve a smoother and more successful plan for your renovation project.