From increasing your comfort to giving your home’s value a decent boost, there are many reasons why you might consider renovating. Despite the many benefits that home renovation comes with, you should know that it is a delicate process that calls for your attention. To help you make the most of your upcoming project, below are the top things you should consider before donning your builder’s hat!

Words: Kevin Jefferson

Consider Your Needs & Wants
Unless your budget is limitless, you will have little luck realizing all of your wants. For that reason, it is vital to be honest with yourself before the renovation even begins.

First of all, determine what your primary needs are. Secondly, prepare a list of your wants that will act as secondary actions and will only be implemented once the primary needs are achieved.

Make sure you don’t spend your money on trivial things before your actual needs are covered.

Consult Contractors
You probably won’t be able to do all the work alone, so feel free to reach out to different contractors and get their quotes. This is crucial to ensuring you get the best ratio of quality and price. Make sure to do your research and stick to verified and experienced contractors.

Determine a Realistic Budget
This might be the trickiest part of the whole renovation, and yet it is critical to do it right. After you know what you want and how much the work will cost you, come up with a clear renovation budget.

Once you’re done, add in an additional 10 – 20% for hidden and unexpected costs – they will happen no matter how well-prepared you are.

If at any point you figure out your budget won’t be sufficient, don’t be afraid to stay transparent about it with your contractors and scale down on your demands.

Set a Timeline
Delays can not only break your spirit but also cost you dearly. Stay on track by creating a timeline that will specify and detail the milestones that you need to achieve.

Furthermore, make sure that you take into account the lead times – forgetting about these can result in month-long delays. Also keep in mind that your selected contractors run on their own schedule so contact them in advance to secure your spot and get the work done in time.

Your Preferred Style
Are you a fan of a traditional, contemporary, transitional, or modern design style? If you’re not yet certain, check out different ideas online to discover which one suits you best.

Your preferred design plays a big role in purchasing furniture and flooring. Make sure that you stick to the same model throughout the home and that the pieces of furniture you choose match each other.

The Colour Scheme
Selecting the right colours for your home is crucial to your well-being. Since colours have been proven to affect one’s mood, it is best if you figure out which ones make you feel comfortable and incorporate those in the home design.

Take furniture into consideration as well. Besides painting the walls, furniture is the primary factor in establishing a consistent colour scheme throughout your home. For example, accent armchairs would make the best fit with a beige coloured room while they might not be appropriate for rooms painted in bright, intense colours.

Flexibility
When renovating, always keep in mind your potential future needs. As experiences show, families grow, transform, and the rooms can quickly shift their initial purpose. Consider that as you are planning and stick to a design that is either timeless or highly adaptable.

Storage
Most households deal with a storage problem at some point. As it happens, renovation is the perfect time to address it.

Assess your storage needs, both present and future, and adapt the renovation process accordingly. Shall you opt for built-in closets to secure more space in the bedrooms? Or perhaps your kitchen is running small, and you’re interested in a folding table and chair set?

Address the needs of each room separately for the best results. Also, be ready to get rid of the things you don’t actually need.

Comfort
How comfortable should your place be? Who will live in it – kids, pets, or the elderly? Make sure that you invest in furniture, appliances, and flooring that will be friendly to the people using it.

Is the Investment Worth It?
Not all projects are worth the investment. Avoid large developments, such as building a pool, that don’t contribute to increasing your home’s value.

Instead, opt for solutions with a skyrocketing return on investment. Exterior cladding is one such example that involves adding an external finishing system to existing walls. This results in improving your home’s sound and thermal insulation and can help you save money in the long run.

Final Word
Home renovation is a delicate process that requires a lot of attention to detail. From colours to furniture to the budget, make sure to plan everything before you start with the actual renovation.

Despite the sweat and worries that you need to invest, a successful renovation will provide a more comfortable and practical living space. On top of that, the effort and money you invest will also increase the value of your home significantly!