If your family is growing or there are areas in your house that you want to renovate, you need a plan. It is vital to have a plan before you make improvements in your home. There are many considerations when remodeling a room, adding another room, or expanding other house parts. Each improvement you think of has concerns that are specific to the area. Another vital thing to consider is financing. Without making a careful plan, even a small home improvement project can use up your savings.
Planning a home improvement project
Many homeowners rush into home improvement projects without any plan, thinking they can wing it as the project progresses. But, unfortunately, a project can quickly get out of control, which is why it is vital to have a solid plan that includes details of the project, from design, cost, and materials to project completion.
Likewise, your plan should include your goals for the renovation, design ideas, and an outline of the work to complete. In addition, you should have sketches or a blueprint of the final look of the project, a list of your wants and needs, and project steps. It is better to get professional help. For example, Cross Country Construction has years of experience in home construction and remodeling. The contractor can help you secure local zoning permits and understand remodeling and zoning regulations. Here are the essential steps in creating a home improvement plan to help you start things right and be satisfied with the final product.
1. Create a budget for your project
Determine your budget and identify where you will get the financing. The budget should include labor costs, fees for permits, cost of building materials, and other fittings/fixtures, plus contingency. You can request estimates from professional contractors and check the prices of construction materials. If the cost estimates are beyond your budget, look at your plan and remove elements of the project that have lower priority.
2. Hire a general contractor
Aside from the fair cost estimate submitted by a general construction contractor, your choice should depend on the years of experience, the certifications and contracting license, required insurance (workers’ compensation and liability insurance), references, and payment schedule.
You need to pay attention to the kind of work you want to get done and whether the contractor will be helpful in planning and executing the same. For example, if you want to install trench grates to improve the curb appeal of your driveway, you need to ensure that the contractor’s team has the expertise in carrying that out. Homeowners should look at contractors that are skilled in carrying out work both within the home, as well as on the outside.
3. Create a timeline
After determining your budget and hiring the contractor, you should create a workable timeline that will determine the start and completion of the project. It is advantageous to confer with the contractor to know how long it takes to finish each project. Talk about priorities to determine which section needs completion ahead of the others and which can be completed simultaneously.
You should consider holidays, material shipping and delivery, and time to clean out the area for renovation.
Once you have the home improvement plan completed, you should prepare the space for renovation. Remove all items in the room or area and put them in temporary storage or use your garage or spare bedroom to keep all the essential things in one space. Arrange for temporary sleeping arrangements if you are renovating your bedroom. If the project involves significant remodeling of your house, you may have to move out of your home temporarily but ensure that your valuables, appliances, and other precious items are secure.
