Home renovations can be such an exciting but stressful chapter in your life. Adding space to an existing home or completely transforming a rundown property can give you a project to focus on whilst adding value should you come to sell in the future.
Here are some things to consider to help your home renovation go as smoothly as possible.
Initial planning and budgeting
Before walls can be knocked down or floors can be ripped up you need to have a solid plan and budget.
Set out your goals to begin with and make sure everyone involved agrees on the wanted outcome. This could be more space, improved functionality or even both!
Your budget is integral to the project’s success, so be clear on your limits. Different projects will vary in costs so get quotes from different firms to have an idea of how much you will need.
Securing permits and approval
Before ground can be broken you may need planning permission or building regulations approval. Failure to obtain the correct permits could result in your contractor being fined and you needing to pay for the work to be repaired to the original condition. Selling your house without planning permission will be hard as you will not have the certificates of compliance you need.
Check with your local authority to see if you need planning permission. For building regulations approval, there is a comprehensive list online that you can check.
Renovation insurance
As with any big event in your life, insurance is always a good investment. Renovation insurance is a policy which helps to protect you against things such as theft as well as liability for certain accidents.
You should make sure your builder has liability insurance but that only covers situations where they have made a mistake. If your neighbour’s property gets damaged by accident, for example, they may be able to make a claim against you This is where renovation insurance can help give you peace of mind that you will be protected.
Managing the renovation process
As the process progresses, it is easy to feel out of control or overwhelmed. Keep an open line of communication between yourself and the contractors. This could be in the form of weekly progress meetings or a phone call at the end of the week to discuss what has been achieved. Keeping in touch will be helpful if there are any surprises or emergency scenarios that you need to be informed of immediately.
Remember you may have to be flexible on certain things. For example, you may have planned for a completely open plan level on the ground floor, but load-bearing walls mean you cannot. Whilst this is disappointing, some things cannot be avoided.
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