12 Things to Consider Before Renovating Your Home

Are you thinking about renovating your home? Or do you want to save on home renovation costs? Are you getting bored with the look of your home and want to update it? Or is there an increased need for space? Then, how much is the price for the services of an architect or contractor who can help in the process of renovating your home?. In this article, you will learn what tips to consider carefully so that your home renovation process can run more optimally. This is important because home renovation is neither easy nor cheap. If the planning is wrong, the cost of house renovation can swell and even more annoying, the renovation results will not be as expected.

Buying an old house and remodeling it into a new look can also appeal to those who want to create their dream home. However, knowing how to do it can be a challenge. Similarly, any home remodeling project may seem complicated, but it’s guaranteed to run more smoothly if you know a few handy tips and tricks.

What does home renovation mean?

Renovation or remodeling  is the process of changing, updating, rejuvenating, repairing, or perfecting a structure or form, or giving an additional design to a building. Residential renovations can also be projects to develop and update  an existing home interior (including mechanical and electrical), exterior (e.g. walls, roof), or other improvements to the land (e.g. garden/yard maintenance or garage maintenance/additions).

Although “home renovation” often refers to a building project to change the existing structure and interior of a home such as a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, garage, etc., it can also include improvements to lawns, garden landscapes, and outdoor structures, such as gazebos and  carports .

Residential renovations also include general maintenance, repair and servicing tasks. Home remodeling projects generally have one or more of the following goals:

  • Convenience
  • Maintenance and repair
  • Adding space
  • Energy cost savings
  • Security and protection

The basic and main principles in renovating a house

If you choose to remodel your entire home or simply add more floors or space as needed, here are 10 tips to maximize your investment, increase the functionality of your home, reduce costs, and make planning your renovation work easier in the future.

Taking these few tips into account when hiring an inexpensive home remodeling service can also help lower the cost and energy required during your next remodel job.

1. Plan ahead for the renovation process

Considering various product and building material options early can prevent delays later on. Make sure you include it in your price calculation when comparing quotes from contractors you contact.

Read carefully and pay attention to every detail of information and items offered by your contractor. Make sure that everything in the price quote is in accordance with what is needed, not too much or even less, both in terms of quantity and quality. If you are in doubt and need help, you can consult a professional architect to know this.

Think about the long-term maintenance costs, energy savings, and changing costs of home renovations that can increase rapidly. Proper detailed planning can help you save on budget.

2. Learn about the environment

It is important to understand the structure of a particular area which is often taken for granted. Recognizing and appreciating the distinct character of your community and incorporating local building patterns into your new design can strengthen the contextual framework of the area and contribute to the unique pattern of a place.

3. Know the characteristics of your home land

Home transformation is most successful when the home renovation process responds to the characteristics and climatic conditions of your land and takes into account negative factors such as blocking  unwanted views  or noise or creating barriers to privacy.

4. Know the old structure of your house

Understand how to design it easily. This does not mean simply blending the new construction with the old. To remodel the house in a different way, you must logically combine the old and new patterns, shapes and planning infrastructure.

This may be a bit difficult to do yourself if you don’t have building skills. Asking experienced builders can certainly help a little. However, it would be better if you consulted with an architect or the services of a more experienced professional contractor.

With years of education and experience in the construction field, an architect certainly has the skills and knowledge to help you find out if your old house designs and structures can be combined with your new home structures and designs; or it turns out that the structure and design of your home needs to be completely dismantled and rebuilt from scratch to meet your new needs.

5. Consider the lifestyle of all family members

Make a design that fits and supports your family’s lifestyle. Family activities and have their own space requirements, for example a public space for gathering and entertainment, a quiet place to read a book or news in the newspaper, a kitchen for cooking, a private area for guests, a special workspace for working from home, and a comfortable room to rest/sleep.

The spaces needed by children are certainly different from adults. Likewise, the elderly with physical limitations certainly require special room conditions. All of that needs to be considered carefully so as not to make the wrong design in the future.

6. Learn the characteristics of home design

Understand how to design safely by recognizing the main structure of your home. We recommend that you design, add space, or remodel your home in accordance with the requirements of the building regulations applicable in your area. Study structural solutions, whether you want a bolder or more sophisticated idea, but one that doesn’t exceed the budget and affordability of your home renovation services.

7. Use durable materials

Choose building materials that, apart from being safe, economical and durable, but also protect your family from the changing seasons. Materials from materials used to demolish old houses may also still be used and are a smart choice to reduce costs.

In addition, consider wisely and accurately every texture, pattern, and color choice of roof, walls, cabinets, and floors to express the architectural identity of your home to avoid visual clutter.

8. Consider the water problem

Water is one of the most vital elements in any renovation work plan. Especially noteworthy is not to add a bathroom without carefully knowing your plumbing line, water tank, and water heater capacity. Also consider how large your water supply limits are. If you add enough fixtures, this will require you to upgrade to a larger, more durable pipeline.

9. Update electrical panel

Pay close attention to your electrical panel plan. If you need to add space, amount or floor area, you should definitely update your electrical panels. In addition, it is also important to remember to place the panels in a special room without having to be hidden in a closet.

If you still have old-fashioned wiring, this home renovation project might also be an ideal opportunity to set up new wiring and connect all of the outlets.

10. Consider the pros and cons

Before adding a room or floor, ask a question: keep the existing windows, doors and wall materials or remodel and choose a new one? Your home design decisions may be based on structural requirements. Choices will be unique and different for each home. Consult a home renovator about the best way to consider this.

11. Home renovations for lifetime

On a simple home renovation project, don’t be narrow-minded. Think that you invested a lot of money and time to remodel your home. Budget a somewhat loose budget according to the renovation plan so that later the house is not half finished.

If the existing funds are not sufficient, you can choose to use the concept of a growing house , which is the process of building a house that can be built in several stages. Each stage has been completed, but the structure of the house has been prepared for further renovations at a later date. For more details, you can find out information about the concept of growing houses in this article.

Also, when planning a lifetime home design, consider accessibility and universal design (disabled-friendly designs). If not for yourself, think about the children and seniors who might come to visit. Properties that have easy access also have a high selling value.

12. Involve renovation services (not just a handyman)

Architects and contractor services are generally more focused on meeting your needs. However, it doesn’t hurt to ask for some recommendations, suggestions, and interesting concepts that you may have missed. Steps like this will save you a lot of money and save your home renovation costs for long-term repair or maintenance projects.

About Fariha Roth

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