Whether you’re renovating your entire home or just the living space, it will add a fresher appeal to your house while increasing its market value. Many homeowners also claim to find the process challenging. You feel excited to see your vision come to reality, but you might find the process long and hassle. Sticking through it will lead you to your desired results.
Whether you are investing in a simple repaint or a complete kitchen retile, renovation can be a significant inconvenience in many ways. Hence, home renovation is not a child’s play because there’s a lot you need to consider, from budgeting your expenses to managing the renovation and protecting your household items from damage.
Home Renovation And Expenses
Expenses can add up quickly, mainly if you don’t track them. For instance, renovating a house in Houston can cost you an upward of $10,000 for simple kitchen remodeling, and if you are looking to renovate your entire home, then it’s a hefty investment. Be smart about budgeting and plan the whole process with careful attention to detail. Instead of moving expensive household items around, you can simply rent a storage unit to keep them safe.
Did you know? Texas has the highest number of self-storage units in the US. So, if you belong to a city in Texas, you can easily rent a storage space that falls within your budget due to the high number of units available in your vicinity. For instance, to find one in Houston, you can Google ‘storage units Houston’ and choose one that fits your requirements.
Tips For Smart Home Renovation
As discussed above, renovating your house is more than a simple project. There’s a lot to consider, and managing renovation is challenging, but no need to fret as we are here to guide you through it all. This article will share tips that will help you make smart decisions while renovating your house.
1. Plan Ahead
The key to a successful renovation is planning every single detail of your project so that you know your end goal. This includes any design inspiration and an outline of your desired results.
At this stage, you should also investigate local zoning laws and permit. Getting a building permit is almost always required if you want to make significant changes to the structural design of your house or the function of a specific room. You need to determine whether you need a permit for your home renovation project. Don’t apply for licenses until you’ve got the right people in place and have a timeframe for the project. Researching what you want, how much it costs, and planning accordingly rarely ends badly. Choosing among many alternatives for design, structures, and finishing materials might be difficult. Taking your time, researching, and speaking to professionals before deciding what you want can guarantee you receive the best value for your money.
2. Establish Off-Limit Zones
When hiring workers, don’t forget to inform them about all the off-limits areas. Establish zones and limits that your workers can and cannot access significantly if your renovation project doesn’t affect the entire house. Workers are essentially strangers; inform them of all the places they shouldn’t enter no matter what, such as private bedrooms, etc.
3. Set Up A Realistic Budget
You can quickly rake up a significant renovation bill when you don’t have a budget to track. Most renovation projects tend to cost a little more than the defined budget. If you don’t have a budget plan, your renovation project can fail if you run out of money. Set out your expenses according to their priority; this includes hiring and material costs and any permit fees. Furthermore, exclude any design decisions from the list that can cause you to overspend. A little common sense goes a long way when laying out this budget.
If you don’t know how much money you must work with, don’t try to squeeze an overly ambitious project into a budget that doesn’t have enough money. Add at least 10% of your construction expenses to the total project costs to cover any unexpected expenses.
4. Relocate Fragile And Expensive Household Items
Home renovation can last a couple of months or longer, depending on your project and end goal. As you renovate, make sure all valuables are in a case, so they don’t get damaged or lost. It is best to keep all the valuables away from the renovation area, such as artwork, electronics, expensive furniture, etc.
5. Get Yourself Insured For The Renovation
If you’re going to invest a large portion of your wealth in a renovation, it makes sense to protect yourself financially if things go wrong. Sadly, most insurance policies do not cover the cost of building a house from scratch or extensive restoration. However, you can opt for self-build insurance that covers all the contractors’ risks is a good idea since it will provide some relief in the event of an accident.
For the first ten years of new home construction, it’s also a good idea to get a structural guarantee from the builder. Plus, to get a mortgage, you’ll need a structural warranty. Even if you think you don’t need one, this warranty is necessary if you decide to sell your house to a buyer who requires to raise a mortgage. So, it’s generally a good idea to have it.
6. Clear Your Rooms Of Large Items
Bulky items such as couches, lamps, expensive rugs, carpets, and curtains are the defining features of your house. To protect them from dust and damage, keep them away from the work areas. Hence, no matter how long it takes to complete the renovation project, store them somewhere safe. You and your workers will benefit from having more room to work. There are also fewer risks of accidents occurring because of a smaller work area.
7. Keep Your Items Safe By Renting A Storage Unit
Renting a storage unit is a handy solution to keep your belongings safe during an ongoing renovation project. Many storage units now offer 24/7 surveillance and climate control to rest assured about the safety of all your valuable items. After completing the renovation, you can move your belongings back home without misplacing a single thing.
Most people don’t know that your household items can get damaged during the renovation. A flawed process can cause larger expenses than expected.
Renting a self-storage container gives you peace of mind knowing that your personal belongings won’t be damaged or stolen during renovation. Until you’ve finished renovating your property, you can continue to store your belongings at a self-storage facility.
Final Thoughts
The most important aspect of the renovation is planning it all out. Renovating your house can get very expensive very quickly. It’s imperative to plan every project detail to stay on budget until the end. Picture how you want your house to look by its end and set objectives to achieve your desired results within your budget. You can also rent out storage units to place all your expensive household items during the renovation process to protect them from dust, debris, and damage. You can rest assured that storing your items in a self-storage unit will keep them safe from damage regardless of how long your renovation job takes.