How to Tackle a Major Home Renovation

There are a few reasons why you might consider a major home renovation. You might have bought a project house with the intention of renovating it and making it habitable. This could be a good investment to rent out, or you might want to turn a neglected home with good bones into your dream home, using the renovation as a good way to turn a property into something that suits your preferences.

Another reason why you may go through a major renovation is if the home you currently live in needs a lot of work. While it might be technically habitable, it might be severely outdated or just not suitable for your family without a significant change.

No matter why you’re renovating a property, you will have to consider the cost, time, and effort that the project will take. Here are some tips to help you.

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Budgeting for a Home Renovation

The first thing to consider before you can do anything is how much the renovation will cost. The cost of renovating a property can vary significantly depending on how much work needs doing, how large the property is, and what you want the end product to look like. 

Some home renovations can add up to almost as much as buying the property in the first place. But this doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it, as you can massively boost the value of your home and you can’t ignore the fact that you get the opportunity to design what you want out of your home.

When planning a home renovation, make sure to consider the cost of each job. While you can reduce the price of some of the tasks by taking them on yourself, bear in mind that you’ll still have to pay for materials and you will be taking on more risk, especially with certain jobs. Typically you should only try DIY renovations if you have the appropriate skills and experience, as well as the tools for the job.

Some people make this budget easier by breaking the work up into smaller sections, generally working room-by-room. We’ll talk more about the benefits of this process later, but while the project lasts longer, you can break up the cost.

Write down the approximate cost of what you want and consider the need to make some sacrifices according to your budget. While you can take out a loan, it’s often good to save up as much as you can for the home renovation.

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When to Hire Contractors

As mentioned before, while you can take on some tasks yourself to save money, it’s best to hire contractors for certain jobs. This is safer, quicker, and sometimes cheaper than trying to tackle everything yourself, especially if you don’t have the expertise to do it yourself. If you mess something up because you bit off more than you can chew, you end up paying the price for a while afterwards. 

So, you need to hire contractors for high-risk and highly skilled jobs. This generally includes major plumbing and electrical jobs. If something goes wrong in these fields, it could severely damage your home, with the potential for fires or floods. Electrical work is especially dangerous, because an electric shock can kill. The electrical systems in your home should only be worked on by a professional, and only when the electricity is switched off.

Other jobs that may require professional help are jobs that involve working at heights, such as roofing. Whether you need roof repair, replacement, or solar roofing installation, you should hire a contractor as they can work more safely and efficiently from a height.

Doors and Windows

The doors and windows of your property can impact how it looks and feels, inside and out. Your exterior doors and windows add a lot to the personality of your home, especially when it comes to how it looks. You can get traditional styles like bay windows or shutters that look the part, or if you prefer a sleek, modern look, you can get doors and windows that reflect that with a minimalistic yet stylish style.

But there are more reasons to replace the doors and windows of your home as well as changing how it looks. New doors and windows can dramatically improve how energy efficient your property is, as well as making it more secure and resistant to pests.

Older doors and windows often have a weaker seal, which can let drafts and even rain or insects inside, while also allowing your precious warm or cold air to escape depending on the time of year. This means you spend more trying to control the temperature of your house, because you’re also heating or cooling the outside. So, new doors and windows can save you money in the long run.

Extending Your Property

Another common home improvement that can have a massive impact on your property is an extension. There are a few ways to extend your property, which is ideal for a growing family or just the need for more space.

First, you can get a traditional home extension, which is where you build onto your property and make an extension that hopefully blends in with the rest. This is a great way to add an extra room or two, or even to make an existing room much bigger. If you need to add an extra bedroom, bathroom, or office space, this is a great way to do so. 

Another similar way to extend your property is to build a garden room. Like an extension, this uses up some of your exterior space, but it builds a structure apart from your home. This is great for extra privacy and, if you work from a garden office, it even gives you a small commute so you can separate your work from your home life.

Other ways to extend your home involve transforming the loft or basement space into habitable rooms in your house. This is great if you don’t have a lot of external space to sacrifice, but you will need to make sure that your loft and basement are suitable for this change. These rooms might also have a lack of natural light and ventilation, so may be prone to damp or other issues. Make sure to get them surveyed before making the investment.

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Finishing Touches

Once your property has had the major tasks completed, you can focus on the finishing touches. Many major renovations involve structural changes that can decimate your home, but that will ultimately make a significant difference to your life. For example, you might change the layout of your home or you might have renovations in every room that turn them upside down.

However, the decorative changes are where you can finally see the renovation come to an end. This involves painting and wallpapering the walls and getting your furniture into place. This is one of those jobs that can benefit from hiring a contractor, but you can do some of it yourself.

Painting the exterior of your house is a huge job that requires specialized paint, but it can make your house look much newer and very different. The interiors are often an easier job and you may do this yourself. You should keep some extra paint on hand so you can touch up corners and other parts of the walls that might be bumped.

Finally, move your furniture back into place and consider adding some decorative features like rugs, wall hangings, and ornaments. This will all turn what was once a building site into a proper home you can fall in love with.

Living in a Building Site

Renovating a property is challenging, especially if you’re working on your own home. As well as dealing with the costs and some of the work, you also have to cope with living in a building site. This is why it can be best to work on a room by room basis. As well as spreading out the costs, you also make it so at least some parts of your home are habitable.

If you have small children and pets, keep them away from areas that are being actively worked on. If this is impossible, consider having them stay elsewhere during certain parts of the renovation process. 

When your kitchen or bathrooms are out of commission, you might consider finding alternative places to stay. This is the ideal time for a vacation. If you do decide to stay away for the most disruptive parts of your renovation process, ask a friend or neighbour to pop in and keep an eye on the property for you.

Living in a building site is challenging, but it can be more than worth it once the work is done. Find a balance between spreading out the work and trying to get the project finished as soon as possible so you can finally reclaim your home and your life so you feel comfortable and safe.

This is a contributed post.

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