During spring and summer, you’re out and about and may not spend as much time at home. But through the colder months is when you really get to know your home — both its benefits and shortcomings. You might be planning some improvement or renovation projects as a result of your extra time spent indoors.
As with any endeavor, the key to a successful home renovation is thorough planning. The more details you can work out ahead of time, the more smoothly the project will run when the time comes. Here’s how you can get started with a plan.
Set a budget
Setting a budget will give you a realistic scope of the upcoming project and help you determine just what you can afford. No matter how big or small your budget is, you’ll want to set a plan to determine how to get the most bang for your buck.
Once you’ve decided how much money you will need to allocate to the project, start by listing each aspect of the project and how much each of those aspects will cost. Research the materials you’re looking for. It may be that you need to adjust your expectations to include some more budget-friendly materials. Don’t just accept the price that’s listed at your local hardware store; more and more building materials are available online, so check there as well for a wider variety of cheaper options.
Determine what you can do yourself
Not every home renovation will require you to hire a professional. There’s nothing like putting some sweat equity into your own home, especially if you have the skills to do so. YouTube is also a vast resource for a number of home renovation projects. As you’re planning your renovation, take a look at the tasks you plan to tackle yourself, map out how much time they’ll take and determine whether the time is worth your effort.
Try to be realistic, however, and do not underestimate the amount of emotional, mental and physical labor that will be required. It may even be worthwhile to do some of the project yourself and hire a professional for the rest.
Hire a professional
We recommend that you call a professional well in advance of your home renovation to learn about their timeline and get a quote for the work. Because home renovations are popular in the spring and summer, calling in the winter will help you have more available options for a quality home renovator.
Although we’re sure you will want to choose Fortin Construction for your home renovations, it’s always worthwhile to interview more than one company. Double check references and testimonials. Do you know anyone else who has worked with this company? What was their experience? When it comes to contractors inside your home, you want to look for a company that’s professional and timely. Cheapest is certainly not always the best option.
Interested in talking to Fortin about a home renovation? We’re just a phone call or email away and would love to give you a quote.