Home renovation can at best be described as a bitter-sweet experience. On the one hand, it’s incredibly exciting to add new spaces to your home, spruce up your decor and bring your style up-to-date. On the other hand, it’s an expensive, emotionally and financially taxing exercise that requires a lot of your time and attention. But at the end (if you see it through) it can be incredibly rewarding. We believe that home renovation can be greatly simplified and many of the hurdles smoothed out by planning ahead. Follow these handy tips to help you get the most out of your home renovation:
Budget, budget, budget!
First things first, you need to have the finances available to fund your home renovation. There’s nothing more devastating than running out of money halfway through rebuilding a wall and having to cover it with plastic until you have the funds to continue. Let’s say for instance you want a new kitchen and you’ll have to break out a wall to extend the space. There are myriad financial considerations that influence your renovation budget and you’ll have to sit down and plan each purchase carefully. Aside from the obvious bricks, cement and tiles, you’d also have to factor in labour and speciality services for extending or relaying plumbing and electric cables. Also take into account your taste, the quality of the materials and finishings you desire and ensure that you have the cash available to follow through. It’s easy to be swept up by home renovation TV show and magazines, but you have to be realistic. You simply can’t try to recreate a R500 000 kitchen with a R50 000 budget.
Plean every part of the renovation process down to a tee
Once you have determined exactly what you require to create the space you want and how much it would cost you, you need to map out the journey from start to finish. Having a clear outline of what needs to be done when, will ensure that you stay on track and don’t venture off into another direction that could end up taking you longer and costing you more. Use a calendar to map out your renovation journey and share this with all parties involved. When it comes to suppliers, ensure that your timelines don’t conflict with seasonal downtimes which will leave you with many unfinished projects.
Ensure that you get the right products and services at the right price
Shopping for suppliers is a crucial element of the renovation planning process and should be done before anyone steps foot in your home. Shop around for the best prices, but don’t settle for the cheapest simply to save money. Ask for references and read up on them before making your final shortlist. From this shortlist you can ask the top three to come out and provide you with a comprehensive quote. The same goes for choosing any building and decorative materials. Make a list of non-negotiables such as the exact taps or appliances you want and keep an eye out for any specials on these items. For the rest of your variables, shop around at building supplies stores and try and negotiate cash or bulk discounts.
There will be unforeseen costs, so make sure you are prepared
As mentioned at the beginning of the blog, it’s not possible to avoid the hurdles that come along with home renovation completely. The best you can do is to be prepared. Set up an additional savings account alongside your renovation budget that gains some interest while you don’t have to access it. It can be tricky to determine how much you’d need, but try to assign a certain amount to each of the tasks and materials on your budget list should you need to spend more due to price increases or additional building time.
Be smart about the materials you use
Home renovation is all about keeping with the times, so considering installing and using materials that help to improve how your home operates. Light remains one of the biggest factors when renovating and the more natural light you allow into your home, the better. With decorative products like window decals, the glass in your home can become a statement piece as well as a practical addition in any space. Because window film allows natural light to stream in while blocking out 95% of harmful UV rays, you can be assured that your interior is protected. The film is also a great insulator which means you don’t have to use as much energy to warm up or cool your home. Installation is quick and simple and the film comes with a ten-year warranty.
Renovating your home, or just want to spruce up your windows? Have a look at our pricing calculator to see what you’d pay for our superior window decals.
Image Credit: http://www.geeins.com/insuring-your-home-renovation-properly/