Where To Start With Renovating A House

Renovating a house can be a great way to update your home, or to create your dream home. Renovation does come with a lot of planning and hard work, but it’s a great way to revive an old home, put your own stamp on your property, and add to the value.

Research Period Features And Safeguard Them

Thanks to changing fashions, a lot of period homes have had many of their most unique features stripped out. Beams are covered, original windows are replaced with uPVC, and original fireplaces are blocked. It’s always sad to see homes that have lost their charm, but before you decide to restore any period features, remember that you can do just as much damage to a house by adding in features that weren’t there. Do some research first. 

Before you start, get to know your home, when it was built, and who would have lived there to make sure you aren’t adding in features that wouldn’t have been there. The better approach is to make sure the house is safe, repair the existing features, and undo any mistakes that will affect the condition of the building. If you can’t save original features, like windows, try to choose an alternative that is sensitive to the building, such as a beautiful Martha’s Vineyard Window that looks right with the original windows. 

Work Out The Cost Of Renovations

Before you start, you should research the costs of renovations to make the project is worth it and affordable for you.

If you’re buying a house to renovate, a mortgage lender might help you to fund the project by paying in staged payments. If you decide to do this, find out what those stages are and work out when you can complete each stage of the renovations. 

If you’re renovating a home you already own, you will have to be realistic about what work you can afford to do. If the property can’t be lived in, start by making sure it is safe and dry, with heating and hot water. Try to complete any major works while you’re not living in the property if you can. You can usually live around work that is mostly cosmetic, as long as you have somewhere to cook, bathe, and sleep. 

Make a budget and stick to it. Work out the costs for each job you have to do, taking into account structural work, like underpinning, and finishing touches. Add everything up and check you can actually afford it. 

If you have a contractor on the project, they’ll give you a quote for the work, which can help you with your budget. It’s a good idea to leave some extra room of about 10 to 20 percent to cover any unexpected expenses that often come up in renovation projects. Make a separate budget for decorating and furnishing once any structural work has been finished. 

Check For Renovation Restrictions Before You Start

When you bought your house, you should have been told if there are any restrictions on changes that can be made. Depending on the age of your home and any original features it has, you may be obliged to preserve certain features or be given permission to make large changes. Homes located in certain areas may also have some restrictions on what can be done. This may be to preserve the look of an area for historical reasons. Some HOAs like the houses in a neighborhood to look consistent, so you need to abide by regulations like choosing colors for the outside of your home from an approved list. Look into these before you get started so you don’t run into problems later on. It’s better to be sure before you spend any money. 

Create A Design For Your House Renovation

Before you start doing any house renovations tarragindi, it’s well worth taking some time to get the design right. This can help you to make sure that the finished work will meet all your needs and be finished to a high quality. Think carefully about how any changes you make will fit in with the existing building. Do you want an extension to blend in or stand out from the existing property? Do you want to restore the original appearance of your home, or transform it into something completely different? Think about what you’re hoping to achieve from the renovations, then speak to an architect to work out what the possibilities are for the project. 

Think about where you’re going to position the rooms. Look at how you can get natural light into the house, as proper light can completely change the space. Wherever you can, arrange your rooms so you spend most of your time where the light naturally comes into the house. Look at what views you have too. A good view can be the perfect addition to a room. 

Write A Schedule Of Works

Before you start any work, you must define the process of your home renovation. Be clear on exactly which steps will need to be taken in order to renovate the property. Make sure you’re clear before you start. You should prioritise any tasks that will prevent any further decay of your property or stabilise any structural elements. You might find that the work you do in one room might impact the work you need to do in another, especially if you have to move plumbing or wiring. Start with a clear vision for the whole house and prepare a detailed schedule of works, that list the jobs in order, so things like wiring get done before you plaster the walls. 

If you are going to be doing any major work to the structure or making extensions, it’s a good idea to get advice from professionals first, in case there’s anything you need to know about. For example, if you’re converting the loft, you might think this has nothing to do with the ground floor, but in fact, adding another floor can come with building regulations demands and might need you to fit fire doors, sprinklers, or alarms. Find out about things like this during the planning stage so you can plan your budget accordingly.