Survival Tactics for Home Renovations

Home renovations can be a taxing experience on not only your pocket book, but also your mind. It can be an incredibly easy process or it can be extremely stressful. Whichever it turns out to be, you should be prepared to handle the consequences. Here are a few tips to help you stay one step ahead of the household renovation blues.

Planning is Key

First, you should plan ahead and anticipate exactly how much time, work and money you'll be dedicating to the job. Also, be wary of problems that may arise at any time during the process. Before any construction or work is done, you should hold a pre-work meeting with your contractor, architect or designer to go over issues that may affect the renovation. Afterwards, it is also good to speak with your neighbors to let them know of your plans. If not, you can turn from the friendly neighbor to an enemy because of the excessive traffic and noise that will accompany the renovation of your property.

If you decided on a certified contractor, you should obtain a time frame for how long the process may take. Although it is nearly impossible to identify an exact time frame, an experienced contractor should provide you with a loose window so that you can have a fairly reasonable schedule. To prepare for the extra time and money that most renovations will cost, simply add a 10% cost to your original estimate so that you will not be shocked if it does, in fact, go over budget.

Know What you Want

You must also be decisive in your home renovations. Many problems arise because of the indecisiveness of the owner. You should avoid this by making important decisions in advance so that the operation can run as smoothly as possible. In addition, you should purchase materials ahead of time. For example, if you're renovating your bathroom, purchase the sinks, toilet or other materials prior to the renovation so that you'll already be prepared.

Another important step of preparation is to relocate your valuables before the renovation begins. The last thing you'll want is for the contractor to not only break or damage anything valuable, but for her to even have to worry about it in the first place. This can dramatically slow down the renovation process.

Similarly, you should also remain out of sight for most of the renovation. You won't want to get in the way of construction. If you're remodeling your kitchen, for example, you should plan on eating out or only using the kitchen during downtimes in construction.

Stay Informed

You should also remain in contact with your contractor, as she'll let you know in the first instance if the renovation runs into any problems or concerns. Keeping updated is essential because you may have to make decisions or change plans if something comes up.

Lastly, you should always envision the end product of the renovation. This will ease the stress levels during the entire construction process, not to mention giving you a therapeutic glance at what your home will turn into after all the hard work is finished.