Important Factors to Consider Before Performing Major Renovations on Your House
If you’re planning on making your house look completely different by adding a second story, adding a room to your home, or even gutting and remodeling everything and rebuilding it from scratch, you should evaluate in detail the effect that such a move will have on the value of your home. You’ll want to be sure that any major changes you plan to undertake do not reduce the value of your property in the long-term.
Here are some of the factors we think are worth pondering on if you decide to shake things up in your home.
Budget
One of the most important factors to consider before performing a renovation on your home is the budget. While it is tempting to just go ahead and do whatever you want, it is a good idea to get a firm budget in place first. If you are getting estimates from different contractors, this will be especially important. The majority of renovations take more time and money than anticipated, so be sure to set up your budget with padding for this fact.
Analyze Your Needs
Performing major renovations on your house can be a great addition to your home, and having work done can make a huge difference. However, it is also important to look at the bigger picture, and not just from a cosmetic view. Before you start making any changes to your house, the first step that you should take is to analyze what needs are going to be met by performing these renovations, as well as what problems they are going to solve. The long-term plan for the house should be taken into consideration. Are you going to live in the house in the next 5-10 years? Is the plan to sell the house after renovation? By taking this approach, you will be able to figure out whether or not renovations are worth the money in the long run.
The Timing
If you aren’t careful, the timing of the renovations could harm your family. The timing factor is as important as the renovation itself. You can’t just schedule a home remodeling project and hope for the best. You need to take into consideration more than just your life and your jobs. It is the job of the parent to make sure that the timing does not disrupt educational activities such as sleepovers, sports events, extracurricular activities. But more than that, you need to take into account schooling and after-school activities which happen in the evenings as well as weekends.
Family Dynamics
Family dynamics get tricky depending upon the makeup of your family. If you have children, it will be important that you plan and save for their issues in regards to their room and living arrangements. You want to make sure that your children feel like they are still part of the family unit and not just being shoved out while you make changes. To ensure that a family member doesn’t find fault with your decision, one must consult them and involve them in the entire process.
What Other Work Needs Doing?
Before starting the renovations, you will want to consider what other work may need doing. Are there areas of damage from storms or high winds? Might some of the walls be settled or leaning? Are there any parts of the roof that could do with replacing? Seasoned builders at Bravo Roofing, concluded that If these things aren’t remedied they could cause more problems later on, which may cost you a lot more than anticipated at this stage.
Design Style
Creating the design is an important part of a renovation. It’s worth the time to get this right since your decisions here will affect your final home for years to come. When you’re looking at getting your house renovated, you need to consider the overall style of the house and look at what kind of design style you want (we are referring here to the overall look of the house, including interior and exterior). Your choices here will affect everything else in your renovation project, down to paint color and flooring material. The main styles we see a lot today are the Mediterranean, Colonial, Eclectic, Spanish Revival, Craftsman, Modern, and Victorian.
Permits and Insurance
Without a doubt, one of the most important things to consider before undertaking major renovations is whether or not you will need permits and insurance. No matter how solid your plan is for your renovation, you cannot even begin if it does not meet the zoning and building codes of your local municipality. Inspectors and contractors will also want to see that you have acquired all the necessary permits so that they can proceed with their tasks without fear of being held legally liable in case something happens. It is important to have these factors in mind before you embark on a major remodel job. You cannot make a call without understanding all the facts and conditions associated with it. Sometimes bigger is not always better but that’s no reason why you can’t improve upon an old building, house, or place of business. Giving it a new look by fixing it up can be worth the investment in many cases – providing you have done your due diligence.