Planning to Renovate Your Apartment? Here’s How to Prepare

Whether you are living in a small studio apartment in a metropolitan city or a spacious apartment in the suburbs, there are countless ways you can renovate your living space and improve your quality of life. In contrast to renovating a house, renovating an apartment is a bit easier as you can concentrate your efforts on a smaller single-story area. This enables you to get maximum results for comparably less work. 

Even though it often seems like there is a limit on what you can do when it comes to renovating an apartment, in actual fact, the only limit is the breadth of your imagination. Even with restricted space or with shared structural walls, there are many things you need to consider before renovating. For instance, you may need to check what you can and cannot change according to the apartment building’s regulations. Having said that, well-planned renovations can dramatically change how a living space looks and feels and so they are always worthwhile. If you are planning to renovate your apartment, read on to find out some practical tips which will help you to transform your apartment with ease.

Check-In with your Landlord or Apartment Manager

Before you start planning your renovation project and looking online for renovation ideas, you should check in with your landlord or apartment’s authority first to clearly determine what renovations are permitted. This can help you save a great deal of time and avoid possible disappointments and frustrations. Additionally, narrowing down on areas that are okay for renovating can help you save time and money as you can focus solely on those particular rooms or features. One of the first things you should check is your lease and the apartment’s list of regulations. For instance, some building apartments have strict written rules about what time of day renovations can take place. Therefore, make sure you have ticked all the boxes and reviewed all the rules and regulations before your start planning. 

Hire A Post Renovation Cleaning Company 

One thing that may put your building manager’s mind at ease is if you explain how you will clean the apartment afterwards. Renovation sites can be very messy and are usually covered with layer after layer of dust. No matter if you are renovating on your own or working with a professional contractor, you should expect there to be a big clean up job afterwards. Building managers in big cities like New York are known to be particularly difficult when it comes to renovation permission. Fortunately, there are many companies offering post renovation apartment cleaning in Manhattan so you will be able to put your manager’s mind at ease about clearing up the mess. Not only that but hiring a company to come and clean straight away after the work is finished will allow you to enjoy your newly renovated apartment immediately. 

After a renovation, you should have a checklist of everything that needs cleaning. For instance, it is always recommended that you deep clean carpets and upholstery following a renovation make sure that you get rid of all the potentially harmful dust. Microscopic particles from building materials can be bad for allergies, and whilst it is possible to do this deep cleaning yourself, it is often an unpleasant job that requires a huge amount of time. If you are planning a renovation, it is best to hire a professional cleaning company to take care of the dirty work for you.

Determine a Plan and Budget

Whether you are planning on renovating a house, an office, or an apartment, renovation can be very costly. Having a clear budget and a detailed plan can help you make good decisions on what your renovation priorities are. By having a clear list of priorities, you can focus your budget and efforts into places that matter to you the most which will help to maximize your return-on-investment. Remember that even though all renovations cost money, your budget will vary significantly depending on the scope of renovation work expected, the size of your apartment, and the type of work that you want to do.

Every apartment owner goes into the renovation process with high optimism. However, even with lots of planning, unexpected issues happen during the renovation process. Therefore, you must address and solve unexpected issues with patience and preparation.  

Research The Types of Renovations

There are various ways you can renovate your apartment from making major structural alterations to implementing smaller cosmetic changes. Remember that it is not only major renovations that can change how your apartment looks and feels; even simple cosmetic changes like adding more lights or replacing faded curtains can transform a living space. Cosmetic changes are highly underrated and you can start immediately on improving the way your apartment looks by adding a few more colorful cushions, adding a new coat of paint, or replacing old door handles. For many people, however, the priority is major renovations so look into how a new kitchen or a bathroom update can improve your apartment and add value to your home.

Rearrange your Living Space

One of the most common reasons why apartments seem cramped is caused by a poorly designed living space. Many people often feel like their homes are getting smaller and more cramped due to the way they arrange their furniture. In order to make your apartment seem more spacious and comfortable, you can try to rethink the way you arrange and furnish your current living space. For instance, small-sized bedrooms can seem significantly bigger with a queen-sized bed instead of a king-sized bed. With the same principle, you can start considering removing or rearranging your furniture pieces to align with your needs and current space. Remember that a well-designed living space takes effort in planning and experimentation. You can start with the bigger picture and then work from one room to the next.

Apartment living does not need to be cramped or uncomfortable. With simple renovation projects, you can positively transform your living space into an inspirational and aesthetic home. Follow this guide of useful and practical tips when you are planning your next renovation project.