1. Give yourself time and space to plan: You can expect to spend at least a couple of months planning and designing your remodel, especially if it’s an updated kitchen or bath or another primary-use space.
Plan on really taking this time. Before you even contact your remodeler, factor planning time into your ideal timeline, too—then, when you talk to the remodeling company, your expectations will be more realistic and you’ll avoid disappointment. Planning will include laying out the function of the room as well as selecting finishes and fixtures, not to mention designing ALL the details that will give your space the look and feel you’re after…
2. Ensure you have cost coverage: This is one of those things you might have heard before, and is worth repeating because it’s so important to keep top-of-mind before getting into your remodel…
You will need a 10% contingency in your budget to allow for unexpected expenses.
3. Prepare for inconvenience: Most homeowners continue to live in their home during a remodel, especially if it’s for one of several bathrooms in the home, or a space not used every day. That does mean that you will have to endure certain inconveniences. The dust, noise and other inconveniences will definitely impact your emotional state, too, so give everyone in your household a little extra space to breathe.
4. Trust your remodeler with the key: No, this is NOT the key to your heart—though we DO see our clients as family and take huge pride in the trust they put in us.
What we mean here, though, is that you can still go to work and live a normal life during your remodel. Once again pointing to remodelers with documented and proven processes, these companies will be able to tell you what’s happening and when so you know who will be in your home. That way, you can leave them to have WHOLE DAYS of work done while no one’s around! That’s less inconvenience for you, not to mention a faster route to the “finish line” of your project.
5. Order products before demo: In times like these, supplies and materials are limited so ordering ahead of time is crucial to getting your remodel done in time. It also comes in handy if you are unsure of the product. Once the product arrives, you can feel the quality, see the size, and figure out if it works in the space you want. If it doesn’t, then you can return it and try out a different option.
6. Protect all other parts of your home: It’s pretty natural that you’ll want to de-clutter and clean the pathway to and from the space you’re remodeling. But how about the other spaces in your home?!
To protect your whole home from damage, your contractor will work with you to take specific precautions. For example, your contractor will talk to you about which door should be used by workers. That way, the remodeler can close that area up with big sheets of plastic to guide workers to the right part of your home. Cardboard is important to put down on the floor, too, to protect existing finishes. Removing unnecessary furniture and accessories in this path will be also important.