A home renovation or remodel project may include the exterior of
your house, one or more rooms and an addition or two. No matter
what the scope, renovating your home is sure to be painful if
you aren't prepared.
Start by defining the scope of the remodel project. Decide what
areas of your home that you would like to have renovated. Put
together a wish list of what you want included in the project.
What you can and cannot do will be, in part, decided by your
finances.
Once you have defined the scope of the project the key issues
you will want to consider are:
Local laws and permits The need for neighbor approval. Financing
and budgeting. Choosing an architect. Choosing a contractor.
Selecting an interior designer. Moving out during the
construction process. Packing and cleaning.
When undergoing a renovation project people most often start
with an architect. While an architect is absolutely required for
a renovation project, you may want to consider starting your due
diligence with your interior designer. Chances are they can help
you to fine tune how you will use your space, the intended look
and feel and ultimately help to make your dream a reality.
More often than not, designers, architects and contractors work
together on major renovation projects to ensure a cohesive
approach to carrying out the client's vision.
From a design perspective, since your designer will be the
resident expert on the ultimate functionality of the space,
having them involved early allows you to have more control over
important things we take for granted such as placement of
electrical outlets, task lighting and architectural detailing.
Once your renovation plan has been completed and approved by
you, you can identify if you will need to purchase new furniture
or accessories or re-purpose existing items that you have.
It is important to know that your budget and timeline of a major
renovation project will change at least once if not more during
construction. Experts recommend that you plan for the budget to
increase by twenty-five percent and the time involved by thirty
percent.
When your renovation project is complete you will undergo an
inspection and be provided with an occupancy permit. Do a final
walkthrough of the project with the architect, contractors and
designer to make absolutely sure that everything is working as
required. Create a punch list of little tasks that are undone
and assign someone the task of finishing each task. Make sure
that everyone reports back to you or your project
manager/renovation coach by a specific time to make sure
everything is finished.
Once your project is underway, you may find yourself overwhelmed
or stressed out from all of the activity, keep drawings and
photos of your finished project easily accessible so that you
can remind yourself of the beauty that awaits you.
2008, Style for Life Interiors.
About the Author:
With more than two decades of design experience, Paul Andrew has
helped build Style for Life Interiors into a full service design
firm that offers home staging, art acquisition, shopping trips,
renovations, and new construction consulting. Style for Life
Interiors has performed more than 100 transformations for its
residential & commercial clients. Paul can be reached at Style For Life Interiors
and
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