The winter months can make many of us feel stressed out, depressed, and irritable. But one way you can kick those winter blues is to start planning your next home renovation. If you’ve been thinking about remodelling or upgrading a few areas of your home, there’s no better time to get started than now! Being cooped up at home gives you plenty of time to sit down, think of what you want, crystalize your vision, and begin the planning process step by step. Once you have all of the planning done, you can book in your contractors and have the renos done before the summer arrives. Here are some tips for getting started!
Get Clear on Your Budget
Your budget will determine just about everything, so it’s the most important place to start. Sit down and work out how much you can put aside, and what it is that you want or need to be renovated. Whether it’s a new coat of paint for the house or a major overhaul, write them all down and prioritize your needs versus wants. Then compare those to the amount of money
you can spend on the renos. You should know exactly what that number is so you can be realistic about what you can include in your renovation and which areas might have to wait.
Gather Ideas and Inspiration
This is always the best part of planning a renovation. With your budget and framework done, you can now start to
gather ideas and inspiration to refine your vision and figure out which elements you want to include. You’re essentially creating a wish list. During this process, it’s important to keep an open mind and remain realistic about affordability because it can be easy to get caught up in dream concepts that are way beyond your
budget. So once you have some solid ideas of the scope of the project, you’ll want to get informed about associated costs by speaking with the contractor. Or you can also find guides online that can help. This is the part where you may have to really prioritize and make sacrifices. During this stage, you’ll be working out a lot of the details, so you should expect to go back and forth as you figure it all out.
Design Layouts
If you’re planning on having a major renovation done, then you will likely need to consult with a professional to draft up
design layouts and detailed drawings that will map it all out. However, if you’re just focusing on minor renovations, most builders will be able to plan it all out by simply communicating with you, understanding what you want and then creating a plan based on that.
Choose Your Contractor
Once you’re ready to get going, you’ll need to sort out which team is the best fit for your needs and who you should hire. Reach out to a few reputable contractors to learn more about their experience, terms, quotes, and make sure to ask for examples and references. This will give you a clearer insight into their previous projects and whether clients were satisfied. Also, make sure they’re licensed and insured so that you’re protected and won’t be liable for any damages or injuries during the renovations. You can easily search online to
view testimonials and learn more about a company. Or ask around through your family, friends, and other networks for recommendations.
Get a Detailed Breakdown of the Quote
Comparing quotes from different contractors is all part of the process, but you should always ask for a detailed breakdown. The contractor should be willing to provide a list of all of the expenses for each part of the project so that you can review the prices. This is important for both major or minor jobs, especially if you are on a tighter budget. You can learn which areas you can shave down or you can swap out different materials that are cheaper to lower the cost if need be. Your contractor should be open and willing to help you with this.
Book Your Dates
Finally, after giving the green light on the project scope, details and costs, it’s time to book your dates and get started. Sometimes, certain projects can begin in the winter and then get completed in the spring, but this might not be the case for you. It all depends on the renovations you need. Talk to your contractor to discuss when the best time might be to begin, and what works with your schedule.
Renosgroup.ca has you covered for all of your home renovations needs in Ottawa. Whether you have something minor or major in mind, our crew can make it happen. Contact us today, or give us a call at
(613) 727-9427.
to learn more about how we can help transform your
