When you first move into a home, it’s hard to imagine that there might come a time when you will “outgrow” the space. Maybe your family has increased in size more than you thought it would. Perhaps your needs and/or desires for your house have changed. Whatever the reason, you’re left facing the daunting decision: do I change or adjust the house to fit my needs or should I move? And that’s exactly what Rosie is talking about today.
I’ve been living in the country with my family of four for the last 5 years. The decision didn’t come lightly, but it was one of the best choices we ever made. But as our family has grown, we’ve had to make some adjustments in space. Out here picking up and moving simply isn’t an option. Where would we go? This isn’t the suburbs or a city, after all. It isn’t like there are a bunch of houses up for sale on the ranch that might better suit the needs of our growing family and changing needs.
So we choose to make changes to where we are now that will accommodate our current and hopefully future needs. After doing quite a few remodeling and renovation projects to our crazy quilt of a house, we feel like we’ve learned a lot. In this post I’m going to share some of the things we’ve learned on our home remodeling journey so that hopefully your remodeling and renovation projects will go more smoothly than ours typically go. Let’s get building!
photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc
Figure Out What You Want
“I want the most awesome bathroom ever,” means different things to different people, especially when it’s men and women talking. There are dozens of different ways to style a bathroom. There are dozens of ways to design a kitchen, an attic, anywhere, really. So be sure view lots of different options, using sites like Pinterest or Houzz to get ideas. And if there are new communities with model homes in your area, go preview them and see what the most modern decor ideas are in your area.
Creating a vision for your space is the very first thing you should do—yes, even before you plan your budget. The “finished picture” is what will guide every single decision you make during the remodeling and renovating process. Simply put, if you don’t know where you want to go, you won’t know how to start.
Budget Budget Budget
Once you know how you want the space to look and feel when the remodel is done, you can start planning your budget. Remember: your budget needs to be able to pay for a lot of different things. For example, it needs to pay for your contractor’s fees as well as any new furniture and/or furnishings you want to put in the space once it is finished. It’s easy for that number to get out of hand. Luckily, there are tips all over the Internet for different ways to reduce the cost of a remodel or renovation.
HINT: DYI as much of it as you can! The only things we don’t like doing ourselves are electricity and plumbing – ’cause if something goes wrong, it usually goes REALLY wrong.
Hiring Your Contractor
Unless you are a licensed contractor yourself, you are going to want to hire a contractor to manage your project for you. Heck, even if you are a licensed contractor, hiring an “outsider” to manage the remodel is a good idea and better for your stress levels. Make sure that your contractor meets the following criteria:
- Is not a total newbie. You want to hire someone with at least three years of contracting and construction experience under his or her belt.
- Is properly licensed and bonded. Every state has different requirements for this. Check with your local housing and zoning office to figure out exactly what credentials contractors in your area have to display.
- Is properly insured. You want your contractor to be fully insured. Sites like Target Insurance make it easy for contractors to have the required coverage. Insurance like workers’ comp, general liability, and tool and equipment coverage (among others) are extremely important. So don’t be timid, be sure to ask for proof of insurance before you sign even a single page of a contract. Protection is far more worth any inconvenience you might cause to your contractor; believe me.
Treat Your “Hired Help” Well
Better Homes and Gardens states that one of the most important things you can do to smooth out your remodeling process is to be a good boss. This means that you treat your contractor and his (or her) crew well. Yes, you’re the one that writes the checks that will get everybody paid. But that does not allow you to be a ruthless dictator. After all, these guys are working (often in dangerous conditions) to help you create your dream home. You don’t have to let them walk all over you, but you also shouldn’t walk all over them. The better you treat your crew, the smoother things will go.
Trust us when we tell you: these are not lessons that you should have to learn the hard way (*ahem*)! Learn from our mistakes and hopefully your remodel will be as smooth as pie. Good luck!
