How to Prepare for a Remodeling Project

So, you’re ready to start planning your remodeling project on your home. Maybe you’ve been in the home for a while and it’s time for a refresh, or you’re planning on buying an older home and updating it before you move in permanently.

 Either way, you need to have a solid amount of preparation done before you start to make sure you don’t spend unnecessary time or money on the project.

Here are some things to consider when you are preparing for a remodeling project:

The paper plan

Unlike some of the other steps, this phase of the preparation will mostly take place on paper. Now is the time to map out the entire project from start to finish.

The two most important aspects you need to consider are a timeline and a budget. The timeline can be affected by many factors, but the most important strategy for this part is to plan for extra time.

If you think it’s going to take a certain amount of time, add at least a quarter of the original estimate on top of that. If you can manage and afford it, you can go all the way up to doubling the timeline if you’re concerned.

Depending on your personality, the budget is either going to be one of your favorite parts of the project or the absolute worst. The analytical, numbers-driven people will thrive on sitting down with a spreadsheet and figuring out costs.

If you’re more excited about the aesthetics of the house it might not be as fun. It needs to be done either way, and the earlier the better. It’s a good idea to build in an extra discretionary fund into the budget to pay for unexpected expenses.

Start moving your stuff

The areas you’re renovating need to be cleared before you can start work. If you’re just moving in this will be a breeze, but if you’re remodeling your existing home it can be more of a challenge.

If you’re going to be working on multiple areas of the house at the same time you might want to consider using offsite self-storage for the majority of your belongings. That way, you can move everything out completely so it’s guaranteed to be out of the way.

If you’re going room by room, you might be able to get away with shuffling the furniture around or using the garage as temporary storage. If you need to go the self-storage route make sure you get quotes and prices in advance so you can ensure you’re getting the best deal.

Relax!

Renovations can be very stressful, especially if they’re large scale and on a short timeline. No amount of preparation is going to be able to counteract the negative effects of stress on your mind and body.

Prepare yourself for the stress by getting into a routine beforehand. Exercise, meditate, do yoga, or do anything else that helps you keep things on an even keel. Your project is going to go much better if you feel better about the situation.

Preparing for your remodel will ensure you don’t have any issues when it comes time to start the project.

Author’s bio: Lisa is a guest writer and expert on home remodeling, interior design and utilizing storage units for projects. She’s currently working on organizing storage units in Tallahassee and storage units in Colorado Springs.