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Home improvement is something that a house requires after several years of use or if you have purchased an old house that needs upgrades. With a home renovation, you’ll be able to update the aesthetics of any place, change the disposition of any room and replace any old appliance that is no longer working as it should. Most people dive into makeovers without doing good planning, leading to disappointments and misunderstandings with the working crew. But, we want you to dive into those waters smoothly and confident, and our guide would be the best way to do so.
As a first-timer in home renovations, you can’t skip this blog. We will talk about budget, supplies, the crew that will work with your property, and more. Don’t forget to work with the great renovation tradies in Melbourne to ensure the best quality work in your home.
Let’s start first with…
The Budget
To create a good and accurate budget for your home renovation, you must consider different things. One of the first issues that first-timers in remodeling face is financial problems after the makeover starts. That will happen to you if you don’t consider the next:
Price Of Temporary Housing
If you’ll do a major renovation, then you’ll require temporary housing while the job gets done. Consider the rent of the department or house that you’ll be using temporarily in your budget list. Commonly, home renovations take more time than expected, so, contemplate one or two more months of rent outside the agreed delivery time. In case the deadline is met, you will have some savings that you can use for a trip or your emergency fund.
Get Two Or More Quotations
Don’t get married to the first contractor/architect/designer you talk with. It’s extremely important to get different opinions and prices for the work you want done in your house. It would be horrible if you found out later that another professional in the field could have done the work for less money and the same quality. Whenever a quotation or estimate is given to you, make sure that it’s written down on paper, text quotations won’t do in case a problem shows up.
Extra Savings For Surprises
If you’re going for a major renovation of an old house, then you will have a better chance finding problems with the insulation, pipes, or electrical system. And as someone that hasn’t done a renovation, we can bet that you haven’t thought about this expense at all. Changing those systems is not a cheap thing to do, and that can make you go way beyond your budget. Try to save an extra 5% of your budget in the event of any surprise showing up in your makeover.
The Crew: Installers, Contractors And Architects
Work With A Professional In The Field
Nowadays that there are a lot of home renovations tv shows; people think that they can take care of their renovations by themselves, and that includes doing the house design. While you can have good ideas, it’s a must to work with a professional designer to ensure the changes you want are viable and would be done in the best way. Architects can have great ideas for renovating a small ensuite or any other space that presents a challenge due to its features.
Contractor Vs Individual Installers
Maybe you think that by hiring individual installers, instead of a contractor, you’ll be saving money, but the truth is different. A contractor will work with his/her team of installers, will know how to troubleshoot any problem that shows up, and will explain thoroughly any challenges that arise on the fly. In the end, you will discover that working with someone who has de ability to coordinate a whole team is a must. However, if you’re going only for a tile change, then just hiring the tile installer would be viable.
Hire The Right Professionals
You’re looking to do a major renovation for your outdoors? Then, instead of working with an architect or contractor, you’ll need a landscape architect. While a contractor might have experience, landscape architects have a specialized preparation to take into count any feature to create an outstanding outdoor space. This advice will be useful while searching for the best renovation company in Melbourne. Make sure that they have already worked on projects like the one that you require, if they haven’t do so, then move on to another prospect.
Supplies And Space
Go shopping
While seeing materials online and delegating that work to the contractor might seem like the right decision, it would be better to deal with materials yourself. Seeing and touching the material is a must to ensure that it would be something that goes along with your tastes. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate on going with your architect or contractor so it can give you advice on the finishes. Also, be clear about not choosing any supply that will make you go out of your budget.
Shop Only In A Few Places
It’s common to find in your city several material suppliers, and trying to go to all of them might seem fun and something you must do. But, doing so will be counterproductive for two reasons; the first, is that you’ll lose a lot of time and resources (like your fuel), and the second one, is that you’ll go crazy with so many options to choose from. Therefore, it would be better to choose 2 or 3 places nearby your house or ask the contractor for the suppliers he/ she trusts.
Mock-ups Are Your Best Friend
Mock-ups are a must to visualize how your place would look like with the finishes, materials, and disposition the architect or contractor is thinking about. It is a good way to see if the idea the professional in the field is envisioning is what you are looking for. In case you don’t like something, it can be changed before the team starts demolishing, or constructing anything. It is important that you feel satisfied with the work that is going to be done.
Last Piece Of Advice
Now think about your house as a place that will change as time passes by. For example, if you have kids, your children won’t be small forever, they will grow, and being able to change the space accordingly would be a must. Think into the future too, and that will save you unnecessary renovations in the upcoming years. Don’t forget to seek inspiration in architectural magazines, Pinterest, Instagram, or any other place where you can find aesthetic and functional houses and go for that renovation!
