If you own your home, the chances are that at some point in the future you are going to want to renovate some part of it. Not only will it make the house more enjoyable for you to live in, but it also makes a lot of sense to maximise the value of your house, so that, if you ever choose to, you can make back as much money as possible when you sell it. Renovating your home is quite the project though, without the added stress of having to relocate yourself and your children in the meantime, so here are some basic steps to help you along.
#1 Choose Your Project
Depending on the current state of your home, there could be very little or a great deal that could be improved.If your oven is old and doesn’t work well, and your countertops are stained and chipped, then investing some money in your kitchen would be a good idea, if not, then leave it as it is. You might want to add an extension to your house, or a conservatory, so you need to go room to room and have a good think about what it is that you want and, more importantly, what you need.
#2 Research & Budget
Once you’ve chosen your project/s, you need to start looking for the kind of materials you like, any appliances you might want, and, most importantly, reputable contractors. Always ensure you have several different references and reviews for a contractor before you give them any money. You don’t want to pay out for a shoddy job or pay up front only for them to disappear part way through the project. This research will help you come up with some prices, and therefore a budget for each room or project on which you are you are working. Try to stick to this budget, because you won’t be happy if you overspend.
#3 Funding
Now you’ve got your budget; You need some cash. In a perfect world, you would have a pile of notes stuffed under your mattress, saved just for a day like today. But we don’t live in a perfect world, so it’s possible that you have no money saved at all. If this is the case for you, it may be time to start looking for someone from which to borrow the money. For a project as big as this, it’s unlikely that you’re going to want to ask a loved one to lend you the cash, so it’s likely that you’re going to have to take out a loan. There are plenty of places from which you can secure personal loans for home improvement, so have a look around and see which offers you the best interest rate.
#4 Get Permission
Whether you own your own home or not, chances are, if you’re adding an extension or a conservatory to your home, you will need planning permission. Applications for planning permission can take a long time to get back to you, sometimes even months, and even then they may not be accepted. You might want to bear this in mind, before making any solid plans.
Hopefully, this short guide has given you some insight into how to start up the process of renovating your home. Just try not to do too much at once, as it may cause you more stress than it’s worth.
