5 Things To Consider When Renovating Your Home
There’s a reason home renovations have boomed during the pandemic – with more people staying at home, we’ve prioritized loving the home we’re living in and making the most of our space! Instead of moving or building from scratch, renovations are also a convenient and affordable way to make the most of your current living situation. That said, if you don’t take the proper things into consideration before starting, remodelling your home can get pretty overwhelming, pretty quickly.
We love helping clients renovate their homes on the Sunshine Coast, and we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. Here are 5 things we think you should consider before you start renovating.
Consider Your Budget When Renovating Your Home
Of course, most people start with a budget when remodelling. But in our experience, this budget is often unrealistic because it doesn't account for unforeseen issues. For example, it’s not uncommon to run into mold, dry rot, or foundation or plumbing problems that need will need to be addressed.
So a good rule of thumb is to set aside 20% extra in case you end up needing it.
Do You Need Outside Help?
Refreshing your paint, replacing your cabinet handles, putting in new light fixtures – there are lots of DIY options to spruce up your home.
However, for bigger projects, it’s often easier, safer, and more efficient to work with the pros – namely with architects, draftsmen, engineers and other contractors, depending on the type of work you’re planning.
Contractors can help you avoid some of the budget-busting issues we’ve already covered, and they can also help you navigate other cost-saving options that we’ll cover below.
More than that, they can also bring a level of expertise and experience that ensures a smooth renovation process and results you’ll really love.
Make The Most Of Your Space
Sometimes, to make the most of your space, all you need is a little ‘Marie Kondo-ing’ and some better organization. But if you’d like to do more, consider working with an architect who can help you discover new ways to maximize your home.
For example, removing walls to create open floor plans can create a lovely feeling of more space. We love open floor plans because they let families do different things in different spaces, while still being together. This of course is a job that should be left with a contractor.
Cost Effective Options
Did you know that you can recycle a lot of ‘waste’ materials that you may generate as you renovate your home? In fact, recycling materials is one of our top techniques for home building cost savings.
For example, here are some ways we like to re-purpose waste in our home renovations:
Unused lumber as shelving
Old glass can be made into new windows
Concrete can be broken down and used as a base for driveways
Metals can be melted and reformed into something new
Untreated timber can be used as firewood or re-purposed into the home
Re-purposing old roofing as terra cotta or slate tiling
As an added bonus, you’ll be lowering your carbon footprint while also saving money.
A second way to save money on your home renovation is to consider home renovation rebates, which are given to home owners who make their homes more energy efficient. Check out our complete guide to BC New Home & Renovation Grants here.
And if you’re working with a contractor, be sure to ask about how they can help you with these cost-saving options.
Save Money In The Long Run With An Eco-friendly Home Renovation
Not only can renovating your home to be more ecofriendly save you money via rebates. It can also save you lots of money in the long term, by significantly lowering your energy costs. Learn more about passive and net-zero home building here.
Our passion is helping clients build and renovate using the latest in ecofriendly building techniques, and we offer services for any and all steps along the building process. And we usually work on full home renovations and custom home building, we are more than happy to work with clients on smaller-scale projects, too. Reach out to learn more.