How to Take the Stress out of a Home Renovation

Purchasing a home is a really exciting time, and one of the best parts of the house buying process is planning how you will make it look perfect. Being able to adapt and renovate a property so it perfectly matches your needs is a great feeling and the ideal way to get your dream home. 

If you have bought a house that is brimming with potential, chances are you are desperate to get started on the work and to see your vision for the property come to life. But, before you begin your property transformation, it is a great idea to prepare as best as you can before the work gets started. Renovating a property can be a stressful task and can quickly become a lot of hassle if the project is not managed carefully. While an entirely stress-free home renovation project would be almost impossible to complete, it is possible to reduce the stress involved when remodeling your home. Here are some tips to help minimize the stress of your home renovation project:

Stay in Place or Move Out?

Having any type of work completed at your property is disruptive, but when it is an ongoing project such as a house renovation, the level of disruption can be challenging to cope with. Figuring out the best way to manage the project from the start will ensure the impact it has on your stress levels is kept to a minimum. Deciding whether to stay living in the property while the work takes place or whether to move out temporarily is a crucial decision and one that you will need to consider carefully. There is no right or wrong answer to this question; you simply need to weigh up your options and to choose the one that best suits you.

Moving out of the property during the works will enable the contractors to progress on the project without interruptions. Staying elsewhere also means that you get time away from the project, which is helpful if you find the noise and busyness of the work distracting and stressful. However, there are benefits to staying on-site throughout the works.

Remaining at the property while the work takes place will enable you to keep a close eye on progress and to manage the project effectively. It will be a lot easier for you to ask the contractors questions and raise queries about the work along the way when you are living at the house, and you will avoid the added expense of needing to pay for additional accommodation. The project may experience fewer delays if you are at the property, which is helpful if you are keen to get the work completed as soon as possible. So, there are pros and cons of each option to consider.

Create Your Budget

Money worries during a renovation project can be a significant source of stress and can even put the project in jeopardy if they are left unresolved. Deciding on a realistic budget for the project before it begins is essential. You will need to carefully monitor the progress of the work and how much is being spent throughout the renovation project to keep it on budget. You may find it helpful to break your budget down into separate categories to make it easier to manage and to help you see where savings can be made if necessary. The more carefully you track the budget and monitor the spending, the less financial stress you should experience when trying to bring the renovation to completion. 

Unfortunately, even the most precisely planned budget can be exceeded if the works run into unforeseen complications. These unexpected issues can add thousands to the cost of the work and can send your costs spiraling. To avoid yourself being put in the stressful position of dealing with unexpected expenses, you may wish to create a contingency fund. A contingency fund is a separate pool of money based on a percentage of your total budget. The contingency fund is there to cover any unforeseen costs that occur during the renovation. Setting up a contingency is an excellent way to avoid any last-minute struggles to raise funds if something unexpected crops up and will help to prevent a lot of additional stress in this situation.

Select Your Contractors Carefully

Choosing the best contractors for the job is one of the most crucial parts of the project. The more reliable your contractors are, the less stress they are likely to cause you. Selecting contractors that have been recommended to you directly by their past clients is a helpful starting point, as you will also be able to gain an idea of the standard of their past work. Choosing the best contractors is vital, as your decision can impact the timescale of the work, the cost, and the final finish of the project. So, choosing the best team to complete the job is worth the time that it takes to research your options and to find them.

As well as looking for testimonials and examples of past work, it is also vital to ensure they are insured and have the appropriate licenses and accreditations to perform the work to the highest standard. Don’t forget to discuss your timescales for the project with the contractors to ensure they can accommodate your timings and to prevent the work from carrying on for much longer than you anticipated. To avoid further problems, it is a good idea to decide on a firm start date for the project with your contractor and to make this part of your agreement.

Prepare Your Home for the Work

One way to get a headstart on your renovation project is to prepare your home ready for the work to commence. Choosing a reliable skip hire company such as Sheridan Skips will ensure that you have a skip ready and waiting for you to put in all the items you no longer need. Choosing a reliable skip company is vital so that your waste is disposed of ethically and in an environmentally responsible way. Getting these items taken away will help to minimize the clutter and amount of stuff on-site when the contractors begin their work.

As well as clearing out the items that will not form part of your newly renovated home, it is also helpful to think about the things you do want to keep. Protecting your belongings and your furniture during the renovation is essential to prevent the stress of lost or damaged items from occurring. Moving your furniture out of the way and covering it in protective sheets is one way to try and avoid damage and will give you one less thing to worry about. Storing items that you will not need to use during the renovation in a storage unit away from the house is also a great way to avoid any preventable damage to your property and keep your stress levels low.

Understand What You Want to Achieve

The final point to consider before starting your project is to carefully assess precisely what you want to achieve. Renovation projects are costly, so to ensure you are going to gain everything you hope to from the work, it is vital you have a clear idea of what you want the finished result to look like. The clearer your vision is for the project, the easier it will be for you to control it and the less stressful it will be to guide the renovation work to a successful conclusion.