Your home is your sanctuary, where you kick your feet up at the end of a long day, where you entertain guests, where you care for your family, it is where the story that is your life unfolds. Home decor is one of the many ways in which we express who we are, what we care about and what ambiance best reflects our lifestyle.
And yet, as we grow and change, our houses do not. Sometimes a complete home renovation is necessary to bring your living space up to date or meet your current needs.
Create a Budget
This is arguably the least fun, but most important part of preparing for a complete home renovation. Having a budget set before you start making design choices can help you stay within your budget. Once you have a number set, you can then start to assess how much materials will cost and how much is available for items that you love.
It’s essential to allot extra money for unexpected expenses. What happens if you see water damage when you tear up your floor? Or if you have asbestos in your linoleum that requires testing and special disposal? Reserve at least 10% of your budget for the unexpected so you aren’t caught off guard. If nothing comes up, then you have extra money to splurge on something special!
Figure out what you are willing to spend more money on will actually help you save money. If you can paint your cabinets instead of replacing them, maybe you can afford to buy nicer hardware that will have a greater impact on the look of the space.
Shop for a Contractor
You are going to be spending a lot of time with this person. It’s important of course to find someone with quality craftsmanship and a price point that’s within your budget, but you also need to find someone that you communicate well with and enjoy talking to.
Site Prep
Your contractor might have a plan for this already, but if not, you will want to make a plan for site prep. Using zipperdoors on hallways and in between areas that are being renovated can help contain mess. If a room is not being used regularly, place a towel or cloth at the gaps between the door and the floor, and close vents.” Cover all of your floors with paper or cardboard to protect them from work boots and all that comes with a complete home renovation.
Storage
Where are you going to be storing your things during the complete home renovation? If you’ll be temporarily moving out, you will likely be bringing things with you. But if you are staying in your home? You’ll definitely want to devote some area to storage while your home is in disarray. An extra room is perfect if you have one, otherwise you may want to consider renting a unit or buying an inexpensive shed for your backyard. Stay as organized as you can, renovating is chaotic enough!
Anything that is staying should be covered in plastic or a drop cloth to protect it from the inevitable mess.
Consider the Portals
Doors are an inevitable part of our movement from one room to another. They receive the brunt of the impact of our daily movement around the house. They get chipped, worn and eventually need replacing.
Doors are not only essential components to a functional home, but they also contribute to the ambiance of our homes and enhance the decor’s harmony and functionality.
Whether you are doing a complete remodel, new build, or simple renovation, it is important to consider how your interior doors fit into the bigger picture of your home style. Doors are an important part of your home’s architecture, undermining their decorative value in your interior design can throw off your whole aesthetic!
A door can harmonize with any style; modern, colonial, warm, clean, vintage, whimsical, etc. What style will best fit in your environment? Check out our blog post on how to pick a door that matches your decor style.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Why replace something when you can restore it? If your old wood or tile floors look a little worse for the wear, they may just need some TLC!
Polishing and refinishing floors is a lot less expensive than replacing the floor entirely. The same goes for cabinets. Do you really need new cabinets or do they just need a new finish?
You’d be surprised how far some new paint and hardware can go. When it comes to your budget, that simple update will be far less expensive than new, custom cabinets!
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