6 Things You Need To Know Before A Home Renovation

A home renovation can be an exciting time that you might have looked forward to for years. Whether you are redoing a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or the whole house, a home renovation can be extremely stressful. Fortunately, you can minimize that stress by being prepared for some of the inevitable things that you will face. 

If you are in the beginning stages of a home remodel, here are six things that you need to know and plan for:

1. Vet Your Contractor

Asking friends and family members who they recommend to be your contractor is great, and it should be your first step. However, you really need to do a little more digging into your contractor’s credentials before you make a commitment to any particular company or individual. Don’t just take their word for it. Make sure that you have proof of their contractor’s license, certificate of insurance for general liability and worker’s compensation, lien history, as well as  their bond number and certification. 

You also want to take the time to interview potential applicants because you will be spending a lot of time with them. Choose High Point remodeling contractors, or contractors in your area, that you believe you can work closely with and someone who communicates their ideas clearly. 

2. Come Up with Inspiration

Before you start any project, you need to have an idea in your mind of what the finished project should look like. Come up with an inspiration board that shows the types of materials you like, the overall finished look, and any ideas that you want to bring to the table. This helps keep the project on task and prevents you from wasting your contractor’s time at the very start. It also ensures that you will be happier with the outcome. 

3. Decide What Happens to Your Appliances

Appliances can eat up a lot of your budget right from the beginning of your project. You need to decide upfront whether you will be replacing your appliances or trying to get a few more years out of them. This allows you to budget accordingly and can help avoid nasty surprises at the tail end of the project when you decide you want that new refrigerator after all. 

Before you head out to the store, you need to know what to look for when buying kitchen appliances. The best thing you can do is to check out reviews of the potential contenders before shopping. Ask friends and family members to review their own appliances while you also search the internet for good consumer reviews. You want to know how often it breaks down, what features are worth paying for, and if the appliance is worth the overall price. 

The next thing to do is to go through the manual and make sure you understand all of the features. There is no sense in purchasing an appliance that’s too complex - one where you will never be able to make heads or tails of the features you paid for. This is also a great time to compare models, including the price differences between them. 

4. Have Wiggle Room in Your Budget

Unfortunately, too many projects end up with unexpected costs somewhere along the way. The best thing you can do to prepare is to have a little bit of wiggle room in the budget. Pad your budget a bit so that you won’t be shocked when you have to spend an extra hundred dollars on tile or light fixtures. This padding can help keep you from utter despair during a long remodel project. 

5. Figure Out What is DIY and What is Done Professionally

Many handy homeowners feel that they can perform some of the remodeling work themselves. While this is certainly true, there are some areas that you want to allot some extra money to so a professional can handle the work. Your electrical system is definitely one of these areas. If you need a few tips for hiring electricians for your home renovation, this link is a good starting point. 

Always check out a potential company’s licensing and credentials. Every province has their own requirements, so make sure you educate yourself about what an electrician needs to safely work in your area. You also need to check on their experience to see if they have taken on projects similar to yours in the past. This is a great time to ask friends and family for recommendations and to ask the company itself for a referral. 

6. Prepare for Dust and Dirt

There is no way around the fact that a home remodel is going to be messy. It may annoy you to be constantly cleaning up dust, dirt, and debris. Unfortunately, there really is no way to avoid it entirely. You might be able to minimize the effects by hanging plastic sheeting and sectioning off the rooms that are under construction. However, this is not a fail-safe plan and can still let dust pass through to the rest of the home. Embrace the chaos for a little while, knowing that you will have a beautiful (and clean!) home when you are finished. 

5 Reasons To Visit The Grandparents

When people talk about going to see grandparents, they’re referring to their children seeing their grandparents. But what about yours? All those summers spent at Grandma’s house have long since gone, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't spend time with your grandparents now. In fact, it’s probably a great idea to spend as much time with them as you possibly can as they get even older! 

Your grandparents have lived life long before you even existed. They had love and laughter, fun and tragedy, and you can learn so much from them. Parenting has changed massively since they were doing it, but that doesn't mean that they’re not capable of love or understanding. You only need to read blogs like Karrol's Korner to know that grandparents are getting with the times! Your own grandparents may not be as young on the outside, but that’s all cladding. They’re still vibrant on the inside, so let’s check out five solid reasons you should be visiting your grandparents regularly.

Image Source: Pexels

1. The best reason for a visit is to tell them you love them and you’re thinking about them. A simple “I love you” is enough to remind them that you are here for them and you will be there for them as long as they live. They may not be around for very long, and you need to make the most of it!
2. Your grandparents need your help. If they’re not in a home yet, then there’s every chance that they could use help with the shopping and the cleaning. You can volunteer your time to give them some company, too. They need to know that they are loved, and you can make sure that they do with a regular visit and helping where they need you.
3. Your grandparents love to be proud of you. The only thing that they want for you is your happiness, and you should do what you can to live up to that. If you know you’re making them proud, go and show them. You have to remember that even though they are not your parents, you wouldn’t be around if not for them.
4. To put it bluntly, grandparents are often on borrowed time. If yours are in their Eighties right now, then they won’t be around for many more years. You shouldn't visit grandparents just because you’re afraid of them dying, but to make the most of the time that you have before the curtain calls. You can visit and make it a positive thing; all you need to do is put in the time! 
5. Your grandparents have so much knowledge and wisdom about the world, and you should use as much time as possible to soak this up before you can’t anymore. The time that you spend with them could be spent learning about their history and their take on the world. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn their best recipes - they’re there to help and advise, guide and love you. 

First Things To Do After Moving Into Your New Home

Moving can feel like a never-ending slog. You’ve finally found a new space to live, you’ve packed away all of your things, schlepped them to the new place, and unloaded everything. Now you’re sitting in a home full of boxes, asking yourself what to do next. Don’t worry, we’re here for you.

The first thing to do is to get your thoughts organized. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but if you prioritize, the process should be fairly smooth. Optimally, you want to prioritize before you move, so you have a list handy for when you get there. 

Organize your thinking by creating a list in a central space, like the kitchen. Anytime an idea pops into your head, write it down, then mark it with a 1, 2, or 3 (those of you using a notepad can have 3 pages instead). Items that are top priority (marked with a 1) should be done as soon as possible. Items marked with a 2 should be done within the first few months, while items marked with a 3 can be done at your convenience.

Priority 1

Unpack essentials - things you’ll use every day. You need to cook, so unpack your kitchenware. You need to brush your teeth, so unpack your cosmetic items. You need to sleep, so unpack your bedding. You get the idea. What two people consider essential can vary pretty wildly; you know what’s most important to you!

Get your utilities up and running. Optimally, you’ll have done this before moving - get on it if you haven’t. The most important utilities of course are power and water; Internet access and phone service can come shortly after (if you still use a landline). 

Clean the place if it’s dirty. One always hopes to move into a place the previous residents were kind enough to clean, but that’s not always the reality. It’s best to clean now, before you’ve unpacked everything. Take the opportunity to clean your floors and carpets before all the furniture is moved in (if you can). 

Find all of your home’s essential infrastructure; things like the fuse box and the main water valve. Take the time to see which fuses control which parts of your house, and make sure the water valve is working properly.

Secure your home. Check all of the doors and windows to make sure they close properly. Call a locksmith to replace your locks. Make sure all of your CO and fire detectors are working; replace their batteries if necessary. Depending on your level of risk tolerance, you may also want to contact a home security company.

You’ll want to get a mail forwarding service right away if you haven’t yet. Though most of us have transitioned our services to email, finding out you’re still getting paper documents from the bank or the government after you’ve missed a key piece of mail is not fun.

Make sure all of your appliances are plugged in. When people move out of a space, they’ll often unplug appliances to ensure there’s no wasted electricity (vampire power is a real problem). Doing this is especially important for your fridge; you don’t want your groceries rotting, after all.

Priority 2

Meet your neighbors! With a little luck, they’ll come say hello to you when you move in, but if they don’t, it’s a good idea to make their acquaintance. There’s nothing quite like having good neighbors to rely on.

Unpack the rest of your stuff. Those boxes are going to start looking unsightly, and having clutter can stress you out - even if that stress is subconscious! When the last box is unpacked, you’ll be truly “moved in”, an important step to making your place feel like home.

Inspect crawl spaces, the attic, and other spots that are tucked away. You want to make sure there are no leaks, that there’s enough insulation, and that nothing needs to be repaired. 

Do some general maintenance on appliances. Clean out the exhaust duct that’s linked to your dryer; getting rid of lint build-up can save you a lot on your energy bill each year. In a similar vein, you’ll want to change your furnace filters. You can also clean out your air conditioner’s condenser and evaporator, and at the same time check if it's due for a service or needs any repair work. Services like this AC repair in Potomac company are on hand to fix and repair so as to keep your HVAC running smoothly. Lastly, you can clean out the coils behind your fridge as well.

 

Contact businesses and the government to let them know you’ve changed your address. The mail forwarding you purchased should get you through the first month or so, but you’ll need to update your information with relevant parties before too long. When you see that mail has been forwarded to you, take that opportunity to contact the people who sent it.

Priority 3

Refurbishing your home should be at the bottom of your list. That’s in part because it’s important to live in your home for awhile before you change it. You might want to take down a wall to create an open concept living room when you first move in, but as time goes on, you might find you really like that wall. What’s more, few people have the energy to renovate a home as soon as they’ve moved into it. 

Once you’ve lived in the home for awhile, you can start the refurbishing process. You might get a professional painter to paint your home. You might buy new decor that suits your home better, from art to furniture - this is your home, after all, and it should be a reflection of your tastes.

Explore your neighborhood! Now that you’re all set up, you’re a part of a community. Go to local businesses and restaurants. Attend neighborhood meetings. Visit your community centre. Volunteer. Civic activism is good for everyone. 

How Much Should You Spend on Home Renovations?

You may wish to decorate your house to change its look or increase its curb appeal. Whatever the reason for renovating, it is important to set a budget and to set out bins for the trash, a great idea for that is skip bins for hire sydney. Drafting a budget facilitates easy planning and cuts unnecessary expenses. Renovation is good because it increases the value of your home in the market, saves the cost of buying a new house, and creates more space. However, you may need to move out of the house while the renovation is ongoing. How much you spend on renovating your house depends on several factors. Here is a breakdown of important elements to consider when deciding how much to spend on home renovation.

Image via Adobe Stock by Vitalii Vodolazskyi

The roof

A leaking roof is not pleasant. You don’t want rainwater to sip into the house every time it rains. Get rain gutters to collect the water as you make plans for renovation. Ask an expert to send you a quote to assist in planning.

The bathroom

Make your home inviting by upgrading the bathroom. However, don’t rush to change things before you are certain about what you are doing. Think twice before you replace the bathtub with a traditional shower. Opt for freestanding tubs because they are popular and cost-effective. Most homeowners prefer porcelain tiles over marble. It is cheaper to add a new bath than to remodel the existing one. $20,000 should be enough to renovate your bathroom. People no longer love small showers but are into luxurious designs and wide showers. However, don’t think too much about what people like, but what works for you.

Home additions

Do you want to add new features to your home? Speak to a realtor before you buy anything. Most realtors don’t recommend adding master suites because it does not increase the value of your house. Instead, consider practical upgrades that enhance appeal, such as energy efficient windows. Consulting window replacement companies near me can help you find options that improve your home's insulation and curb appeal. Add features that will make your house more attractive. Refrain from buying luxurious items that won’t match the value of your house.

The living room

One of the main reasons why people renovate homes is because they want to change the living room. It is either too small, was poorly designed or outdated. The living room is the center of the house, and it needs to look more appealing. Know the cost of materials and labor to determine how much it will cost to renovate the living room. You cannot change everything at once, so be willing to compromise. You can change the floor, break down some walls, and décor to make the place look beautiful.

The kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the house. When we were shopping for houses last year, I would always notice the kitchen first, I love a really nice kitchen because I spend a lot of time in there, so having nice counters and counter tops was very important to me. We are remodeling our kitchen and I found some gorgeous quartz countertops using the source source: Francostone.  People spend a lot of time in the kitchen, hence the need to prioritize it in the renovation process. People spend a lot of time in the kitchen, hence the need to prioritize it in the renovation process. It is a place where people gather to share meals and laughs. Therefore, it should have a relaxing atmosphere where people feel comfortable. You don’t have to spend a fortune remodeling the kitchen. $30,000 is enough to restructure and revamp this area. The materials you use will make all the difference. Don’t go for expensive equipment or utensils. Use hardwood if you want to change the kitchen floor.

The cost of renovation varies and depends on factors such as the size of the house, materials used, and cost of labor. There are things you can do to take care of your home to avoid damage and need for renovation. Exterior home maintenance chores like cleaning gutters, replacing damaged window screens, and inspecting the exterior of the house can go a long way in increasing the value of your home.