Planning a Renovation? How to Make it Less Stressful

Of all the things you own, your home is likely to be your biggest purchase by far. Buying a home is an investment in your future finances, as it will hopefully increase in value. But, beyond money matters, your home means so much more. Your home is the backdrop for your life. It provides you with shelter, sanctuary, and a base where you can feel safe and comfortable. Your home certainly does a lot. So, it makes total sense to ensure your home is practical and comfortable. Of course, it helps if your home looks great, too.

Finding the perfect home that’s ready to move into is really, really rare. For most people, having a house that totally matches their needs and personal tastes takes work. This means that a renovation is likely to be on the cards. But there’s no doubt that the word renovation strikes fear in most people. It’s true that there have been plenty of tales of people taking on renovation projects and never getting around to completing them. You’ve probably heard people talking about spiralling costs and nightmare delays to their remodelling projects.

It’s true that a lot can go wrong when you’re getting stuck into a big project like a house renovation. But don’t forget, a lot can go right, too. It’s true that some level of stress will always be there when you renovate a house. After all, it’s a huge undertaking. However, there’s a whole host of ways that you can minimise the stress involved in the project. Here’s how you can make your home renovation as stress-free as possible:

Make a Clear Plan

Understanding what you want to achieve from your renovation project is essential. Thinking about how the renovation will impact your home’s value is a crucial consideration. You also need to think about how you will use your new space. It’s wise to think about how the renovation will improve how you interact with your home. Plus, think about the tangible benefits you want to achieve from the renovation. A renovation project should be designed for the long term. This isn’t an activity you’ll want to repeat every few years. So, developing a clear plan for the project and sticking with this is essential.

It’s so easy to keep on moving the goalposts by adding extra changes throughout the project. But this can cause a range of issues. Making a really clear plan from the start will ensure you know what you’re working towards. You can then discuss your ideas with an architect so that they can redesign your space to meet your needs. Once your plans are drawn up, things can start getting serious. It’s at this stage that you can apply for planning permission if you need it.

Having a clear aim for the project from the start, and sticking with it will help to keep your stress to a minimum.

Figure Out Your Finances

One of the main reasons renovations become stressful is due to finances. Money can be a huge source of stress at the best of times. But when you’re parting with lots of it for a home renovation, you need to manage your money even more carefully. So, how can you stop money from being a huge source of stress in your renovation project?

Having a clear budget for the work right from the start is vital. Setting out precisely how much you’re willing to spend is key. Without a clear budget in place, your costs are much more likely to escalate. So, thinking carefully about how much you’re willing to spend is key.

Once you’ve set your budget, you need to know that you’ll have access to the funds when you need them. You may have to pay some costs upfront, and there will be materials and fixtures to source. All of these factors will involve you paying some money in advance, so it’s best to have it in place. This is worth keeping in mind if you’re planning to apply for a loan to cover the cost of the renovation. Otherwise, you may find that your plans are put on hold. Stalling your project due to a lack of cash is a common reason that renovations get super stressful. No one wants to be left living in the middle of a building site because they’ve run out of cash. So, getting your finances sorted as a priority is a must.

As even the most carefully planned budget can go out of control, it’s also helpful to add a contingency fund. Your contingency fund is there to cover those unexpected costs. It’s a really useful buffer to have to keep your project on track.

Choose Your Team

A renovation project can sometimes feel like a leap of faith. Your patience and nerves will be tested at times. However, choosing the right team to complete the work can help you to ease your stress levels.

Selecting the best contractors to work on your renovation can make a huge difference to the entire project. You’ll find that the finished result will be better, and getting to the end of the project will be a much smoother process.

Unreliable contractors that don’t turn up when they’re supposed to can make a renovation a nightmare. You may feel worried that they’re cutting corners. Perhaps you’re concerned that they’re not using the best quality materials. When you’re trusting a team with your home and your cash, you need to be sure you can trust them. You want to know that everything from the Stainless Steel Threaded Fittings to the front door is of great quality.

Choosing a building team shouldn’t just be about their price. While it’s important not to overspend, in the long run choosing the best construction team can cost you less. When choosing a company to complete the work, be careful. Check their testimonials are genuine, and ask for personal recommendations from family and friends. Also, check that they’re insured. These checks are always worth making to get peace of mind.

Prepare Your Home

If you want to keep things super stress-free, you may want to move out while the work takes place. All the coming and going, noise, dirt, and dust make living at home while the work happens incredibly stressful. If you can move out while the work happens, you may find it’s a lot better for your well-being.

Don’t forget to prepare your home before you leave. Remove valuables and cover up any pieces of furniture that you want to protect. No matter how careful your building team is, this is a disruptive and often messy process. So, it’s better to be cautious to prevent your belongings from being ruined while the work takes place.

Stay Focused

Managing a renovation project is essential. When a series of problems strike, it can quickly lead to your renovation being severely delayed. So, keeping on top of the project is vital. You need to know what’s going to happen and in what order. This allows you to pre-empt any issues before they arise. Staying one step ahead all the way through your project is something that needs to be done from the start. That way, you can ensure that every part of your project runs smoothly.

This is a hands-on job, so if you don’t have time, you could employ someone else to take on the role. Employing a project manager can be expensive. However, they should be able to shoulder a lot of the stress without it coming to you.