From renovating a kitchen to adding on a bedroom, major improvements to your home require significant planning and preparation before you ever pick up a hammer. Here is a step-by-step guide to planning a big home improvement project.
1. Determine whether the timing is right. As many seasoned homeowners will tell you, tackling a big home improvement project can be taxing. If you have a lot of other stress stemming from relationship problems, a pregnancy, irregular work hours or caring for an ailing family member, you ought to consider putting off your project until you can devote more time and mental energy to it. This is especially true if your project will put an essential part of your home out of commission; you can’t very well make do without a bathroom if you have to drop everything for a few weeks.
2. Create a plan for the work that needs to be accomplished. Be generous when determining your time frame, especially if your project will depend on factors like the weather or air temperature outside. When redoing a kitchen, for instance, you will need to make plans for replacing (or salvaging) the floors, cabinets, ceiling fixtures, appliances, sink, counter tops, trim, molding and more. Plan for potential issues that you might encounter, as well. What happens if you need to re-wire the room? What if you encounter lead paint or asbestos?
3. Once you have a complete picture of your project, outline your budget for the project. Determine how much you can spend on each aspect of the project, especially the parts that are most essential to the room’s function. You don’t want to spend too much money on a fancy mirror in the bathroom, only to discover that there isn’t enough left for the toilet. For this reason, it’s a good idea to wait until you have all or most of the money for the project saved to get started.
4. Purchase your materials. If you prefer the most simple approach or have little room for storage, you may choose to buy all of your supplies in one trip to a big-box home improvement store. However, if you have more leeway in your timeline, you may snag better deals on building materials by watching for sales on the supplies you need, purchasing and storing them until it’s time to begin the project. Keep a running checklist of what you have already purchased and what you still need.
5. Secure the appropriate permits. Certain building projects will require permits from your local municipal or county building regulators. Generally, you need these permits to build a new structure on your property or add onto an existing structure, although many jurisdictions require permits for renovations, too. Talk to your local authorities to see if you need to secure documentation prior to beginning your project.
Tackling a major home improvement project requires careful planning from beginning to end. By using these tips, you can ensure that your next big project gets off on the right foot.