Home Renovation Tips Before You Start

Whether your intentions are for beautification or improving comfort, renovating your house can be a satisfying experience. But just as with many things you put your effort into, you need to be careful so you don’t mess it up. Home renovations require more than just the desire to change your home.

With the many aspects involved, it’s best to sit down and think before actually going through with it. This will not only save you from wasting time and money (especially if you’re using a home renovation loan), but also from the pain of having to deal with mistakes.

To prevent you from feeling frustrated and to properly plan your renovation, here are few tips to keep in mind:

Set a Budget and Stick to It

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and excited and start planning your dream house. But let’s be realistic, we’re working to a budget here. Don’t go out buying everything that catches your eye, nor should you plan with set items in mind. A great place to start is by creating a budget for yourself and shopping for renovations according to that budget. This forces you to be a bit more creative with your purchases, as limits often push our creativity. This also ensures that you won’t go overboard and not buy more than you need (something that’s easy to happen when you’re excited).

Set a Schedule and Time Frame

Renovations don’t just take one afternoon to accomplish (unless it’s the very easy kind). They can take up to six hours or more. Plan your day carefully, with consideration of how time-consuming your renovation project is. Depending on what you are doing, the best moment to do your renovation differs.

Painting the walls is best done at a time where kids aren’t present, and moving around furniture is best when you have someone present to help you. But beyond knowing when to do your renovation, it’s also important to make a projection of how long it can take. Remember, when you’re busy changing your kitchen tiles, nobody can use them. For projects that seem like they’ll take a long time, think of an alternate option when people can’t use it. Instead of cooking for the night, why not eat out? These are considerations you also have to think of when renovating.

Include Plants in Your Design

The importance of planning for your renovation is already established, but while we’re at it, it’s best to include plants in your plans. Yes, we’re talking about decorative houseplants. It’s not a smart idea to just place plants wherever, as they can either be an obstruction or an annoyance when placed haphazardly. Certain houseplants are best placed at certain parts of your home, as some plants need more light than others, or act better as air filters.

Look into what kind of houseplants you have (or plan to have) and include their placement in your layout plans. This way you’re making the most out of your houseplants, making the most out of your renovation as well.

Consider Downsizing

Part of the moving around and rearranging your furniture is coming across items you find hidden in the nooks and crannies of your home. Items that you never realized were missing since you never really used them much. In moments like these, it’s best to ask yourself whether you still need that object. Because if not, and they end up being clutter around the house, the best option is to either sell or donate it. You can sell or donate old items such as clothes, books, toys, or gadgets for charity. You’re also doing yourself a favor by reducing clutter in your home.

Let Light In

When re-designing your home, consciously include allowing more sunlight in. Avoid blocking windows or other natural light sources with furniture. Why? Because sunlight makes the best light. Natural light comes with a lot of benefits, such as getting Vitamin D, helps you get better quality sleep, and even prevent seasonal affective disorder. If you don’t have large windows, you can make the most out of the natural light you have by using mirrors to spread natural light all over your room.

Place mirrors near sources of natural light but point them away so it shines across the room. Doing so will make it feel like the room is covered in sunlight, making it a cozier place to be in.

Home renovations are exciting. You’re giving your home a makeover, essentially changing a semi-permanent aspect of your life.