There are few things more exciting in life than the idea of having your dream home. As much as we all love to travel and enjoy nice experiences, not a lot of things beat home. Whether you have huge aspirations or not, being in a position to design and renovate your dream home is something that we all long for. It could be a modest style home or a McMansion – either way, giving it a luxury transformation can be a lot of fun! Of course, it may not actually feel like that along the way. In fact, you may find that it can be somewhat stressful at times. Without building codes and delays, construction chaos and budget issues, there’s a lot to contend with. Yet, that still doesn’t mean it has to be crazy.
If you know that you’re ready to take on a luxury home renovation, you have come to the right place. In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at exactly what you need to factor in when you’re getting started. We’re also going to run you through the key steps you need to take to get it all done. Whether you are looking to do this within a few months or a few years, the process is largely the same. So let’s take a look at how it will all work.
How to Prepare Yourself for an Extensive Construction Project
Before things get underway, it’s always a good idea to make sure that you’re prepared. Being flexible and open-minded with this kind of project is always a good idea. That way, if there are issues, you’ll be more relaxed with them. At the same time, you will also want to have your budget all planned out and be aware of any restrictions that apply or permits you may need. Then, you’ll be all ready to get things underway!
Why it Pays to Be Decisive Here
One thing to make a note of before we get started is that you will want to ensure that you’re decisive as you go through this process. Being decisive doesn’t come naturally to everyone. However, when you are going through a construction project like this, you can’t usually go back and forth or make changes once something has been installed! So, you’ll want to ensure that you’re ahead on things and have everything planned out and decided upon so that things run smoothly.
13 Steps to Follow for Your Luxury Home Renovation
Now you’re going to want to get plans underway for your luxury renovation to begin. If this is the first time you’ve ever done it, it’s important to make sure that you’re following the right steps – in the right order. So here’s thirteen things you need to keep in mind.
1. Have a Clear Idea of What You’re Looking For
Firstly, you’re going to want to begin by making sure that you have a clear idea of what kind of thing you’re looking to achieve. It helps to create a list of things you want to have in the final design and what you want the finished effect to be. Being super clear on this will make all of the future decisions much easier to make!
2. Hire an Architect to Nail the Plans
Then, the very first thing you need to do here is make sure that you’re hiring an architect to get the plans for your renovation drawn up. Of course, if you’re just painting a home and not really making too many changes, this may not apply. However, if you’re moving things about, converting rooms, extending the space, or even rebuilding, this is an essential step.
3. Make Sure the Layout Suits Your Lifestyle
When you’re finalising designs, just make sure that you’re choosing a layout that is both functional and will support your lifestyle. Designing a floorplan can be tough. But thinking about how your home should support your lifestyle and make everyday life easier is always a strong way to go.
4. Find a Contractor Your Trust
You also need to make sure that you have a contractor you really trust. They’ll be responsible for the majority of the work, so you want to be sure that you love the kind of work that they do and that they are good at the job! That way, you can relax knowing that you’re in good hands.
5. Consider Working with a Project Manager
At this point, you may also want to think about hiring a project manager. If you intend on doing that yourself, then you may want to carry on with that. But appointing a project manager could make things easier for you and ensure that the entire process runs like clockwork – so it could be a smart move!
6. Get the Structural Stuff Sorted First
If you’re doing the project management or you just want to be aware of the best way for this to work, you need to ensure that you’re getting all of the key structural work done first. It helps for you to look into things like a roof replacement cost, footings and frame requirements, and even what safety requirements there are. That way, you’re all prepared for what’s to come.
7. Bring in Expert Trades to Do Their Thing
At this point, you’re then going to need all of the specialist trades to come in and do their thing. From the electrical work to plumbing to carpentry, it’s important to get everything done in the right order. Your architect and project manager can advise you here. Then you have things like plastering, flooring, and painting to consider too.
8. Know What Interior Design You’re Going For
Even when your home is still a shell or the construction has only just gotten underway, you’re going to want to make sure that you know what interior design looks you’re going for. It’s important to know what theme or style you’re working towards – including picking out any colors early on. That way, you won’t hold anything up.
9. Pick Out Fittings and Fixtures Ahead of Time
Something that will make things so much easier for you is to ensure that you have picked out the specifics of what you want for the property ahead of time. If you’re not on the ball here, you may find that your contractors are ready to fit kitchen units or add in bathroom staples, and you haven’t got them on site! So make sure you’re ahead of them to avoid delaying your project.
10. Leave the Landscaping Until Last
As much as you might be excited about your landscaping, make sure that you don’t rush into it too early. It’s okay to choose the landscaping designs you like, but don’t get the work underway until the rest of your construction is finished so that nothing gets damaged. Landscaping should always be done last!
11. Make Sure Everything is Checked and Tested
Before you let everything be wrapped up, you have to ensure that you have everything checked and tested. Depending on where you live, you may need to get a building inspector out and have everything signed off. Ultimately, you don’t want to move in and find that you have any leaks or issues later on down the line. This step should prevent that from happening.
12. Check in With Your Budget Along the Way
You should also make sure that you are checking in with your budget along the way. Although it can be hard to stick to your construction budget, if you always know where you’re at, you have much more chance of being able to adjust as you go. It can also help you to avoid any nasty surprises with costs!
13. Make Sure You Have Contingencies
Last but never least, you should always ensure that you have contingency plans in place too. It’s safe to say that unexpected costs can come up and you may find yourself in a place where you need to move in and the home is not ready. So, having contingency plans for these things can make everything feel a lot less stressful.
Final Thoughts: Staying Sane Through it All
It’s safe to say that going through a major home renovation can take over your life! There’s a lot of work to be done, decisions to be made, and it can take months if not years to complete. It can also throw your everyday life a little off balance. If this is something that you’re worried about, it’s important to make sure that you have ways to stay sane.
Firstly, making sure that you are flexible can make all the difference. Having very little expectations of how things will progress is also a great idea, and it will allow you to be more relaxed when the inevitable delays happen. Being able to focus on the excitement of the finished project will also keep your spirits up – even when things aren’t going to plan! So all that’s left for you to do is enjoy the finished result as soon as it’s ready!
