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The Process of Altering or Adding to Your House
So, you are thinking about making changes to your home. Maybe you are looking to improve the energy and water efficiency of your bathroom, or maybe you are expanding to suit a growing family. Home renovations are a smart move for anyone looking to add financial value and liveability to their property. Whether you are looking at a simple DIY project or a major renovation, following these steps will help.
What are the steps to renovating a house?
Plan your perfect house
It is not worth rushing into any project. Spending time planning out how you want to improve your house will ultimately save you time and money. Think about your long-term goals. Are you aiming to make your house more functional or beautiful? Are you wishing to maximise the house’s market value, increase energy efficiency or minimise ongoing electricity costs?
If you have never done major renovations or additions to a property, think about consulting experts. Experienced tradespeople are happy to discuss options for your project, such as advice on the best building materials.
Consider your neighbours if your work will involve large delivery vehicles or any excessive noise. Discussing your plans with them before the work starts could help prevent inconveniences to them and diffuse any tension from living next door to construction.
Work out a rough budget
If you watch any renovation shows, you’ll know that the number one mistake most people make is underestimating costs. Making a budget and sticking to it can be a huge challenge. A good way to avoid budget overspending is to set strict budget caps for each stage of the project to avoid being surprised with a massive bill at the end of renovations.
It’s also useful to make sure 10-20% of your budget is set aside to meet any hidden costs or opportunities you’ll encounter. Make sure your budget allows for any finishing touches, such as decorating and furnishing after structural work is completed.
Prioritise the most important things
This is when you make a list of all the things you want to change in your home and prioritise what’s most important. Prioritise things that will make your house safe and dry, such as heating or repairs to roofing. After making sure everything is structurally sound, you can list other projects aimed at increasing sunlight, combining, or dividing rooms, or adding space and storage.
Compare your list with your budget and be realistic about what you can attempt. Renovating is usually an ongoing process- maybe you can’t tackle everything immediately. Your priority list will help you take care of the most important things first.
Getting a price
Homework time! Getting accurate preliminary cost will mean that you can schedule each stage of your renovation plans to suit your budget. It is helpful to contact professionals who can give you quotes on the time and costs involved in your plan. Comparing quotes from different businesses will give you a realistic idea of what any modifications, upgrades or additions will cost.
At this stage, you may realise you need to scale down your immediate plans or increase your budget, or even seek a loan. Keep in mind that cost estimates can often rise due to unexpected challenges.
Getting approval from the Council
Before your dreams can become a reality, it is important to check if your project may require council approval. Most renovations will need a Development Assessment to get consent and approval before work can begin. Submitting your plan to the council
This sounds a lot more intimidating than it is! If you’ve never done this before, a qualified architect or designer can help you through the process.
Finding your dream team
Unless you are a hardcore DIYer, you won’t be able to manage your renovation on your own. While you may be able to manage small things like replacing old appliances or installing showerheads, you will need qualified tradespeople for any electrical, gas or plumbing work. Consulting experts for large projects can save you time and money in the long run- inexperience can lead to hidden costs.
Think about signing a contract with any tradespeople you work with to keep everything fair and settle any disputes that may arise.
The Fun of Renovating your own Home!
This stage is when the actual renovation takes place. You’ll be able to see exciting transformations everyday as your dream slowly becomes a reality. It can also be a stressful time that calls for quick problem solving for any issues. You might need to make rapid, well-informed decisions to deal with unforeseen challenges. Experienced tradespeople are great at keeping clear lines of communication to give expert advice and make split second choices to meet your needs.
Try your best to cater to any reasonable needs of your team and maintain a healthy relationship with them. This includes providing them a safe place to take breaks while they work. You might find it useful to do a quick tidy at the end of each day to prevent a build-up of mess.
Finishing touches
After all the dust has settled, make sure you do a walk around of your property to make sure that all the work agreed upon has been finished. Make sure you get official certificates from any tradespeople you work with to prove that the work has been done to Australian standards. You may want to hire professional cleaners to tidy the final mess.
Get the Professionals to do the Work
Finally, you can style your home. When your house is freshy painted, furnished, and decorated you can enjoy your hard work. Renovating or adding to your home can help your house better suit your lifestyle and add market value to your property. If you are considering adding a deck or patio to your house to enhance your home and lifestyle, consider Hunter Patios & Additions. With over three decades of experience in building, they will be able to guide you through every step of your renovation journey. If you are looking to do renovations, call our friendly team on 02 4966 8488 or fill in our contact form today.
