Tips for Planning Home Improvement Projects

Renovating or remodeling part of your home can significantly enhance the quality of your homelife. Some homeowners find renovations to be a little stressful. Any change to your home environment is bound to be a little disruptive. Nevertheless, smart planning and staying organized while the process is underway can make the experience a lot more positive. Here are some useful tips for homeowners who are getting ready to take on a home improvement project.

Seek Out a Reputable Contracting Company

Your happiness with a renovation may depend heavily on who you choose to work with. It’s surprisingly common for people to start a project feeling very happy with their choice of contractor and end it with a feeling of profound disappointment.

Contractors have to spend a lot of their time getting projects, so some small independent companies may abandon projects for an extended length of time in order to secure more work or focus on more lucrative opportunities. If somebody has a partially completed bathroom or kitchen for longer than necessary, it’s going to be a source of immense frustration.

Get some reviews before entering into a contract for a renovation. Try to identify a company such as LBR that has adequate resources and experienced team members to complete the scope of work involved in your project. A bathroom renovation or remodel can go much smoother when you have knowledgeable professionals guiding the process.

Learn What Permitting Is Required

Some cities and municipalities are demanding about building code requirements, particularly when it comes to plumbing and electrical work. Some homeowners and even some contractors may try to skip required permitting because they fear that it will cause considerable delay or additional expense to a project.

In reality, trying to forge ahead without mandatory permitting can make the process a lot longer. After completing renovations without a permit, a city inspector could ostensibly force you to redo everything. Also, inspectors often don’t appreciate when people sidestep permitting regulations, so trying to do so could create tension in what needs to be a cooperative relationship. Also, permits typically aren’t very expensive. A lot of plumbing permits are around just $50, and it’s common for contracting companies to employ personnel or third party service providers whose primary responsibility is facilitating the permitting process for all of a company’s projects.

Prioritize Projects That Raise Your Home’s Value

In addition to making a home more aesthetically pleasing and functional, one of the biggest reasons why homeowners decide to take the plunge with renovations is adding value to their property. Replacing outdated design features or replacing elements that are beginning to lose functional efficiency can add a lot to a home’s value.

It’s worth noting, however, that some improvements affecting the value of a home may lead to a higher assessed value and therefore higher property taxes. Homeowners should take this into account when they’re thinking about their budget for a particular project and the long-term effect that it may have on their overhead costs.

Make Your Changes Environmentally Friendly

One quality of an improvement that can enhance a home’s value is the way that it makes a home more environmentally friendly. In light of the worsening climate crisis, eco-friendly features and sustainability are becoming a big priority to homebuyers. For example, making additions and improvements which make a home more energy efficient or adding a renewable energy source can make a home appealing to prospective buyers in the future.

Even changes that aren’t wholly intended to be an environmental upgrade should still have an eye towards sustainability in the planning and design process. For the most part, homeowners should strive to use building materials that are sourced sustainably such as eco-friendly flooring. Also, they need to be mindful about selecting appliances and fixtures that will use energy and other resources sustainably. For example, new plumbing fixtures should operate with low flow in order to reduce water waste. Likewise, new kitchen appliances such as refrigerators or dishwashers should ideally have an ENERGY STAR rating.

When you’re planning for a renovation, make it a point to do some research and think practically. With good planning, you can achieve your renovation goals affordably and get a final product that you’ll be happy with for years to come.