Start here even if you’re just starting to think about renovating your home.

This isn’t a DIY post, I’m not going to show you how to rip your bathroom apart and how to put it back together. I mean I could but I’m not in the business of DIY, but I can guide you on what to expect and what decisions you will be making during the process. When it comes to renovating a home, it usually starts with months and sometimes years of planning. There will be lots of decisions you will have to make way before the demo starts. There will be mood swings, shopping sprees, stress, planning on the fly and daydreaming. As Emily Henderson said, “it’s like giving birth, minus the physical pain”. She also said clients will experience “ renovation amnesia”; you will forget all about the painful moments almost as soon as the renovation is complete. So before you dive head first into your renovation project, hit pause and do these three things first.

Set your priorities

You first gotta get one important detail ironed out before you contact a designer, contractor or even if you planning on doing the job yourself. You have to think and set a budget; setting a budget that you are comfortable with spending for your renovation will set the tone of the project. This will guide you on whether you want to invest in quality material or would like to purchase material at a good price point and have the work done properly the first time. I would suggest looking into your area at the average cost of a renovation. This will vary depending on the location and type of renovation. Here are Canada HomeStars reports, kitchen renovations cost about $30,944 or $195 per square foot ****According to Bryan Baeumler, they can cost anywhere from $15,000-50,000. That’s just for a kitchen renovation. Keep in mind, prices have drastically changed post covid, things cost more now and naturally, the prices for renovations have also gone up.

Come to terms with how much you can handle.

A full gut reno is just that, gutting everything, down to the studs. it ain’t pretty and you will most certainly experience some hiccups or delays along the way. Depending on the project & space, it will almost mean you will need to move out of your home (again depending on the project), disturbing your life. If you are just gutting one room, you will not need to move out but it will still disturb your day-to-day. I ultimately tell all my clients to have faith in the process; it needs to get ugly before it can be pretty. So if you are the person who needs to keep your day-to-day routine to the T or if the project is a full home renovation happening all at once; I recommend finding other living accommodations. This will save you the headache and the stress of living through a renovation.

Decide what kind of help you need.

You need to decide what the scope of work of your project will be. By the scope of work, I mean what the project entails. Demo, new cabinetry, paint, new tile, new countertops, new electrical & plumbing etc. You also need to decide what you would like to do on your own or if you want to bring in professionals. I love a good DIY/hack but not everyone is cut out for it. You need to be honest about whether or not you are that person. Do you have the time to invest in this project? or are you willing to learn a new skill? If the answer is no, then I would recommend that you reach out to a professional out.

I would recommend reaching out to a designer (if you choose to get help with the design and selecting finishes) as soon as possible! We will be able to help you out not only to make things look pretty but to make sure you are investing your hard-earned money correctly. We can help you stick to the budget and timeline, manage your orders & delivery, and plan and execute a virtual space that is tailored to you and your family’s needs. We have the resources and tools to save you time and headaches during your renovation. The time that you would rather be spending time with your family or out with friends, rather than planning the next step or picking the next material.

“Renovating is just like life—you can’t skip steps. And if you do, you might miss out on the good stuff. Make your dream home a reality by renovating it”

I hope with these 3 wise pieces of advice you can decide what you are capable of handling during your next renovation. There are tons of resources online to help you decide the level of commitment you are willing to make for your next renovation job, but I believe these 3 are truly the most important questions you must ask yourself before even thinking of starting a renovation. Be sure to check our other blog post for more helpful resources for your next renovation project. Click here If you do decide you need help with the planning and design; visit our services page to see how we can help you out.

Let me know down below what is your biggest worry about starting a renovation job whether you are planning on doing it yourself or if your planning on contracting it out.