Tips for a Successful Renovation

Master Your Renovation: Plan Smart, Dream Big, and Stay Focused!

Getting ready to tackle a home renovation/addition can be one of the most exciting and stressful experiences you’ll ever have. There’s no shortage of things to think about, and just about everyone has an opinion on how things should go. In this newsletter, we'll tackle the 3 of 7 key steps in making the renovation process go smoothly!

Tip #1 Do Your Homework

Poor planning is the most costly mistake you can make!

Good planning is the key to successfully completing a project on time and on budget. Discovering issues or making changes while everything is only on paper is exponentially cheaper than those same things happening after hammers start swinging. You’ll never be able to anticipate every possible issue, nor is it likely you’ll go through the construction phase without a single change. The best way to minimize risk is to front-load as much of the discovery process as possible. Surgeons don’t begin an operation without first making a sound diagnosis, nor should anyone start construction without investing in sound planning.

Tip #2 Emotion Is Key

What do you want to feel as you open the door?

It’s easy to get caught up in details and nuances while planning your project: size and location of rooms, materials, fixtures, etc. But be sure not to miss the forest for the trees; it’s critical to have an emotional vision for what you want out of the project. Think beyond the pragmatic, quantifiable aspects and more about WHY you are doing what you’re doing. What do you want to feel when you open the front door? What are the core, underlying reasons for renovating or adding on? When these overarching ideas are thought out, it cannot only help to simplify some of the smaller details, but also aid in identifying aspects that don’t fit within that vision.

Tip #3 Pick A Focus

Remember your "Why?"

When you start putting numbers and prices together, it’s not uncommon to experience some “sticker shock”. People tend to significantly underestimate just how much things cost. It can be overwhelming and disappointing when you realize your budget may not align with what you want to achieve. In such cases, the best way to bring clarity to the situation is to establish a hierarchy of your wants and needs. By picking a focus, you can identify what is most important, and where you’re willing to compromise. Think back to the WHY we talked about in tip #2. Using that lens, you can set up a “value engineering” process to help trim costs and get you back on budget.

Stay tuned next month for more tips!