7 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL HOME RENOVATIONS

Home renovations, property investments, or flips can be very stressful projects to undertake. It can be even more stressful if you are not sure exactly how to go about the renovation and what you should do to make the renovation go smoothly as possible.

Sure you can hire an architect to do all the work for you but if you are on any sort of budget that is quite a costly undertaking. If you are choosing the more DIY route, the following are 7 things to remember when you are going to renovate or flip a home:

• Budgeting Will Be Key: Budgeting will set a total price tag that you are willing to spend on a project. For example, if you are renovating your kitchen, you might say I am not willing to spend more than $10,000 on this project. Knowing how much you can spend will help you determine which projects are most important and will be tackled first.

• Do Your Research: Understand what features will have the highest resale value if you are ever looking to sell your home. For example, if you want both new countertops and new appliances then do some research and find which one will give you a better return value on your investment when you go to sell your home. If you ever plan to sell your home, determining which renovations offer the best return on your money you will have a better guide to determine which renovations you undertake first.

• Increase the Efficiency of Your Space: Renovations generally do not create more space. The square footage of your home is the square footage of your home, however, maximizing the space you have can make all the difference in making your home feel much larger than it did before the renovation. This is especially true for storage spaces, maximizing every inch can make the home feel like it has a lot more storage space than it did before. It will help you get the most out of your renovation and a great resale value if you ever look to sell your home.

• Consider Adding Natural Lighting with Skylights: Adding skylights to “dark” rooms such as bathrooms or closets can add plenty of extra natural light to the home, which makes these rooms more usable. A skylight is also a relatively “economic” option for your home about $400 and $1300 depending on the size from start-to-finish.

• Do Some of the Grunt Work For Yourself: Whether it’s hauling heavy objects or demolishing an existing structure to replace it with a new one, doing many tasks yourself can save you from having to hire outside labor. Laborers work is not cheap but if you become the laborer you can save quite a bit of the cost of the project by making it a true DIY.

• Visit Secondhand Stores & Recycling Facilities: You will find great deals at many junk yards, scrap metal facilities, secondhand stores, and other recycling plants. Everything from cabinets, tubs, sinks, or even front doors can be reused. You can find many of these prices at steep discounts by simply buying secondhand and renovating the items at home on your own. That way you can customize them to fit the renovations you are doing as well!

• Look At Garage Sales, Flea Markets, & Estate Sales: Many different garage sales, flea markets, or estate sales can offer great deals on gently-used or barely used second-hand furniture. This may be just the place that you find a great deal on dream piece a piece that looks like it was just made for that room you’ve been renovating.

These are a few great tips that you can follow to help make your renovation easy and effective as possible. Planning ahead is key. Make a budget and stick to it as closely as possible. This helps you undergo a smooth renovation you can afford while also adding value to your home in case you ever plan to sell your home again.