In the heat of the moment, or on paper, a home reno can seem like an absolutely wonderful, pleasant and transformative time for your home. Unfortunately, the reality of it is that not only are things a lot harder outside of our heads, but many things can also go wrong during a home reno. Some of these things are unforeseen, and others are simply ill-advised choices or bad planning. In our short little list we will give you five tips that will help ensure your home DIY is as successful and painless as possible in line with ASTM safety standards.
1. Have a Clear Vision for your Reno
Firstly, like we said previously, renovations can sound a lot sweeter in our heads than they turn out. The most important first step is having a clear and concise vision for the areas in your home you intend to renovate. This includes everything down to the paint colours, appliances, and rough list of materials. It is far too easy to get caught up in an unrealistic or dream-scenario reno, so putting it down on paper helps a lot when visualizing your plans. Be it a list or even drawn plans. The more planning and preparation you make beforehand, the less you’ll have to make on the fly or pressed for time when actually renovating. Try your best not to get caught up in the accessories and trinkets if you can help it, and leave that step for last. The biggest and most important parts of your renovation should take up the bulk of your consideration, with smaller effects coming in later.
2. Create a Sensible Budget
As we just alluded to, it can be easy to create unrealistic visions or expectations. Not only will visualizing it help, but putting pen to paper regarding a budget works wonders. You’re aiming to strike that balance between costs and desires, your allocated spending and your dream designs. It is of utmost importance to get a real understanding of the prices associated with your proposed plan, which means the materials, labour and maybe even a bit extra tucked away. If you want to be as prepared as possible, make sure a contractor looks over your budget, and see if it aligns with their experience and knowledge as well, since prices vary from location to location, and even timing plays a role.
3. Use Safety Gear
Whether you are intending to have a hands-on approach to every aspect of your renovation, or only intend to tackle some of the lighter jobs around the renovation, wearing the appropriate gear is crucial. Work-Safety Wear is the type of clothing you can wear surrounded by tools and equipment, keeping you safe, protected, and flexible to do the work that needs to be done. If you’re working with heavy-duty tools this means goggles, gloves, or both. If you’re just painting or moving things around, this means durable, flexible, and replaceable clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty or ripped. No matter what tasks you’ll find yourself doing, make sure that you’re dressed for the occasion and put safety first.
4. Pick the Right People
No matter if you’re hiring a general contractor or specialized sub-contractors for the tasks at hand, you are always best off to find the right group of people to help complete the project. In some cases, you might learn of a contractor from a friend, and if they did a wonderful job on their home, you could see them working with you too. If that isn’t an option, or not enough, you could consider doing an all-out check on their background to make sure the people you’re dealing with are true professionals in good standing. Alternatively, try looking online for reviews from previous renos and see if they have a great track-record. By making sure the people you are hiring to help you are qualified and dedicated to their craft, you are in the end making sure that your project turns out as best as it can. The right hiring can make or break project, budget or vision wise.
5. Stay Positive
Our final piece of advice is to make sure you stay positive throughout all of this process. Home renovations are not often smooth, problem-free, and quick. Be prepared for days when things just aren’t going your way or according to plan. In the end, it all gets ironed out, but the best course of action in the moment is to remain calm and optimistic. It can be easy to sink into a bad mood or state of mind when things aren’t all smooth sailing, and while things rarely turn out exactly how we imagine, we must always strive to achieve our goals as closely as possible without our feelings getting in the way. Sometimes things don’t get delivered on time, sometimes you get behind schedule, but keeping a strong mental fortitude to deal with the tough situations is key to ensuring the rest of the reno goes as well as it can.
By following all these tips it will be very hard to go wrong, and you’ll be incredibly well-prepared for the road ahead. Keeping your head on straight, hiring the right people, budgeting and visualizing concepts well all create the environment for a great reno regardless of hiccups or hitches along the way.