How to Prepare Your Home FOR A Renovation

Congratulations on making the decision to renovate or remodel your home! It is a very exciting process that takes lots of preparation to properly execute. But before you dive in, the first step is to get ready. It’s imperative to prepare your home for this big change, as well as prepare yourself for the journey it takes to get there. Here are some easy things to remember when preparing for your home renovation.

Create Your Budget 

All things cost money, especially updating your home. It is so very important to have a rough estimate for how much you’re wanting to spend on your project before moving forward. A contractor or designer is going to need to know that information. Having a set number written down will also motivate you to stash money away for your project. 

Communicate with Your Contractor

If you decide to forgo the DIY route and hire a contractor to complete your home renovation, it’s very important that you have good communication with each other. Walk them through your space and tell them your ideas. Get a rough estimate for the work that will need to be done. Don’t hesitate to ask any and all questions you have. This will help you feel more at ease with the process and establish a good level of trust with your contractor. 

Find Inspiration

Once you have a budget set and a contractor lined up, now it’s time to decide what you actually want to do with the space. Surf the internet looking for some inspiration. This will help you formulate new ideas, decide on color palettes, and the overall vibe you’re looking to achieve. Save anything that interests you and create a mood board. Putting different colors and styles next to each other will help you better visualize the space and see what works well together and what doesn’t. 

Next, consider consulting with a designer. There are millions of different combinations of different hardware, light fixtures, appliances, etc. It can be very overwhelming to make those specific design choices. Designers are great at helping you make those tough decisions so you can feel confident about your overall design.

Clean Out as Much Stuff as You Can

Before construction starts, you’re going to need to try to clear the space as much as you can. This means removing items from drawers, cabinets, shelves, and on countertops. Move any furniture, decor, or other valuables out and away into non-construction areas. If you have a lot to go through, then it might be a good time to think about putting aside some things you don’t use anymore to donate or sell. 

If you don’t have space to store all of your items safely away from the construction, it might be worth going with a storage locker. Whatever you need to keep your items safe, clean, and out of your contractors' way.

Cover Everything

There is going to be a lot of extra dust and dirt in your home during your renovation construction. Most contractors will cover the doorways with plastic to help minimize the spread of all the dust, but it would also be extremely beneficial to cover any furniture and decor left in the space and surrounding rooms. You can also vacuum-seal clothes, linens, beddings, etc. that you don’t need during your construction to keep dust off them. 

Decide on Living Arrangements

In most cases, you can still live in your home throughout the renovation process. Whether you’ll want to stay, well, that’s another story. Depending on the length of your project construction, life in your home may not be normal for quite some time. If your renovation is a project that will affect many different parts of your home, you and your family might want to relocate to save yourselves some headaches. Contractors may be going in and out of the house constantly and making a lot of noise.

If you do decide to stay at home, make sure you take the necessary steps you need to still be able to function. If you’re working on a bathroom renovation, make sure you still have one functioning bathroom you can use for the time being. If you’re redoing the kitchen, set up a temporary kitchen area until you’re safe to move back into your new space. Have your contractor set up plastic barriers to separate areas of construction from living areas to minimize dust and dirt from getting around your home. 

Be Prepared to Make Tough Decisions

While good planning might keep issues from rising, it is likely that you might encounter some unforeseen issues. This could mean plumbing issues, electrical issues, or needing to make changes to the design. Knowing exactly what you want can help you make decisions faster, as well as communicate well with your contractor to work through unexpected circumstances.

Prepare Mentally

A home renovation is definitely an emotional investment as well as a financial one. Prepare yourself the noise, disruption, and the change in routine. Just come to terms with the fact that things are going to be out of the ordinary for the time being and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you feel yourself starting to get worn down with the mess and people constantly going in and out of your home, take some time away to breathe or tag team with your spouse. 

Although it can be daunting, embarking on a home renovation is such an exciting process! The KBUILD team takes pride in ensuring that your renovation process is seamless while also delivering you the finished product you dreamed about. Our talented design team can help you with all of the tough decisions when it comes to your selections. In addition, our craftsmen are expert problem solvers that thrive in clean workspaces. If you’re looking for a contractor for your project, give us a call at (636) 362-2015, or request a quote and we’ll get back to you right away.