Things to Know to Prepare for a Successful Home Renovation

If you watch a lot of HGTV you’ve seen the happy families that breeze through their home renovation with ease. There are no delays, no price increases and things are always finished on schedule. If you’ve ever undertaken your own renovation you know how truly unrealistic this notion is. Renovations are filled with highs and lows and if you ask anyone mid-way through their own renovation, they will likely overwhelm you with horror stories of what’s gone wrong.

It’s not necessarily realistic to expect that your renovation will go off without any hitches but there are ways to drastically minimize the issues. If you’re working with a designer some of these preparatory steps will be organized and taken care of for you but if you’re flying solo, here are some tips to help you navigate your own reno.

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3 STEPS TO PREPARE FOR YOUR HOME RENOVATION

1/ KNOW YOUR BUDGET - there is an enormous amount of work that happens BEFORE the renovation in order to make it a success. That means before you ever reach out to your contractor or designer you should be doing research. Whether you’re engaging in a small powder room or full-house renovation you need to have a clear and honest understanding of what your budget is. Spend time at appliance stores, hardware stores and furniture stores. Get an understanding of what things cost so that you’re not overwhelmed later. Start a spreadsheet of all the items you’ll need and start filling in the blanks after each exploratory shopping trip. This may not serve as the final budget calculator but it will educate you enough to have successful conversations around budget with your team when the hiring begins.

Why is it important to have a budget before you get started? The world of interior design is immense. For every item you’ll be purchasing there will be massive range of pricing. If you have desires to include top of the line appliances in your kitchen but you’ve only budgeted for pieces from a big box store where will those thousands of extra dollars come from?

There will always be juggling of the budget in order to stay within the parameters but being prepared early means less disappointment later.

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2/ KNOW YOUR STYLE - this may seem like a trivial matter, particularly if you’re hiring a designer. You need to have at least a basic understanding of your style because otherwise you can be heading into a series of costly mistakes.

If you’re about to begin a kitchen renovation for example, the cabinetry decisions you’ll need to make will be based on your design style. A traditional cabinet is much more detailed and ornate than a modern, flat slab panel door and those choices all come together to create the overall aesthetic in your space. Even something as seemingly innocuous as cabinet pulls will reflect your design style.

The easiest way to determine your own style is to spend time on Pinterest or Houzz. Start by looking through images and start to collect the ones that appeal to you. You don’t even have to know why you like them. After a while you’ll see patterns emerge. It might be colour or it could be symmetry. There are lots of things that designers notice that help to determine the style so if you’re overwhelmed and unsure, share with your designer.

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3/ KNOW YOUR TIMELINE - never before has the design and construction industry been so busy and timelines for completion so lengthy. Covid changed the way we use our homes and the place we previously only lived in after work has now become our haven for everything. This unprecedented time gave way to unprecedented numbers of design projects all taking place at the same time.

If you’re hoping to have a fully renovated main floor by Christmas you should be planning for that in late winter or spring (yes, the previous winter!). Designers and trades are booked for months and sometimes over a year so plan for that.

Start reaching out to designers and contractors the minute you are committed to going forward with the design. It might be a month before you can get a meeting scheduled so plan early. Being aware of the timelines is the most empowering thing you can do. There’s nothing more upsetting than spending a year planning your renovation with your spouse and hoping to get started asap only to find out it’ll be months before you can even start the planning process with your team.

Reach out and interview your team early but know that there will be a significant amount of time before you start. Use that time to do the work I listed above. It’ll make you feel as though you are in fact making progress.

There are so many sleepless, stress filled nights that can be avoided if you take the time to get organized and embark on your home renovation the right way. Don’t think of these steps as something that you can avoid. Think of them as a necessary first part of the renovation process. The most successful projects are the ones that are the most organized.

Having said that, know that there will be delays in delivery of items. There will be backorders and changes that need to be made. There will be trades that don’t show up and things that are discovered behind a wall that gets pulled down. Budgets will need to be adjusted for surprises. Knowing that all this is just a part of the journey will hopefully make it feel less chaotic in the moment. All these things happen but a great plan and a great team will help to minimize the pain.

Thinking of renovating? KF Interiors has a proven method and a reliable team that can guide you through any renovation, large or small. Reach out if you’re interested in having a conversation around how I can help you. (link to services page).

Happy planning, Kristina

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