Home Renovations: What You Must Know

by Good Millwork on May 3, 2010

in Home Renovations

3960145638 4c5f9ed031 Home Renovations: What You Must Know Essentials to Know BEFORE you begin renovating:

If you’re a budding do-it-yourself expert, the chances are you’re itching to get started on doing up your DIY project. However, there are some things to bear in mind when it comes to picking the right home to restore or renovate.

Historical restorations can be time-consuming and frustrating, as you are bound by the era your project was built in to restore it in a period fashion. True historical restoration are historically accurate projects that return a home or building to original condition.

We can match any historical millwork or architectural trim. Contact us or call (888) 209-9307 ~ We are happy to assist.

Home renovations can preserve the historical character of a home or building while adding modern conveniences, updating the floor plan to better suit your current requirements or building additions to the original structure.

The following tips will help you when you select the right project for restoring a property back to its original state of glory or renovating it to be just right for your purposes.

Do your research BEFORE you buy!

Handy American wisely suggests that you:  “Determine the weak and strong points of your house, consult with friends, neighbors and even building suppliers to get an idea of the scope of the project you want to undertake.” [From Tips on How to Plan a Home Restoration Successfully.]

What should you look out for?

Ensure you’re not buying a money pit. In an older property you should be prepared for anything, right down to half the wall staying on the wallpaper when stripping or huge holes behind the paneling. Don’t be afraid to make umpteen visits with every type of tradesman in order to know what you’re letting yourself in for!

Ask the experts

Roofers, timber and damp specialists and electricians will charge nothing or very little to engage their services for estimates and will be more beneficial to you than a surveyor or architect in the initial stages.

We can offer recommendations based on years of experience including advice on the best materials for your project.
Contact us or call (888) 209-9307 ~ We are happy to assist.

How much work is involved?

This depends on the property, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. For a good first experience of renovating, try doing up a dated property rather than a wreck. A new kitchen, bathroom, central heating, carpets and re-decoration will miraculously transform something dark and decrepit into a ‘des res’. You can always leave the architects, specialists and planning department to another time when confidence and funds are more plentiful.

Funding

Be prepared. The phrase most heard when doing up a wreck is:

“It cost twice as much as I thought it would.”

Set yourself a budget and build in some contingency funding – 15 per cent of the total cost is a good guideline.

Tight budget? Let us suggest alternative materials
or methods to bring quotes into your price range.
Contact us or call (888) 209-9307 ~ We are happy to assist.

Managing the project

A project manager will liaise with the builder and ensure work is carried out to specifications. You could manage your own project or employ an independent. Get all the quotes well in advance, from carpets to carpenters. That way you can calculate all your expenditure.

Never expect the scheduled timescales. The buying and the restoring may not always go as planned. It makes sense to seek as much advice as possible, especially from people who’ve done it before, and be prepared to live in a building site until things are settled.

Employing tradesmen

Decide exactly what work you want to undertake before asking for any quotations. Write a clear specification; it need not be technical, but it should detail the work you want to carry out.

Working with experienced, quality focused people will ensure you are spending your money wisely and you will get a consistent level of support and advice along the way.

Have Questions About Any Renovation Project?
Contact us or call (888) 209-9307 ~ We are happy to assist.

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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }

Danny from Tampa Real Estate May 4, 2010 at 11:15 am

Twitter: @dannyintampa

I am no handyman so I wouldn’t even attempt to do any do it yourself projects. I would call the professionals like yourself here at good millwork to handle the project, but that is just me.
.-= Danny @ Tampa Real Estate´s last blog ..Tampa Bank Owned Homes =-.

Reply

Scott Webster April 23, 2011 at 5:24 pm

Agreed, I would never go about doing it myself. Things I have learned though: how to turn off the water at my house. Disaster averted!

Scott Webster
for Chaput Rootmaster, a Denver Plumbing Company

Reply

free online adventure games May 11, 2010 at 6:01 am

Thanks for the tips. As you said, it is definitely important to get Roofers, timber and damp specialists and electricians to check the conditions of your home first as they can definitely help to identify any potential problems that your house might have.

Reply

Gail from Support Small Business May 19, 2010 at 1:52 pm

Twitter: @GrowMap

I know this post could benefit many more people that do home renovations. I’ll do my best to spread the word online.
.-= Gail @ Support Small Business´s last blog ..Support Small Businesses =-.

Reply

Steve from Steam Showers May 20, 2010 at 12:44 pm

Great tips… What style ceiling is that with the wood trim? That ceiling looks amazing.
.-= Steve@Steam Showers´s last blog ..Why Oasis Steam Showers Are the Best on the Market =-.

Reply

dog daycare May 20, 2010 at 1:20 pm

I agree that is its better to call in the experts when it comes to home renevation, But since I’m no handyman and nothing about DIY, choosing a reliable professional is something difficult, so its great to know that you give recommendations :)

Reply

Dog Sitters June 8, 2010 at 10:56 am

Great tips :) Love the flooring in the pic, can’t quite see what it is – is it carpeting?

Reply

Pablo from Policeman Costume June 15, 2010 at 10:12 am

I think its always important when undertaking any significant project at home to add a little buffer to the estimated project cost. Projects NEVER come in under budget so make sure you add in a little bit of extra cash to your next estimate.
Pablo @ Policeman Costume´s last [type] ..Privacy

Reply

Alex from Moving Companies June 16, 2010 at 6:06 am

You should definitely have a home inspection done before you think about buying a house. I think no one would like to end up with paying extra for renovating parts of the house that were supposed to be ok. Only after the thorough check up you can buy and move into your new place.

Reply

Alex from Giochi Moto July 8, 2010 at 6:39 am

Very good tips
I agree that it is important to get Roofers, timber and damp specialists and electricians to check the conditions of your home first

Reply

knxville bathroom remodel October 14, 2010 at 1:58 am

has a lot of necessary information…

Reply

Darin from San Diego Home Inspection December 24, 2010 at 1:53 am

Twitter: @sdinspector

Some home reno projects you could probably tackle yourself if you are a DIY, with a little help from your local home center. Most larger projects I would most certainly seek advice from a licensed professional in your area. Check with your local real estate agent for referrals, or your home inspector is a reliable referral source as well.

Reply

cynthiapellan from HomeLoanFinder.com.au December 28, 2010 at 7:04 pm

Renovations add additional value to your house. Great information here!
cynthiapellan @ HomeLoanFinder.com.au´s last [type] ..Gateway to New Profit- Realty Sector of India

Reply

tony from Dallas Roofing January 2, 2011 at 12:56 pm

Historical renovations really scare me, like you say, plan on spending about double what you budgeted. But at the end of the day, it adds so much value to the property, there is no reason not to do it.

Reply

Tom from Skip Hire January 11, 2011 at 5:59 am

Good tips here. I find that many different things can be done around the home with little money, rearranging the furniture or painting. For larger jobs greater planning is required, however I personally don’t think it has to be all done in a set period. There’s no problem with doing it bit by bit, even though it’s nice to have it all done in a few days.

Reply

Renovation London February 2, 2011 at 12:25 pm

Hello Good Mill,

Excellent post on how a renovation should be undertaken. Especially the “It cost twice as much as I thought it would.”, and the slipping timeframes can not be underlined enough. Way too often, people have got to high expectations when it comes to renovation works. Until you get out out of the ground and complete your demolition works it will always only be qualified guess work even for the seasoned builder.

Martin, Preisler Construction Ltd.
London

Reply

Tony from Dallas Chimney Sweep February 7, 2011 at 7:22 pm

This site has some of the best architectural pictures of any blog I have come acros in a long time, just beautiful. Very nice.

Reply

internal doors March 1, 2011 at 7:31 am

A very nice check list to read through before starting work, how many time have people started a job and found that its beyond their ability and it then end up costing more to fix. If find that underestimating ones ablity is the best way to make sure you dont bite of more than you can chew.

Ant
internal doors
internal doors´s last [type] ..How to Cut Out a Section of a …

Reply

Raymond from Flooring March 14, 2011 at 7:54 am

I am often astonished to see how many times the careless placing of one piece of furniture upsets the actual balance of a room. One chair in the flow of traffic or a tipsy lamp next to a door can really ruin a good looking design. To help you make smart choices, look thru books on decorating that discuss traits, preferred room dimensions, available options for furniture matching, and other helpful decision making information. Often ebooks and other online resource can point out good hints and tips to really get you started

Reply

Matt from Carpet Flooring Raleigh March 30, 2011 at 8:52 pm

Old homes are charming and full of personality so be prepared to put a lot in before you can live comfortably. Before buying give the house a full audit: from electrical, plumbing, energy efficiency down to industrial hygiene (for the presence of asbestos or toxic mold). It also helps if you know the age of the house so you know what kind of renovations need to be done.

Reply

Barbara F. Arteaga April 11, 2011 at 7:59 pm

The quote, “It cost twice as much as I thought it would,” is indeed very true. I come across the same thing every now and then when dealing with expenses in general. Restoring/Renovating your home can be very frustrating, and thus needs thorough preparation. The things you’ve enlisted here are very much helpful. Thank you.
Barbara F. Arteaga´s last [type] ..Living Room Furniture Sofas secretary desk with hutch

Reply

Daniel from NYC Remodeling April 12, 2011 at 4:24 am

I suggest hiring professionals.Good architects, designers and contractors will add to the initial price of the project, but can save you a lot of money and frustration in the long run.

Reply

David L. Ford from pool filters and pumps April 22, 2011 at 10:33 pm

Renovating a house requires greater planning and the risk is it may cost more than you planned.

Reply

Sam from Steam Cleaner Reviews April 25, 2011 at 2:08 am

This is a great step by step resource on how to do DIY renovations. Make sure before you purchase you get a building inspection report done on the property to ensure there are no hidden DIY projects you may be buying into. Great read.

Reply

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