What Should You Do Before Renovating Your House?

Before you get contractors to work on your residence, think your renovation plan through. Getting your house renovated is a great thing! You can have a rock garden as you always dreamed and extended storage place which you always needed, possibly also a large garage to park the extra cars whenever you throw a party for friends! However, you need to be informed before embarking on the difficult task of renovating your house. Before picking out a home renovation book or watching a video, talk to friends and people who have recently had their houses renovated. Remember the saying: measure twice, cut once.

The contractors that you will hire will do the job as required but you need to develop a flawless renovation plan because mistakes once done cannot be fixed or are mostly expensive to fix.

Consider the following questions before going for renovations:

Is your home renovation practical?

Maintenance renovation is not a choice. You have to do it for the safety of your family. It also protects your investment.

According to experts, practicality and not luxury is in, these days. This means bidding adieu to a top-of-the line kitchen and bathroom remodeling and getting improvements that are functional. You can renovate almost any part of your house but bathroom and kitchen renovations will pay you back the most when you are selling your house.

Another trend big in market these days is to go 'green'. Insulation, energy efficient lighting and water-saving fixtures save money in the long run.

Is it worth your money?

No doubt you will save by renovating and making your home greener. However, do consider payback of the renovations you are undertaking.

According to the 2006 figures of Appraisal Institute of Canada, bathroom and kitchen renovations give the highest payback of 75- 100%, meaning they increase resale value and appeal of the house. Next are exterior and interior painting, both with paybacks of 50-100%.

Is renovation adaptable?

Flexhousing brings flexibility and practicality in your house such that you can re-use a room as your needs change over the years. For instance, you could convert a large room into two smaller ones and convert the basement into a rental suite.

Is it healthy?

Choose an energy efficient design making the most of natural light. Choose products made with recycled content such as salvaged lumber. Building material should not give off toxic gases when used in construction and should involve minimum waste.