Make sure you do your home remodel planning first

Proper planning helps you avoid the rush. Most homeowners underestimate the number of decisions they need to make before they even get the construction underway. When you don’t give yourself sufficient time to plan up front, you’ll tend to make hasty decisions that you’ll either want to change later. Or worse, in your hurry to get moving, you’ll overlook an important consideration that can cost you much more after you’ve started to build.

A rule of thumb to remember; Anything you have to re-do a second time to get it right will always cost more than doing it right the first time.

Whether working with a designer or consulting with your contractor for ideas and advice, the variety of decisions you’ll need to work through will add up quickly. You’ll do better if you give yourself the proper time to cover the planning phase up front, and go in with a positive attitude. Enjoy the planning steps and make it fun.

Choosing appliances, materials , plumbing fixtures, electrical fixtures, cabinets, windows, skylights, flooring, paint and colors, etc., is a time consuming process and a lot of ground to cover. Having a professional designer or an experienced contractor to lean on for advice and ideas and help guide you through the maze of choices, options and costs can truly be a life saver.

When you give yourself the proper time up-front, you’ll have several advantages:

• You give yourself a better chance to take advantage of great sales and seasonal specials.
• You can talk to family and friends for more input and advice. Don’t be afraid to leverage the experience of those you trust.
• You’ll have the time to call and visit the references furnished by your contractor or designer. There’s nothing better than to see their work first hand.
• Remember, you’ll be living with your home remodel choices and decisions for many years to come.

Home remodel planning – next steps.

Once you take the first pass at your set of choices, preferences and ideas, your first round of project bids may come in over budget. This can kick off a whole new round of choices and decisions. You may need to alter designs, re-draw some plans, make some alternate materials choices, choose some different appliances, or simply defer some of the work into a later phase.

And don’t forget murphey’s law. If the unexpected ever applied to anything, it definitely applies to complex jobs like a home remodel. It’s almost a guarantee that sooner or later, something will come up that you don’t expect. Always build extra time into your final remodeling plan, and allow for the unexpected including an illness, bad weather, delayed permits, supply and materials backorders, etc.

Setup for an enjoyable home remodel

It’s unrealistic to expect you won’t encounter problems and challenges along the way. But there’s no question, you’ll preserve your sanity if you take the time to put a sufficient plan in place up front.

Stay ahead of things around a home remodel project from the start. With proper planning in advance, you’ll be better able to enjoy the remodeling process along the way, rather than feel like you’re struggling and trudging through to get to the finish line.