10 Things to know before starting your renovation

10 Things to know before starting your renovation

10 things to consider when starting your renovation

How to avoid product shortages, unstable pricing, and also supply chain issues during  your home renovation

Things to know before starting renovation

If you are planning to make some changes to your home or house, you may be thinking on how you are going to navigate the long lead times and frequent price increases you keep hearing or reading about. Ultimately, it all comes down to careful planning – which is the 101 of any home renovation, global pandemic or not.

Some of the decisions you make in regards to the materials and design can have a flow-on effect to construction, never mind the supply chain problems we’re already navigating. Here are 10 decisions you might want to think about if you’re planning to start a renovation this year.

1. Finishing lines

Things to know before starting renovation

Although standard profiles of skirting and scotia are easy to source, custom profiles are not. If your home has a mismatch of trims, you’ll need to decide ahead of time if you’re going to replace any to match. Depending on the decision, your builder may need to measure up (off the plans) and place an order before walls are built – particularly if you’re trying to match existing heritage finishing lines that can’t be sourced off-the-shelf.

2. Lighting layouts

Things to know before starting renovation

Although the exact fittings and locations don’t need to be confirmed early (subject to lead times), their approximate locations should be. This knowledge enables the electrician to run cabling in the walls and ceiling cavity to the general location and with a bit of extra slack in case the location shifts more than a few centimetres. Given how sought after subcontractors are at the moment, the last thing you want to do is to mess your sparky around after they’ve moved on to another project, so try to have a plan ready for them to work off when they come to site.

3. Plumbing fittings

Things to know before starting renovation

Different fittings have different requirements. The location of your shower or bath drain, whether your toilet is plumbed through the wall or floor, and the position of your basin water supply and waste are all determined by their specific fittings. The bonus of making these decisions early is that you might be able to secure a package deal if purchasing everything from one supplier. Be mindful of anything that triggers building consent (like adding a second toilet) as this will add a few months to your project timeline, not to mention additional cost.

4. Flooring

Things to know before starting renovation

Floor finishes can have an impact on your project in several ways. Depending on how specialised they
are and where they’re coming from, the lead time for your floor finishes can be longer than your construction period. Ordering early can ensure they arrive on time.

All floor finishes come in different thicknesses as well, so if they’re sitting adjacent to one another, (going from a carpeted bedroom to a tiled ensuite), you’ll either need to make allowances for floor levelling or accept the step.

Allowances could mean levelling compound to bring it up, or it could mean cutting down the sub-floor.
Both of these strategies cost money, and the former requires pre-planning for construction.

Ever tried to open a door and have it drag on the carpet? By knowing your floor finishes upfront, your door frames can be installed at the right height to avoid this – otherwise you’ll need to skim the door later.

5. House Windows

Things to know before starting renovation

You’ll need to include the size and location of new windows in your documentation, especially if the project requires a building consent. The supplier will also need to be notified of the programme so they can book you into their manufacturing schedule. Otherwise, if you wait until you’re ready for site measures to let them know, they may not be delivered on time. All manufacturers are under immense pressure to keep up with the construction boom, so if you don’t place your window orders early, you risk holding up construction on site.

6. House Window coverings

Things to know before starting renovation

Choosing your finish, fabric, and style early is a necessity. Much like floor finishes and windows, lead times for the material, as well as booking the manufacturing, could delay your project so it pays to book ahead of time. Be prepared for the risk of needing to change your fabric selection too, in case of a sourcing issue arising. Have a second choice ready to go.

7. Custom anything

Things to know before starting renovation

The benefit of off-the-shelf is just that – it’s off the shelf. Bespoke items, however, can take time to be designed, have materials sourced, and made – often by hand. Think custom joinery for your kitchen or bathroom. The flipside of this, in this current climate, is that if the off-the-shelf item is out of stock, it may well be quicker to have something bespoke fabricated locally to expedite the reno.

8. House Utilities

For those who are building new or renovating a house before living in it, you may need to submit applications for water and power accounts so your tradies have services to connect to during the construction process.

In a subdivision scenario where a new water meter and pillar-box for power is required, the lead time can be literally months, and ideally both will be connected when the build commences so
don’t forget.

Similarly, getting your ONT (Optical Network Terminal) installed so your internet service provider can connect to it and power up your wifi can be a painfully long process. Book it early – it’s better to need to reschedule than move in without internet. Imagine!

9. Made-to-measure

Things to know before starting renovation

As with custom products, anything that requires a site measure (structural steel, kitchen joinery, bifold doors) will need to be booked in advance to secure the spot, even if the timing is indicative only. If you’re working with a builder, then it’s likely their responsibility to arrange this, but a good DIY project manager would check that they have been done.

10. Power outlets

Much like the lighting layout, you need to have an idea of where and how many power outlets you’ll require early on, to enable cabling through the wall framing before plasterboard linings are installed. You’ll never wish you had fewer power points, so don’t hold back when completing your layout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summer. Summer is the most popular time of year to renovate. Folks emerge from the holiday season ready to start planning, and therefore construction starts a few months later during June, July and August.
There’s no doubt that renovating a home can be a stressful undertaking. Whether you’re making decisions on building an extension, fitting a new kitchen or just picking a new shade of paint, the process can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed and out of your depth if you’re not used to taking on these projects.

10 Things to know before starting your renovation

How Much Does It Cost to Renovate a House? Depending on the type of room you renovate, where you live, and whether or not you’re confident with a hammer, your renovation project could cost around $10–60 per square foot—with some projects costing up to $150 per square foot.
Q: Is it cheaper to renovate your house, buy a used one or build a new one? A: It’s almost always less expensive to renovate an existing house than to buy used or build a new one. It’s easiest to break the numbers down by square foot, keeping in mind that costs are highly variable based on location and market shifts.
In general, smaller whole house remodels will take somewhere around 7 to 10 months to complete from discovery to the end of construction, if all goes well. Larger whole house remodels will typically take around 9 to 15 months; longer if there are issues with city permits or other unforeseen delays.
Renovating older properties can also expose hazardous materials, such as asbestos and lead, or electrical wiring that has badly deteriorated over time, presenting a fire risk.
Children, adults, and pets can become sick if home renovations are not carried out carefully. Here is a brief guide to planning a poison-safe home renovation. Lead poisoning: Homes built before 1978 are likely to contain lead-based paint.
Many professionals recommend a one year “cooling-off” period from move in date to the beginning of renovations. While this may seem like a long time, it allows you to thoroughly weigh your decisions and better understand how they will affect your daily routine in your home.
Although some home addition builders might tell you otherwise, it is possible to live in your home while it’s undergoing a renovation. Some projects are relatively easy to manage without interrupting your life, and others that may require a lot of creativity.
If this figure has to be included homeowners who complete only one or two projects at one time. Most homeowners should spend somewhere between $100,000 and $200k for a house renovation.
The average cost of renovating a 3 bedroom house. On average, it would cost you £77,000 to complete a total renovation of a 3 bedroom house to a good quality. This amount is looking at a complete renovation from top-to-bottom and includes upgrading heating, gas, wiring and more.
Replacing or refinishing the flooring, painting or wallpapering the walls and ceiling, and building or redesigning the closet space are aspects of the main bedroom that have a good recoupment on investment and impact on your daily life, says Fisher. Those projects can easily fit in a $20,000 budget.
Once you have a budget for renovations, you can start to consider your options for adding that cost to your mortgage. In doing so, the remodeling costs would be tacked onto your initial loan amount (the money needed to purchase the home), creating a new combined total balance for your mortgage.
Once you have a budget for renovations, you can start to consider your options for adding that cost to your mortgage. In doing so, the remodeling costs would be tacked onto your initial loan amount (the money needed to purchase the home), creating a new combined total balance for your mortgage.
Think about things that will be valued by a range of people.” With a full kitchen renovation, homeowners can recoup about 59% of the cost, and a new master suite will typically return 50%, according to a study from the the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
Yes 2023 can still be a good time to build your custom forever home, despite rising costs and interest rates. Building your custom home is an investment in your family’s lifestyle and should be looked at as a long term financial & lifestyle decision of living in your forever home for 5 or more years.
While a remodel changes the form of something (like adding a new shower to an existing bathroom), a renovation focuses more on restoring something old into good repair (fixing up a creaky floor, for example).
The more square footage involved in your home renovation project, the more expensive it will be. Renovating an entire home will cost, on average, $10 – $60 per square foot5. As a result, the more square footage involved in your renovation project, the more you’re likely to pay.
Therefore, it is more accurate to say that while the rate of increase will eventually slow, it is highly unlikely that remodeling costs will go back below what it was at the start of 2023. In fact, Zillow currently estimates that the housing market will grow another 11.6 percent over the next year.
Whether you’re waiting for your BTO keys or your condo TOP date, it never hurts to start planning earlier. We recommend at least 10 months before you’re ready to move in. This gives you plenty of time to wait for architects, engineers, interior designers and contractors to complete their job.
If you’re looking for a true fixer-upper, you’ll likely pay less than you would for a new home. And if you do the renovations yourself, you can save thousands of dollars in the long run and you’ll end up with a great investment.
Changes in the real estate market can lower the value of your home. Natural disasters and climate change can lower your property value because the property is a greater risk to purchase. Foreclosures in your neighborhood can also drive down property value.
Don’t be surprised, One thing that continues to surprise me – even in all the years I’ve been doing this – is how surprised homeowners are that building or renovating IS so stressful. Even when we’ve renovated our own homes, I’ve been surprised at how stressful it is.
Part of the reason renovations are so stressful is that they can really do a number on your daily routine. Whether it’s putting your kitchen out of commission or pushing you to sleep in the guest room, the added stress of being out of your regular groove is enough to seriously raise your blood pressure.
One study shows that homes being remodeled have five to eight times the amount of particles in the air than homes that are not being remodeled. Remodeling dust – some of it so small you can’t see – can damage your short-term and long-term health.
Over 50 percent of those surveyed reported that the renovation process caused a significant amount of stress in their marriages. In fact, approximately 12 percent of those polled indicated that the stress of renovation caused them to consider or pursue divorce or separation.
If you need to choose which room to remodel first, you’ll want to choose the room that will recoup the remodeling costs and create actual equity. This is why experts agree that choosing to remodel your kitchen or bathroom first is traditionally the smartest move.
The experts are a split on how much a pool can contribute to a home’s value. One HouseLogic study suggests an increase of 7 percent, at most, under ideal conditions, while HGTV reports that the average in-ground pool can up your property’s value by 5 to 8 percent.

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