Heitmeyer's 10 Best Renovation Tips

March 23, 2023

Renovating your home is a fun project to begin. You can remove the old and refresh it or replace it with new to give your home a brand-new look. And you’ll increase your home’s value.

As exciting as this project may be, it can be stressful as well. If you know what you’re doing and you have a vision in mind, you’ll do great.

Here are 10 tips to help make your home renovation project go a lot smoother.

Don’t Tear Down All the Old Stuff

You may have heard of the phrase “out with the old, in with the new.” Sometimes, that applies to home renovations too. You may have out of style fixtures like cabinets or floors. Maybe there are fixtures with paint chipping off. Before doing anything to the fixture, inspect it.

If you feel that it’s no longer of any good use, go ahead and remove it. Shop around for a newer, more durable version of the fixture you removed. It’ll go well with the new and improved look of the home, and last longer.

The fixture could be in a good condition, but just needs some touching up cosmetically. A simple fix would be to remove it, sand it down (if it’s wood), repaint it, and place it back. Not only will it look like a great upgrade, but you also save money by refreshing what you already have.

Budget

Before you even think about your home renovation project, you need to see how much cash you have to work with. Renovations can get very expensive, depending on the scope of the project.

To avoid overspending and going into debt, follow these suggestions:

Establish a maximum spending limit, and don’t go over it for any reason.
When shopping for materials, look for deals, discounts, or buy in bulk.
Avoid using credit cards; you’ll be tempted to overspend and risk getting into a financial situation.

If you’re absolutely confident you can stick to the budget without overspending, then use a rewards credit card. You can rack up points towards travel or cash back. But again, don’t do this unless you are absolutely in control of your spending.

Plan Out Everything

Another step to take before beginning is to deeply analyze your home. What parts of your home truly need an upgrade? What needs replacing ASAP?

Think about the people who live in your home and how you all live your day to day lives. Is there enough space to move around? Will you have to renovate something to accommodate a disability? Are there elements of universal design in your fixtures and doorways?

These are deep questions you’ll need to think about before starting. As you answer these questions, go around the house and measure everything. Measure the spaces, the appliances, the furniture, the floor, and the height. You’ll need to know this info in case you want to replace something.

Depending on the scope of the project, you should have a timeline of when you’d like stages of the renovation to be done. It’ll help you keep track of if everything’s going smoothly or not, and you can let your friends and family know when it’s okay to stop by for a visit.

Your plan should have all of your needs and wants, along with a project outline. This will help with decision making.

Research Your Contractor

You can do some renovation projects on your own. Some are as simple as repainting walls, replacing cabinets, or redoing the floors. However, some renovations will require the help of a contractor. They’ll be useful for projects that involve upgrading piping or wiring systems.

Don’t just look for the cheapest contractor available. Do extensive research on multiple contractors to find one that works well for you. You can background check them by:

Asking for their license
Using trusted resources or friends and family for reviews
Asking the contractor for references
Seeing how openly communicative they are

Read: 10 Tips for finding a reliable home renovation contractor

Prepare for Outages

Depending on the renovation project, it may involve your water or electricity being temporarily turned off in certain parts of the home.

If bathroom, kitchen, or lighting is part of your plans, have an estimate of how long this part of the project will take. Obviously, you can’t use these areas when the plumbing or electric wiring is being worked on.

While the project itself could take a few weeks, you may only have the water or electricity off for half a week.

Read: how long will it take to remodel my bathroom?

Focus on Quality and Longevity

When working on your budget, you may be tempted to use cheaper material for the home renovations. Don’t do this.

As appealing as it may seem for your wallet, it may not benefit you in the long run. If you want to increase your home value, invest in more durable, long-lasting material. You can use these quality materials to raise your selling price if you ever put the home on the market.

The contractor (if you work with one) should offer suggestions on what would be good materials to buy. They may also know the best locations to get the best deals on good quality materials that won’t break your bank account.

Gather All Necessary Permits

As much of a hassle as this may be, you want to gather all necessary permits for your city. These permits have guidelines for the home and help prevent unexpected damage like risk of fire.

If you get caught working on a major renovation without your permits in order,

Your homeowner’s insurance will be voided
You’ll get hit with hefty fines
All the work you did will have to be demolished

Read: what happens if I don’t get a permit for my home remodel?

A good contractor should already be getting these permits very soon after agreeing to work together.

Touch up the Exterior

Don’t forget to make the outside look just as amazing as the inside.

Look at the exterior doors, walls, siding, grass, and driveways. Some of these may need replacing. Others, like the lawn, could take some touching up; finding a good landscaping company will help tremendously with this.

Elevate your home’s curb appeal by touching up or adding plants, trees, and bushes. Touch up any walkways or driveways.

You could make your home feel more spacious and cozy by adding a deck or a fireplace.

Paint

Painting the home is a simple, easy home renovation project you can do on your own. And you may have fun doing it, too.

Consider using two tones of one color in common areas like the living room. You could also select colors that pair well with the color of the furniture.

Try not to have a bright colored ceiling with dark walls; it gives the illusion that the room is smaller than it really is. Instead, paint the ceiling a shade or two lighter than the wall’s color.

Follow Market Trends

When you’re doing your planning and budgeting, think about what would make the home more attractive for potential buyers. Even if you’re not remodeling to sell, have the idea of selling in the future in mind.

Do so by paying attention to trends in the housing market.

What are some features of the home that catch buyers’ attention?

Energy-efficient appliances and lighting
Patio, porch, or deck
Energy-efficient windows and doors
Hardwood flooring
Open floor plan

Bring Out the Best in Your Home

With these home renovation tips, not only will your home have a boost in value, but you’ll also love how refreshing it feels to be in it with the new changes. If you’re ready to start your home renovation project, schedule a call with us for your remodeling needs. Check out some of our work.

Heitmeyer Building & Design is a Construction company with over 100 years of experience in commercial construction and residential construction located in Pickerington, Ohio.