First things first — what’s your end goal? Are you refreshing a room? Remodeling your entire home? Setting up for resale? With that end goal in mind, establish your vision. Home Design Magazines (like Annapolis Home Magazine), Pinterest, and Houzz are visual resources that will help you hone in on the features you most desire. For example, photos I perused for our own bathroom remodel, led me to our selection of natural stone rather than a porcelain tile.
Establish a budget with an upper limit and also room for contingencies. What’s behind the soffit that you’re going to remove? You may find structural integrity issues that will need to be addressed — we did!
Engage with a design professional experienced in home renovations. When you higher a designer, you’re pairing with a trusted advisor who can help make your vision a reality. They can communicate with the contractor, help keep a project on track, and mind the budget.
Hire the right contractor for you! Do your homework and don’t be afraid to interview a few. A referral from a friend or neighbor is a great place to start. Things to consider:
Are you more hands on, seeking involvement? Would you prefer your contractor to handle everything?
How does he/she work with other design professionals that may be involved in the project?
Read the fine print — I’m a fan of shopping local but understand many of us shop online too. No matter where you buy your product from, be sure to read the product specifications carefully to ensure you’re ordering all the parts and pieces necessary. One of our recent orders, a vanity with beautiful faucet and handles, had no plumbing! Your contractor will thank you if he/she doesn’t have to make last minute trips to the hardware store for missing or additional parts.
Finally, be patient. Every home renovation project has ups and downs so keeping an open mind from the beginning will help the proceess go more smoothly.
Hopefully we haven’t scared you away from pressing “start” and kicking off the renovation process. With the end goal and vision in mind, the ups and downs will soon feel like nothing along the way to your dream space!
