The thrill of exterior home remodeling can quickly disappear if unforeseen issues start popping up, making your budget stretch even further. However, if you know what to expect, you can prepare yourself for it. These tips and tricks will help you get in the right mindset before an upcoming renovation project.
1. Be Realistic With Your Budget
Home improvement shows often give people the wrong idea of what budgeting is really like. Truly understanding the price of everything you want to do is key for home remodeling. Nevertheless, weighing everything out can sometimes be tricky. So, always get estimates for the work at hand to determine if your budget is realistic.
2. Decide on a Sensible Scope of Work
Deciding on your goals for a project and setting some ground rules is quite important. Planning ahead is key, and it will ensure you don’t overwhelm yourself by putting too much on your plate.
You should clearly define when the project should start and end. Then, once you’ve settled on a budget, project, and schedule, it’s time to ask yourself a tough question: “Do I need this, or do I want it?”
3. To Splurge or Not to Splurge?
The internal debate of wanting something vs. actually needing it is quite an intricate one. While it’s good to have a clear budget and not overspend on certain items — remodeling should also be fun.
It’s important to cut yourself some slack and allow yourself to spend more money on something that is going to make you happy. Additionally, you should think about investing more money in stuff that goes through more wear and tear over time.
However, if you’re already over your budget but want something that can wait a couple of months — know that it’s just a want, not a need.
See the latest ROI data for external home remodeling projects here.
4. Have a Clear Vision
Exterior home remodeling is stressful as is. Still, by purchasing more materials beforehand (and not waiting until the last minute), you’ll make the whole process significantly easier for yourself.
Take advantage of online tools such as blogs and Pinterest. In fact, visit showrooms to get a feel of what you like most and what you might need. You may have to make many decisions while remodeling your home, and most of them won’t be easy. But, the more time and thought you invest in the months leading up to the remodel, the better.
5. Know What You’re Working With
The current state of the exterior of your home plays a major role when determining the scope and budget of your project. It is especially important if you’re planning to make structural changes such as replacing your roof. Because of that, tell your contractor if you’ve had issues with certain parts of your home so that they know what to pay attention to.
6. Know Who You’re Working With
It’s important to find a contractor who understands your vision and wants to help you make the most of your investment. So, before you do anything else, research every contractor you might want to hire by reading online reviews and looking into their certificate of insurance, license, bond number, certification, and lien history.
Although word-of-mouth recommendations from family, friends, and neighbors might be great — don’t take them at face value. (See our customers’ reviews right here!)
7. Reality TV Isn’t Always Real
Reality TV home improvement shows often make home renovations look quick and easy. Yet, that’s usually not the case.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that projects such as replacing your siding or creating a sunroom are something you can DIY over the weekend. Even seemingly small projects such as replacing windows and doors carry a lot of responsibility with them. Also, if something goes wrong, or you don’t know what to do — you won’t have a professional to turn to.
However, that’s not to say you shouldn’t take on some work to save money — just stay realistic and know your limits.
8. Be Mentally Prepared to Live with It
Be ready to live with the noise, dust, and dirt while your home is being remodeled. Even the most professional and meticulous contractors can’t control all of the mess that’s going to be made.
If you don’t think you can endure these stressful conditions, you could rent or stay with friends and family until your home is livable again.
9. Stay Optimistic
Home remodeling can be a stressful time, from start to finish. All of the budgeting and decision-making alone is enough to send some of us over the edge. It’s only natural for things to go wrong from time to time, and that’s the reality you have to face.
If you feel as if your mind is starting to spiral — take a deep breath. It won’t be the end of the world if something goes slightly amiss or doesn’t get delivered on time. It’s much better to adopt a “can do” attitude and focus on what you can do to fix the problem, rather than who to blame for it.
Lastly, keep in mind that no home improvement project is a walk in the park. Nevertheless, the end result is well worth all the trouble. Contact us today for a free estimate for your upcoming exterior home remodeling project.
