How to Prepare for Future Renovation Projects
Spring renovation season is upon us which means it’s time to start preparing your home for exciting new renovation projects. Due to the current global situation, our team cannot start your new home renovation projects but that does not mean we cannot help you start planning for them. You can use this time at home to begin all the necessary prep work that will help us start the process of completing your dream renovation projects when the time comes. In today’s blog, we thought it would be helpful to outline some important steps you can start taking now so you and your home are ready come renovation time.
Brainstorm Walkthrough
Since the majority of us now have more free time at home, we recommend using it to start brainstorming potential future renovation projects. Now is the perfect time to walk around your home and take notes of any areas or rooms you want to improve. It is common for homeowners to skim over areas that they are used to seeing every day so try to take your time with your walkthrough and do so with an open mind and a fresh mindset. Go room to room and really think about how each space currently serves your family’s needs and if there are any potential improvements that can be made to serve these needs more effectively. When cooking dinner, do you wish your kitchen had more counter space? Would a built-in storage unit make your bathroom more functional? Would a basement renovation mean you could move your kids' gaming equipment out of your family room? You should be asking yourself these types of questions as you question your home’s interiors and do your brainstorming.
Ask your family members to also do the same type of walkthrough to make sure you are not missing any possible space enhancements. While you do not need to implement every family members’ ideas, it is always a great idea to see your home from perspectives outside your own. In other words, even though your children’s grand and imaginative improvements would be fun, there are other more practical ways to make your space both more entertaining and functional.
Create a “Wants” and “Needs” List
After your family has done some walkthroughs and brainstormed together, try to merge and create a more finalized wish list. Here at CHART, we call this a “Wants” and “Needs” list because you should be dividing potential home renovation projects into these two categories. What are things your family absolutely needs redone and improved to make your home more livable and functional? This category should include things you are not willing to compromise on and have been dreaming about for some time. The “Wants” category is the place to put things you still really want to incorporate into your home renovation but are not dead set on or are open to discussing other options if they are more beneficial for your project. You can adapt this “wants” and “needs” list to best serve your family and can include anything and everything that you are interested in exploring with our team.
Essentially, this list will be really helpful when explaining your vision to us and you will be more prepared to discuss your options. It is also extremely useful if you include any type of sketches or design ideas that you are drawn towards so we can get a better idea of your design taste right from the start. In fact, we ask all our clients to have this type of list roughly made during our initial consultation so that we can get the renovation process started as soon as possible for you. Alternatively, since we cannot hold in-person meetings right now, CHART is offering virtual meetings for your renovation project design and quoting needs. If you are unsure or need more guidance creating your list, our team is happy to help guide you through the process and talk through your wish list during our initial phone meeting.
Hire a Contractor in Advance
We recommend starting your home walkthrough and setting up our initial consultation well in advance of when you want your project to be completed. Hiring CHART during the early stages of your brainstorming sessions will allow us to be involved with your renovation choices right from the beginning. This means our team will be on the same page as you in terms of design ideas, desired timeline, and budgeting for your home renovation. It is always a good start to a relationship to be open about discussing budget right from the beginning of our work together because it will help our team guide you in the right direction with your decisions and scope of work. An early partnership means our Estimator and Designer will be able to give you accurate budget pricing based on your initial wish list as we have likely completed several similar projects. Talking budget from the early stages of our relationship also gives you more time to think about and nail down a budget that you are comfortable with moving forward.
Helping us plan in advance means we can ensure we have our team readily available to focus on your project and can start ordering materials as soon as we have your approval. Hiring our team in advance is a good rule to follow no matter how small or large your home renovation project currently is. Right now, CHART is offering our clients the amazing opportunity to have a virtual meeting with our team of designers to discuss any sized project you are working on or plan to be working on in the future. The Decorating For Our Region initiative, allows our team to provide you with early guidance through your home design projects while also creating donations to the Region Ready charity that is working to support our regions’ local hospitals during this time of crisis. No matter the scope of your potential renovation project, this is the perfect chance to get a head start with expert advice.
Don’t Rush Projects
With all this preparation work, you might start getting eager to rush into your home renovation projects. However, remember that although this planning means you are on a fantastic start, it is never a good idea to rush your renovations. The worst projects are the ones that are rushed and not given enough thought. We often see this with exterior renovations as the warmer weather starts to come in early spring. If you want to get a head start on your home’s exterior, including exterior finishes, home additions, and any other landscaping work, we recommend starting the process as soon as possible so you do not feel the need to rush when we start getting nicer weather.
Start making your way through the above steps with your home’s outdoors so you can enjoy your space throughout the warmer months. For exterior and interior projects, always make sure you set a realistic timeframe and communicate this to us so we can work together on meeting your desired deadlines. CHART is happy to relieve any stress about meeting deadlines with our Project Management software called Buildertrend that allows our clients to view their project schedule, approve orders, and even add pictures and message their Project Manager daily. Our scheduling is extremely detailed and lets you see who is in your home and what tasks will be completed each day. Our team is transparent about deadlines and will never leave you with the feeling of wanting to rush through renovation projects.
Trust CHART with Your Home Renovation Projects
When beginning your home renovation projects, trust the Canadian Home and Renovation Team to make the right choices and help guide you through the process. CHART is proud to be celebrating 40 years as one of the most prestigious renovators in the Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph area. To begin preparing your home for future renovations, follow the steps above and contact us to get your projects started! Check out the virtual services our team is happy to provide so we can continue to support our community and provide top-notch guidance to our clients.
