Home Remodeling Tips

Best Tips for Remodeling Your Home

When deciding on whether to remodel or not, it can be difficult to know where to begin and what the advantages are. At UBuildIt, we are here to guide you on your remodel and help you make the best decisions when it comes to your home and ensure that you are getting the exact details that you want. We have gathered a few home remodeling tips that will help point you in the right direction and give you an idea of what to expect. By selecting our URemodelIt program with UBuildIt to assist with your remodel, you will have a professional and experienced consultant who can help you in these areas plus many more.

#1: Budgeting and Financing

The first thing that you’ll want to do when remodeling is determine your budget and decide on what financing options, if any, are best for you. Start by deciding how much you want to spend, as a whole, on your remodel. Then, move on to break down exactly how much money to allot to each project. You’ll have to factor in products, materials, and labors. You may also want to consider adding in a bit of cushion on each project just in case unforeseen costs arise. If you don’t end up needing the cushion, you can always allot that money for other areas of your home that you want to go big on. If you’re wanting to go big on one project, you need to factor in how that will affect the rest of the budget. By finding the right budget, the planning process of remodeling will be much easier.

After determining your budget, you may decide to find a lender to finance your project. It is important to find the right financing company that can help you fund your project without sacrificing your budget or putting your finances at risk. You’ll want to take everything into consideration when it comes to choosing the right company. You’ll want to take their interest costs into consideration and the return of interest that’ll you see on the home to ensure that you are getting the financing plan available. Most companies will work with you in determining the best way to work out costs and payments.

#2: Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is an important step in making sure that your remodel goes as planned and it will help you make important decisions with plenty of time to take everything into consideration. You can take the time to make a day trip to your local home improvement store and shop to your heart’s content. Select paint colors, lighting fixtures, appliances, and anything else you desire to have in your home. Take home samples and take pictures of the things that you are considering. By selecting everything that you want to have in your home, now you can make sure that everything will flow in your home and you won’t have to go through the trial and error of finding the perfect pieces in your home. You also need to take note of sizes, dimensions, model numbers, and any other details that are important to the project. This will also be a good way to stick to your budget by selecting the things that will not only work well in your home, but keep you on budget too.

Now is also the time to create a calendar and checklist of when things will start and get done. This will help you stay organized when the remodel gets hectic. You’ll want to factor in time for delays, just in case things take longer than expected. Creating a calendar will help with the flow of the project and help everyone stay on track. You can lay out exactly when you want things done and it will also help your construction crew understand their time schedule better. They will also be able to give input as to whether something may take longer than you expected. If you’re wanting the remodel done before a specific date, like a holiday, start on the date you want it finished and work backwards. This way, you can ensure that you have enough time to complete everything.

#3: Sketch your Plans

Before you meet with your consultant, make a quick drawing of your plans. Consider how an additional room may affect the traffic flow of your home. If you are adding an additional story, think about how it will look against the structure of the home overall. Preparing yourself for exactly what you want can help make this process seamless.

If you’re not the most artistic person, or if you’re having trouble visualizing what you want, there are apps that can help. The app MagicPlan can capture the floorplan of your home using just your camera, and then you can take that plan and upload it to FloorPlanner where you can edit, add, or take out walls and rooms to create the perfect layout for your home. There are also several apps that assist in designing, measuring, and more. By making your plans beforehand and getting an idea of exactly what you want, you will be able to be more prepared for your remodel and you will be able to more thoroughly communicate exactly what you want.

#4: Make a Portfolio

Here is where that shopping day will come in handy. Keeping a portfolio, whether hardcopy or digital, will keep your ideas organized and will help you better visualize the outcome of your remodel.  Take notes when you see something you like and include photos if you can. With these added details, it will be easier to remember the small things when it is time. The apps listed above will also assist with creating your portfolio. Houzz even has a 3D option that lets you virtually try out more than 1 million products in your home. In your portfolio, you will also be able to compare costs of products and choose a more cost-efficient product to create the same look.

#5: Don’t Forget Labor Costs

Remember, labor for projects will add up quickly when it comes to your remodel. If something is more labor-intensive, you may want to consider other options for this aspect of the remodel. If you’re set on a more laborious option, then there is always something else that you can scale back on to stay within budget. Our experts at UBuildIt will also help guide you in this process and explain how materials and design will impact your budget. We want you to get everything you want out of the remodel and our team is here to guide you in any questions you may have.  

#6: Master List

By creating a master list, this will allow you to further keep things organized. Keeping track of all of the phone numbers and everything that you need to get done during a remodel can get overwhelming. A master list of the name of the contractors and suppliers involved, and what they are in charge of will help in making the remodel less complicated. In this list, you can also keep track of the supplies that you’ll need during the remodel. You can also keep this list with the calendar that you’ve made. If things get off course, don’t fret. Delays and bumps along the way are to be expected but being prepared for everything will make the solutions easy to find. Keeping all of the important details together, you’ll better be able to stay on track and keep your peace of mind during the remodel.

#7: Routine and Safety

When remodeling, it may feel like your whole life is being upended, that is why establishing a routine beforehand is important to consider, especially if you have a family. Consult with your contractor to establish start and finish times that will affect your daily routine as little as possible. This will also help you determine your schedule better and how much time will be allotted in each day. If you’ve got tiny tots that may be around the house, make sure you put up baby gates, electrical safety covers, and anything else that is necessary to keep your kids safe.

#8: Clean Up

At the end of a long day, it can be tempting to just turn off the lights and go to bed, but setting aside time to clean up will save you time in the long run. With a remodel, there will be dust, dirt, and other messes that are inevitable. If you put things back where they belong and clean up all of the mess that you can, this will help in avoiding delays and losing tools and other items. It can also save time cleaning up at the end of your project. When you end every day by cleaning up, you will be able to start off the next day on a fresh note and you will love the tidy space that will make everything easy to find.

Remodeling can seem like a difficult feat, but with these handy home remodeling tips and tricks, as well as the expertise provided by our professionals UBuildIt, your remodel will give you the home of your dreams with the least amount of stress as possible. Contact your local UBuildIt today for more information!