Five Useful Home Renovation Tips

Since home renovations can either be a great experience or a real nightmare, here are 5 useful renovation tips that will help you complete your project to obtain the best possible results.

Here are 5 essential tips from renovation experts 

1) Prioritize according to the most pressing needs

Although the idea of starting renovations comes often with a desire to improve the appearance of a home, it is important to keep in mind that aesthetic renovations are not always the ones that allow your property to gain value. While some renovation projects may be recognized as more profitable than others (such as the bathroom and the kitchen), remember that renovations that keep your home in good condition are a priority.

That's why projects such as replacing roofing or plumbing should be at the top of your list of priorities. Do you have an insulation problem? Do your windows let in the cold or the foundations of your home reveal cracks? All of these situations require prompt intervention to prevent your home from deteriorating. Don't hesitate to call in a professional as soon as possible!

Would you like to move soon and have to sell your house? Check out our article Renovation Project that Will Help You Sell Your House.

2) Don’t overestimate your own skills

If you trust your knowledge about home renovation and you have all the tools that are required for the task, you could definitely save money by completing some of the work yourself. However, if you’re not really qualified to do certain tasks, you’ll probably feel overwhelmed.

Not only could rookie mistakes cost you a lot to repair but in certain cases (electricity, plumbing), in order to conform with building norms, you need to have a licence to do the work. Therefore, when you're looking to renovate, it is often wiser to hire experienced contractors. After all, everyone should stick to what they know.

Check out the following articles for more info:

• Why hire a general contractor?

• 7 renovation projects that should always be left to professionals

3) Favour value over money

Owners that renovate their property often look for ways to save money and in doing so, they are only partly right. It's always a good thing to compare prices for materials and contractors. Since the field of renovation is so competitive, you should take the time to shop wisely.

Still, quality should never be sacrificed in the interest of getting a better price. Poor quality materials and unskilled workers will end up costing more in the long run and could even cause serious problems. Therefore, instead of looking for cheaper prices just for the sake of saving a few dollars, try instead to look for things that offer good value AND quality.

Here are more tips on how to save money when renovating:

• Five tips to decrease renovation costs

• How to save money on building materials without sacrificing quality

• 4 ways you can save money on flooring renovations

4) Predict the unpredictable

Even though some cases are unpredictable, know that more than one out of two renovation projects end up costing more than planned. Therefore, you should always add an extra 10% (at the very least) to your renovation budget for unplanned expenses. If no problems arise as the renovations are being completed, you could use that extra money for other projects or just save it.

For more on how to manage a renovation budget, check out our article How to establish a realistic renovation budget?

It should also be noted that our cost calculator could be a great help in estimating the cost of your next renovation project!

5) Respect your renovation budget

We’ll never put enough emphasis on the importance of establishing a budget! If you take the time to do it properly before the renovation begins, you should stick to it! Too many owners add things during the process, like another tap, more hardwood floors, a few drawers… If you add all those little extras, your expenses will end up skyrocketing!

For those of you who are on a tight budget, always try to stick to what you had planned in the beginning. If you feel like you really want to add something, recalculate your budget and make sure you can afford it before taking any concrete actions. A renovation project should not put you into a financial crisis.

You need more information on how to plan a budget or other essential steps to take before diving into a renovation project? Read our article Five Things to Do Before You Renovate Your Home.

Don't forget to check out our 2020 Home renovation price guide.

Try our checklists to organize your renovation projects 

To help you create a structure that will allow you to make the progress of your project simpler, we've created checklists. These articles contain a broad range of information about materials, the steps to follow and the different elements to take into account.

Here are the links to the different checklists: 

• Kitchen Renovation Project: Checklist of the Steps to Follow 

• Home Addition Project Guide: Checklist of the Steps to Follow 

• Bedroom Renovation Guide: Checklist of the Steps to Follow 

• Bathroom Renovation Project: Checklist of the Steps to Follow 

• Basement Renovation Project: Checklist of the Steps to Follow 

• Roof Renovation Guide: Checklist of the Steps to Follow 

• Checklist: Your Annual and Monthly Home Maintenance List