Most of us that have been involved in renovations for a long time, either professionally or personally, can probably come up with dozens of dos and don’ts for a renovation.  If you are thinking of tackling your first, my most important piece of advice – Learn from the mistakes of others!

Here are five tips to consider before kicking off your project:

1.  Plan and Budget – A good plan and realistic budget go a long way in reducing the stress of a home renovation.  Take the time to really think about what you want to do and why?  Do your research and put together a plan for the project.  Budgeting is hard.  We all want it to cost less than it probably will.  Always estimate on the high side and always add in a contingency (of at least 10%).   Better to manage things to be below budget than to find yourself halfway through already over.
2. Scheduling – If you are using contractors, never start a project before a major holiday.  No matter what is promised, you’ve automatically extended the timeline.  Things slow down around holidays, plus do you really want contractors crawling all over your house at these times of the year? Probably not. 
3. Materials – Make sure all the materials you want to use are in stock and available before you start construction.  If that tile you’ve picked out is on backorder, you automatically create a kink in the plans.  Knowing that all materials are ready will help keep you on schedule and avoid the potential extra costs of rush or overnight orders. Also, you don’t want to halt construction once the teams have already started, because once your project is on hold pending materials, it will be that much more difficult to get them back to your project. 
4. Construction Consequences – Consider the implications of any major construction.  For example, if you are planning to remove a wall, what is the impact to your floors?  Will you have to patch?   Or if you are adding more appliances or a wine fridge, can your electrical panel support the new items? Will you need an upgrade?  It’s better to have a full plan ahead of time so that you don’t have to face any unforeseen challenges or hits to your budget.
5. Paint – When selecting the right paint there are three things to consider.  First, quality of the paint. Saving a few bucks on paint can lead to real disappointment.  A good quality paint can make a huge difference, especially if it means cost savings materials and labor on two coats vs three coats.  Second, sample the color.  If you are considering a major change in color, invest the money to buy a sample and put it on the wall.  Live with it a few days so you can see how it looks in your space during different times of day and lighting.  This is cheaper than repainting later.  And third, choose the right finish.  There are many more than you may think: flat, matte, eggshell, pearl, satin, semi-gloss, high gloss. Many a room has been repainted over because the wrong finish was chosen.  General rule – walls and ceilings particularly in lower-traffic areas are flat or matte.  High traffic (i.e. will require cleaning) are usually eggshell.  Trim, doors likely semi-gloss.  

There are many more watch-outs before you start on your renovation, but these are a good place to start.  The most important theme here is planning.  As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” 

Photo by Hutomo Abrianto