Every few years or so, it’s a good idea to redecorate your home. It will keep it feeling fresh and modern, and it will make you enjoy being home more too. You could decide to simply paint the walls, or change the drapes, or you might want to go further and have an additional room built, or a new kitchen or bathroom installed. Whether you are going for a small change in décor or a big home renovation, it can get fairly stressful. Here are some tips on how to reduce that stress and enjoy your newly renovated home.
Planning Is Essential
If you are planning to do any of the renovation work yourself, you will need a plan to make sure that you get everything done right. There will be a certain order to do things in, and not knowing how to start, or what step to take next can really delay your project, and cause you to be stressed about it. Online tutorials can really help here, as you will be able to see exactly what you need, and how long the project should take. If you have hired professionals to carry out the renovation for you, then you will still need to have a plan, but this time it will have to match with theirs. You’ll need to know what time they intend to start work, and whether or not you are required to be at home, for example.
Stay Or Go?
If the project is large, then you might consider moving out of your home while it’s happening. Although this can be disruptive, it won’t be as disruptive as if you stayed, and will, therefore, leave you feeling less stressed. If you can stay with family, book into a hotel, or even rent a house in the local area for a short amount of time, you can continue with your day to day life, and let the builders and decorators work their magic on your home. When you move back in, it will be like new, and there will be no stress involved.
Store Your Stuff
Whether you are planning to move out or not, storing your belongings in storage units can be the ideal solution. It will mean that your furniture is safe and the renovators can move around your home with ease, doing their work without damaging or bumping into your belongings. It will mean that the job will be completed much more quickly, reducing your stress levels, and potentially also reducing the cost of the renovation too.
Get Advice
If you’re going to do the work yourself, then it’s best to get advice from those who have done it themselves. They will know what to avoid, and the problems that can arise. More than that, they’ll know how to combat those problems too. Going into a job like this with some idea of what could happen and a contingency plan in case it does will make things easier for you, and you’ll feel more confident (and less stressed) about the whole thing.
Work To A Budget
Spiraling costs can pile the pressure on and cause stress levels to rocket just as much as the dollars are. Make sure that you have a budget to work to before you begin. It needs to be a well thought out budget, not just something hastily written down after a quick trip to the hardware store. Look into all eventualities, and understand that you will need to have a contingency fund just in case something goes wrong. Sticking to your budget can be difficult, but going over it will be worse. If you are hiring professionals, ensure that they also know what the budget is, and have them sign a contract to confirm that you won’t pay more than that. It may not be a comfortable thing to do, but it’s far better than having to pay out hundreds or even thousands of dollars more because of unexpected costs.
Keep Safe
Accidents and even the threat of one are bound to raise stress levels, and, if they are bad enough, they could halt the entire renovation project. Ensuring that you have the right safety equipment and clothing before you begin is important. It could include a hard hat, steel toe capped boots, high visibility jackets, face masks, goggles, and gloves, although what work you are carrying out will determine exactly what you need. It may cost rather a lot, so you need to put it all into your budget and account for it. When you are working, the area around you needs to be clutter-free, and your valuables should be packed away (or placed into a storage unit) so that they are protected.
Get The Prep Work Right
It can be ever so tempting to skimp or even skip the prep work for your renovation. The excitement of getting the job done can be overwhelming. However, getting the prep work right means that the rest of the project will run smoothly. If you try to refresh your kitchen cabinets with a new coat of paint, but you don’t sand and prime them first, that new coat of paint won’t look new for long, if it even sticks in the first place. Proper preparation is the key to any successful renovation, and even if it feels boring or like a waste of time, without it, your project will either fail or at least not look as good as it could do. Prep work isn’t just about sanding and cleaning, though. It also means doing your research and making sure that you have the right tools for the job. Don’t try to manufacture something out of the bits you had at home when those ‘bits’ weren’t made for the job at hand. You could end up injuring yourself, those around you, or the job could look awful.
Practice
If you’re new to DIY renovation, then it’s ideal if you can practice first. Use scrap materials to make sure you know exactly what you’re doing before you go for the real thing. It can be costly, not to mention waste a lot of time, if you make a mistake.
