6 Must-Know Lessons From a Serial Renovator

6 Must-Know Lessons From a Serial Renovator

Over almost four decades of marriage, my wife and I’ve revived, in whole or in part, five of our own homes. We’ve just purchased a home in a golf community so will, again, embark on a renovation job, our sixth. Along with those house renovations for myself, I’ve helped scores of homeowners renovate, remodel and enlarge their houses as project builder.

During all of these projects, I’ve learned many tips, tricks and general rules about how to do more with less, remain on track and keep my sanity during. Below are some of them.

Streamline Design Ltd. – Kevin Simoes

1. When it comes to size, use the Goldilocks rule. With all the discussion about homes that are too large and the tendency toward small, what is sometimes lost is the notion of this right-size residence.

Rightsizing is just that: making a place that is suitable for you and your needs without excess or its opposite. So, unless you own a catering company, a kitchen that allows for lots of counter space when avoiding the necessity to be on roller skates to get from sink to stove into refrigerator is a good example of rightsizing.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

2. Yes, details do matter. You have gotten the dimensions and preparation just right to ensure that the finished renovation will operate just how you want. Spend some time. It’s going be these details that will bring joy to your daily expertise as you use your “new” house.

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Architect, duo Dickinson

3. Avoid stating, “While we are at it, we may as well … ” Frequently the secret to managing a renovation job would be understanding when to say when. It’s really easy to go beyond what you originally thought would be the undertaking, because everything in a home is so interconnected. But unless you’ve got the funds and the urge to tackle the entire home at once, take it in phases. But be sure you’ve got a game plan, in order to know what the final result will be.

Genesis Architecture, LLC.

4. Realize that the hip bone is connected to the leg bone. Occasionally tackling the entire home is unavoidable. It simply makes a lot of awareness to bring everything up to present standards. This is especially true for older and historic homes. And improvements to heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, roofing and structural systems only may be necessary before tackling the fun stuff anyhow. It makes no sense to get that dream kitchen if you can’t keep the home warm in winter.

AIA, Bud Dietrich

5. Make decisions early and often. You can never plan too much as it has to do with a renovation. It doesn’t matter whether the job is to be performed all at one time or over several years.

Think about this job as an excursion. Sure, you can simply land in a foreign country and figure it out as you go, but odds are you’d have a better time at a lower cost if you want your journey beforehand. Exactly the same applies to some house renovation. You’ll definitely have a better experience by making decisions early rather than changing things in the middle of construction.

6. Maintain your sense of humor. Everyone contemplating a house renovation should watch The Money Pit first. The dialogue is full of classic lines, such as “fourteen days” as the stock answer to this question about once the project is going to be finished. Just remember that if it can go wrong, it is going to go wrong — and that it’ll be all right in the end. So do your homework, trust in the professionals you’ve hired and enjoy the journey.

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