The Essential Things to Know Before Starting a Home Renovation
If you own a home, you need to renovate it someday. But, the fact remains is that a home renovation is not a straightforward affair. Instead, it is a complex task that calls for careful planning.
Before renovating your home, consider many aspects to actuate the proper steps during the renovation process.
A home renovation entails several decisions, interactions, and tasks that you must carefully plan beforehand.
During the renovation process, you need to keep a close tab on many aspects, such as purchasing materials, receiving delivery, labour charges, etc.
If you do not plan carefully but start the renovation process straightway, you are likely find flaws in your renovation. As a result, you will repent later.
Therefore, you should not fail to plan the entire renovation process before starting the project carefully.
Crafting the Plan
After you finalize renovating your home, you need to plan to actuate the renovation project. And a good plan will have the following components:
Design
Before setting your home renovation project into motion, the first thing to do is craft the design. Then, if you know the nitty-gritty of such a design, you can construct it for your home renovation without engaging a professional. And, if do not, you need to hire a competent professional to craft the design.
Building Permit
In Toronto, many types of home renovations necessitate a building permit. And, you can regard a home renovation permit Toronto as formal permission from the relevant authority to carry out your renovation project.
As you do not need a building permit for all types of home renovation Toronto, you should check whether your renovation project necessitates one.
Remember, obtaining the permit is the responsibility of the homeowner and not of the contractor.
Also, you need to display the permit at your project site during the entire duration of your project. But, again, the display is not necessary for all types of home renovation. So, check out whether your project necessitates the display.
You can expect several inspections during your project phase. And, you need to grant the inspector access to your project site to carry out the checks.
Your contractor should stay in touch with the building department during the entire project duration.
The Financing
Next, you should consider how you will finance your home renovation project. If you do not have enough money in your bank account, you can consider taking a loan to finance your project.
In Toronto, you can quickly get a loan from a local financial institution or loan company. And, they offer such loans with reasonable terms and conditions.
You can also find out whether you can get a home equity loan. Also, you can find out whether your mortgage company can add to the mortgage the cost of your renovation project. As mortgage rates are low in Canada, this financing mode can help you cover your renovation costs within an affordable range.
Hiring the Right Contractor
There is no shortage of contractors in Toronto to carry out your home renovation project. But, all of them may not be right for your project. Therefore, you should assess the expertise of your prospective contractor.
A good trick can be narrowing down your prospective contractors’ list and selecting the one you find as the best for your job.
Also, ensure that you hire a licensed contractor, which is an indicator of quality. But, do not forget to verify the license of the contractor you hire.
While searching for a contractor for your home renovation project, you should be aware of sub-contractors who might try to win your project.
Sub-contractors usually try to win residential and commercial work and sub-out the work to smaller companies. Although the process is not illegal, it can impact your project negatively.
Enter into a Contract
Once you hire a competent contractor, draw up a formal contract between both parties. With a contract, you can guard your home renovation project against faulty work, damages, and contractor’s negligence.
You need to ensure that the contract contains the following:
- An outline of the renovation work, including drawings
- The price of the project, including the payment schedule
- The licence number of the contractor
- Your name and the project address
- The start and finish date, you anticipate
Also, ensure that you do not select a contractor based solely on the price. Instead, look at the reviews of past clients. And, it is a good idea to speak to any of the past clients as it will help figure out his competency to perform your job well.
The Season
Another essential aspect to consider before you renovate your home is the season. You need to check the weather before you start renovating your home.
Although you can actuate your home renovation project at any time of the year, it is a good idea to avoid the winter season.
Suppose you carry out your renovation project during the winter season. In that case, you are likely to incur additional costs, such as temporary insulation and heating to prevent freezing of the earth or concrete. Therefore, try to renovate your home during the warmer months.
If you, however, carry out your renovation project during the winter season, ask your contractor to ensure that the water pipes do not freeze to allow continuous water supply.
However, you can do interior re-modelling at any time of the year.
Factors Influencing Home Renovation Costs
Before you proceed with your home renovation, you should acquaint yourself with the factors influencing the cost of renovation. It will also help you to draw up a budget for your project.
Floor Space
You can regard the floor space per square foot as the first factor determining the home renovation cost in Toronto. The more it is, the more is the cost.
Ceiling Height
If you change the height of ceilings, it will entail a cost.
Materials
The materials you will use for your home renovation will significantly account for the cost of your home renovation.
If you use high-end materials, the renovation cost will be higher. So, if you cannot afford such materials, you can go for moderately priced suitable quality materials.
Age of Your House
If your house is old, it will necessitate more repairs, and hence, more cost. As a result, your home renovation cost will go up.
The contractor needs to examine your house’s age and condition. And, he should remove the toxic substances that he can find in your house, following the existing regulations. It can be expensive to add to the cost of your home renovation.
The Complexity of Design
During the renovation process, your contractor will have to work according to the design you make before starting the project.
If your design is complex, your contractor needs to do more complicated work. As a result, the renovation cost will increase compared to a generic design.
The Project Duration
The duration of your home renovation will also influence the cost. So, the more is the timeline, the more is the cost.
Conclusion
Despite being complex, renovating your home can be a rewarding project for you. You should research, plan and organize the project well with the essential considerations. Also, ensure that you work with a competent contractor to make the entire process smooth and complete it according to the schedule. A renovated home can entail significant value for the years to come.
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