Are you considering renovating your home? You aren’t alone. Americans spent over $340 billion on home renovations in 2020. That figure is expected to increase over 4% a year until 2027, especially as more people feel financially secure as the pandemic is starting to come to an end.
The truth is that home renovations are necessities that you simply can’t ignore. Your walls, floors, windows, kitchen and bathroom will all need to be updated at some point. The years do not pass in vain, and your house will eventually cry out for a facelift to update it. If you do not know what material suits you best or where the trends are going, you should follow these tips from leading experts.
Renovating a home can be a stressful process. There are many decisions to make (and with which you will have to play out day by day), many steps to take and a lot of uncertainty about what the final result will be.
We talked with a variety of experts, such as the specialists at Luxury Flooring, which offers LVT flooring. The founders of Luxury Flooring have earned the Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Yorkshire region at the Federation of Small Business Awards, due to their impeccable knowledge, so we are pleased that they and other experts have shared a number of detailed tips that can help you get started.
However, these renovations don’t have to create a lot of unnecessary drama in your life. Here is a list of tips to keep in mind before starting.
1. DEFINE MATERIALS
Choosing the right materials is essential when doing a renovation. Your budget will depend on what materials that you use. Wood, ceramic, stone, cement, plaster, and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint are all materials that you can use. If you do not know what to choose or how much to invest, ask for help from professionals.
2. TRENDS
You should pay attention to the latest trends, so you can focus on those projects that are most likely to appeal to potential buyers or guests. According to a study conducted by HomeAdvisor, the biggest trend at the moment is kitchen renovations. The average kitchen renovation costs somewhere between $12,567 and $34,962.
3. SPACES TO SHARE
If you want to renovate the kitchen, the Kitchen Furniture Association (AMC) revealed some proposals for this fall, which are based on your attitudes of socialization and love for gastronomy. You might want to use warm materials, such as wood, or innovative materials, such as slate or marble, and the island or the office as a link between the kitchen and the living room.
4. . CARE STRUCTURES
When rehabilitating an old house, you may come across architectural elements and facilities in poor condition. Consult a professional if it is worth preserving them or not. For example, reinforcing beams or arches and varnishing doors will allow you to enhance its essence. As for obsolete electrical or plumbing systems, it will be better to adapt them to current materials to avoid problems.
5. EXHAUSTIVE PLANNING
The biggest problem in renovations is the failure to meet deadlines and budgets. To avoid this, you should break down each item into its corresponding units to better compare each offer. “When it is not possible to invest a lot, everything has to be better planned,” advises one remodeling expert we spoke with.
6. A GOOD INSULATOR
It is possible that you will lose cold or heat through the blinds if they are not properly insulated, which produces an unnecessary expense during hot and cold months. So why don’t you invest in a thermal and acoustic insulation system? Most experts recommend installing mineral wool panels inside the shutter box to protect you from outside noise and excess cold or heat. A simple gesture to start saving!
7. PREPARE THE AWNINGS FOR WINTER
In addition to protecting us from the sun in summer, awnings also insulate the house from the wind and cold. To keep them in perfect condition, experts advise removing dirt from the canvas by vacuuming and applying a water and neutral soap solution. Next, rinse with a jet of water at medium pressure and let it dry well in the open air before rolling it up.
8. AN EXCELLENT WEB
Are you thinking of painting your house and want to discover the trends? Visit local painting websites to keep up to date with their collections and the must-have colors in decoration.
9. DON’T BE AFRAID TO CUSTOMIZE!
Some remodeling experts have developed innovative products with palettes of divine colors, which allow you to paint directly on the surface to be treated without sanding. They should have a line of chalk paint with a vintage matte finish in twelve pastel and vibrant colors, which can also be painted on any surface: wood, metal, plastic and even fabric! A good remodeling firm completes its range with wax and a varnish to protect painted objects and give them a silkier finish.
10. TO KEEP OR TO THROW AWAY?
Renovating and eliminating are both good options. According to one interior design expert, it is advisable to keep works of art and old pieces of china or ceramics and try to relocate them. Say goodbye to what is in poor condition or does not match the style, and acquire a designer piece that sophisticates the house, like this armchair.
11. ASK PERMISSIONS
For partial reforms, such as flooring or carpentry, permits are not necessary. However, if the work has repercussions on partition walls and windows, it is essential to communicate it to the city council. If it affects the structure of the building, it will be necessary to request a project to an architect and to pay the applicable taxes. In any case, add the license of the container in the street.
