The new year is finally here! While many people are working to establish their personal goals, it’s important not to forget about the goals you may have for your home. Home improvement projects and renovations are an important part of creating a safe, happy, and comfortable space for you and your family to enjoy. With that in mind, here are some tips for planning home renovations in 2017.
Tips for Planning Home Renovations
Home improvement projects require a lot of time, money, and effort to pull off. However, the finished product is usually well worth the wait. If you are planning home renovations for 2017, here are just a few tips to get you started on the right foot:
- Make (and stick to) a budget.
Before you go into any home improvement project, it is important to consider the costs. It helps to create a budget before you start working on things. Consider how much you currently have saved and how much you can accumulate before the project begins. When creating a budget, make sure to factor in surprise costs or “just in case” expenses that may arise along the way.
- Create a realistic timeline.
Sure, you would love to have your bathroom renovations done in one weekend, but realistically, that just isn’t going to happen. You need to go into your renovation projects with a realistic and attainable timeline, so that you can prepare yourself for the sacrifices you may have to make during the project. For instance, if your kitchen remodel is going to take a month then you will need to determine where you will prepare meals in the meantime. Whereas you will not have to disrupt your life too much to put a new coat of paint on the walls.
- Prioritize your projects
If you had an unlimited budget and time, you might plan to make over your entire house. But most of us just don’t have the time and money to do this. Instead, make a list of all the renovations and repairs you would like to make. Then, prioritize these projects based on what is most important to the health, safety, happiness, and comfort of your family.
- Consider what you can do yourself.
It seems like DIY is all the rage these days. Not only does the DIY approach help you save money, but it allows you to put a personal touch on your home improvement projects. Though the do-it-yourself mentality might be great for simple design work or basic maintenance tasks, DIY is not always the best way to go when it comes to major home repairs and renovations. Consider which projects will require the work of a professional, and make sure to factor these labor costs into your home maintenance budget.
Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to increase your home comfort? The team at McMaster has just the HVAC systems and products you need to improve home comfort and indoor air quality. Check out our quality Carrier products or give us a call to see which heating and cooling systems or thermostats are right for you: (949) 481-7995.
