Home Renovation Projects: What You Need to Know

Guest post by Naomi Johnson

There are many advantages of renovating your home, as doing so could increase your home’s property value, improve its energy efficiency, and reduce its maintenance and utility expenses over time. Renovating could also make your home a safer and more comfortable place to live, especially if your house has mold or water damage, you live with pets, and/or you suffer from allergies. If you’ll be selling your house in the next couple of years, making certain renovations can also help your home to sell more quickly.

While these benefits may be enough to encourage you to schedule your home renovation projects now, there are several things you should know about renovating a house before moving forward. Check out this guide from Realtor Krispin Watson from So Lux Life to learn how to prepare yourself and your home for one or more renovations.

Start With Kitchen Renovations That Add Value

Whether you’re getting ready to sell your house or you plan to stay in your home for many more years, it’s important to focus on making renovations that add value to your property — especially when you’re renovating costlier areas, like the kitchen. Certain parts of a kitchen renovation are more expensive than others — like cabinetry, appliances, and windows — and it’s best to make renovations that provide the highest return on investment without draining your bank account.

Adding a kitchen island, painting or replacing cabinets, upgrading appliances, and replacing countertops are some of the best value-adding upgrades to make when renovating a kitchen. You could even add a multipurpose area for working from home if you tend to work remotely from your kitchen. This designated space will protect your tech devices from food and water while also appealing to future homebuyers. Some other locations to design a home office could include a spare bedroom, walk-in closet, or loft space.

As you prepare to renovate your kitchen, be sure to make a list of your top priorities, determine whether you’ll move out or stay home during the renovation, and calculate how much you’ll spend on your project. If you plan on moving out during the renovation, be sure to include apartment or hotel fees, moving costs, and take-out meals in your renovation budget. Or if you need to stay home during the renovation and won’t have access to your kitchen, you could set up a temporary space for cooking.

Renovate for Energy-Efficiency

In addition to renovating your kitchen, certain energy-efficient upgrades could increase your home’s value, reduce your heating and cooling expenses, and make your house a more comfortable place to live. Several energy-efficient upgrades include:

● Upgrading appliances to ENERGY STAR-certified products.

● Replacing an old, cracked, or leaky roof.

● Adding more insulation to your home.

● Installing energy-efficient flooring throughout your home (such as stone, tile, or carpet).

● Upgrading your light bulbs to LED products.

● Replacing your HVAC system and sealing leaky ducts throughout the home.

When making any upgrades or renovations to your home, be sure to interview several candidates before hiring a remodeling contractor to perform the work. Review each contractor’s portfolio of work, licenses and certifications, references, and bids.

If you want to get a sense of the cost you will incur, take a look at a takeoff tool. Contractors use this software to quickly create estimates and make bids. You can do the same to get an idea of your upcoming costs and if your potential contractor is quoting you a fair price.

Consider Home Warranty Coverage After Renovating

After renovating your house, purchasing a home warranty plan can be a great way to protect your investment — especially if you’ve upgraded your roof; one or more of your appliances; or your HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Warranties reduce the cost of repairing or replacing many household systems and appliances, which is a huge help when you’ve just spent thousands of dollars on your home renovation projects. Warranties can also be purchased when preparing to buy or sell a home, and existing warranties may be extended before the term expires.

The Bottom Line

Renovating a home is a lot of work, and it doesn’t come cheap. But fortunately, there are some things you can do to keep costs down when renovating or remodeling expensive rooms, such as the kitchen or replacing your household systems and appliances.

Start by making kitchen renovations that add the most value, and consider purchasing a home warranty plan after upgrading one or more of your appliances and household systems. And be sure to use a construction takeoff tool to ensure you are getting quoted a fair price by your contractors. Doing so will reduce stress, save you money, and appeal to future homebuyers when it’s time to sell your home.

Ready to buy or sell a home near Birmingham? Contact Realtor Krispin Watson from So Lux Life to start your search today!