A Dozen Tips for a Stress Free Renovation
Image @Ashleigh Underwood Home & Interior Design
Budget: Whatever you think your budget and timeline will be, double them both.
Do your research in advance—-the Average National Remodeling cost of a Bathroom is $10,417, Basement $20,110, Kitchen $24,178 and adding a Closet $$2,013, Shed $3,048, Garage $27,403 and a Room $44,317. But these are NATIONAL averages—expect to pay more if you live in a major metro area (cough cough Los Angeles) you will definitely pay more. This is ONE SINGLE REASON to hire an interior designer to work with you. We will bring you to the best budget options and help you to spend in the right places and save in the right places and not make mistakes that cost you money you cant afford to…..This is one of the top things my clients tell me when they begin to work with Ashleigh Underwood Home & Interior Design—-that they wish they had hired me sooner because it would have SAVED them money!
Look alike materials can be better than the real thing
~Vinyl Siding—does a masterful job a mimicking wood but holds up against the elements a lot longer. This can be a great option for the side of the house that nobody ever sees…
~Faux Poured Concrete-this can make plaster look like concrete minus the cost or trouble.
~Engineered Wood-these floors can be more sustainable because many planks are made from a single log, are tougher than real wood and are made so that they can be refinished numerous times!
~Brava Old World Slate-the beauty and curb appeal of slate is unmatched but the cost is prohibitive until now, you can get this synthetic that will last more than 70 years.
The point is not to REPLACE it all but to make it all NEW
Give your antique pieces you may have inherited a refresh with a new finish, some beautiful new hardware or get daring and use wallpaper on the interiors, or a bold paint color, take off unused doors—-the point is get creative with Granny’s old buffet and make it YOURS
Old windows can be upgraded with storm windows and weather stripping for HALF the cost of new windows and will often keep the original charm of your home.
Old solid wood cabinets can be refinished for a far better price and overall price and resale value of your home
Do NOT try to live in your home during the renovation unless you plan on inhaling dust and mold 24/7 for months on end, spending masses of money on take out meals, living with untold amounts of stress and anxiety in your self and your relationship (just look up the divorce rate for renovations and new builds), sleeping like you are a 19 year old on a mattress on the floor in a completely uncomfortable and unworkable space with no real room for yourself let alone your children….its miserable. Just accept it and find reasonable but inexpensive accomodation for the duration of your renovation. Your marriage will thank me later.
Dont let old definitions “define” how you use your house after your renovation. Look at the light and where it comes from and decide if one room might be more appropriate for a different use. Maybe your dining room gets great light coming from the South and is illuminated all day. That might be much better used as a daytime utilized room while the room facing north wold make a better dining room as it gets soft low light and may not be as energizing a space for daytime use but would make a great nighttime space.
Embrace Wall-to Wall Carpet in private areas and spaces that you want to feel warm (particularly in cold weather climates) and inviting, a beautiful wool carpet can be really gorgeous and the natural fiber is not only durable but stain resistant and easy to care for.
DETAILS are important-If your home came without things like beautiful molding and wainscoting then for goodness sake take the opportunity to add it, you will never regret it as structure, framework and an added layer of decoration. Worried that it is not perfectly historic (unless you live in a mid century modern house) I would note that the Victorians did crazy stuff with moldings and so get to it—-it doesn’t always have to be super classical!
Know who you are working with so read those testimonials and the ones that connect most with the project at hand—get those references and ACTUALLY CALL THEM. Not just for the contractor but for the designer, architect, engineer—everyone on the job at hand needs to be vetted properly and no better than to call previous clients as a start. Also the BBB, a decent web search and relevant associations or organizations. Everyone has had one bad review—-come on, we are human beings and people do make mistakes and/or people do get mad and go off the deep end and write something terrible. BUT overall your professionals should have 99% glowing reviews before you say YES to them!
Some investments are invisible but pay for themselves down the road. High quality HVAC, upgraded electrical, plumbing that is new, modern insulation. All of these things are not cheap and get hidden in walls but they add to the overall comfort and experience of your home so take care of them while you are renovating—-your comfort in your home while you live there PLUS your resale value let alone the cost savings over time are all worth it.
Don’t leave finishing touches out of the budget and dont forget they are not cheap. Light fixtures, mirrors, closet system, door knobs are a big part of the budget and can be overlooked; Recently I had a client who chose to ignore the fact that he was putting in 3 large closets into his home but had no line item in his budget for closet systems. He was bowled over by the $14K estimate for the fairly run of the mill closet systems that were designed for him and was really upset that he had not budgeted for this important part of the project as he had higher hopes for the end result. Sometimes not listening to your designer can cost you and here at Ashleigh Underwood Home & Interior Design we strive to inform our clients as much as possible but sometimes when a client says NO you have to believe them after so many times. Unfortunately this time it did not work out well and we hate when that happens but hope that it can be a lesson for the future.
Do not listen to anyone on a project tell you that moving a wall is simple until they have investigated. Pipes, electrical, HVAC, structural support-who knows what’s back there and part of the job of the team of professionals that you create to do your project is to work together to assess the whole house and then make decisions. Not off the cuff statements giving you false hope or expectations. Any “professional” who makes blanket statements like this is at minimum unprofessional. NOT that it is not possible but 1) budget should be assessed as should 2) feasibility. If someone is acting in this kind of manner or in any way that is giving you a gut feeling that they are not the right person for your job, do not be afraid of either having a hard discussion with them about the feasibility of their continuing on the job or just outright firing them. I have had so many clients suffer through terrible contractors and the like only to be left with shoddy work or repairs needed soon after the job was complete. Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do. If you feel you need back up, speak to your other professionals on the team in a private moment and ask for their honest opinions too.
You cant predict everything, DON’T TRY and do not go into a renovation expecting that of anyone on the job. We have yet to go through a reno without at least 1 major surprise that caused a delay or an increase in budget or both. Have patience and have faith in your team. They are working to do their best by you and to complete the project in a way that makes you extremely happy and proud of the final product—the home of your dreams.
