No matter your lifestyle, renovations are a necessary part of home life. Just because they’re essential, however, doesn’t mean that it should be an experience completely devoid of enjoyment. In fact, renovating your home can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have! Not to mention the added benefits of improving your home’s quality and increasing its resale value as a result. So how do you successfully execute a renovation? It’s simple really, you plan for it!
Planning a successful renovation isn’t as difficult as it sounds. You just need to know the right steps to take to meet your goals. This is especially true when it comes to what we call “cabinet-intensive” areas of the home but can be applied to other renovations as well. Let’s begin!
1. Define a Realistic Budget
This may seem rather obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forgo this crucial step. But it makes complete sense, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and anticipation of improving your living space. However, taking the time to create a budget will not only allow you to determine what can be done, but it will also ensure that you have something to fall back on if you’re feeling the pressure to make discretionary project changes that could balloon your budget. Ultimately, this step lays the groundwork for your game plan going forward. Which makes it much easier during the decision-making process.
When defining your budget, it’s important to be as realistic as possible. We tend to treat this as a filtration method of sorts since you’ll be able to determine if the renovations that you want to undergo are even realistically attainable at that given moment. Which is why, when defining your budget, we recommend that you err on the side of financial caution. By leaning conservatively dollar-wise, it will help you prepare for any unexpected costs.
PRO TIP: Add an emergency cost to your renovation. This is not to be used under any circumstance other than if an unforeseen emergency occurs. This will ensure that you’re financially prepared in case of an emergency.
2. Plan Ahead
When considering a renovation, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Again, this tip may seem obvious, but very few people do so PROPERLY. You see, planning ahead isn’t only about deciding what’s going to be accomplished during the renovation. In order to plan ahead the right way, you need to define the renovation’s goals…and not just any goals will do.
You need to set goals that matter to you and align with your plan for the home. Because the needs and goals you set if you were looking to sell your property in the near future are going to be very different than the ones you’d define if you were turning it into your dream home. Just keep in mind that these overarching needs and goals are going to have a drastic effect on the material, style, décor and many other minute details that go into the renovation as well. Which is why it’s so crucial to outline these before getting started!
PRO TIP: It's a good idea to try and develop your budget and plan together. That way, you'll have the strategic and financial sides of the renovation covered.
3. Macro Resilience, Micro Adaptability
No matter how much you budget and plan ahead for a renovation, there’s always the chance for unexpected events to occur…and these aren’t all going to be good surprises. Additional costs and delays can sometimes happen during home renovations because you’re usually dealing with a pre-existing house which comes with a host of preset peculiarities. Which is why having a macro resilience mindset for the long-term with a short-term micro adaptability focus in the short-term is the glue that holds everything together.
But what do we mean by that? You see, your budget and plan are tools that help build your macro-resilience mindset. If unexpected obstacles arise, you’ll be protected from making knee-jerk, spur-of-the-moment decisions that could further exasperate your situation because you’ll have these two building blocks to fall back on.
Not only does having a budget and plan provide macro resilience, it also helps develop your micro adaptability. What we mean by that is, because you have a clear plan in place, you’ll be able to adapt to any unforeseen issues that may arise because you have the knowledge needed to make the best decision possible based on your budget and needs.
PRO TIP: Just remember to stay aligned with your long-term goals during the process and don’t be afraid to make small pivots if necessary, as long as you stay on track with your goals.
And there you have it! 3 quick tips to help you plan for a successful renovation. Be sure to keep them in mind when considering your next project for an enjoyable, stress-free experience! Have any lingering questions or interested in meeting with our team? Don’t be afraid to reach out. At Canaan, we believe in taking the time to educate you on your options so that you can make the best decision. Interested in learning more? Request your design consultation to get started!
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Here at Canaan, we believe that your home should reflect your own uniqueness. Which is why we take the time during our initial consultation to understand what makes you tick – we’ll determine your likes, dislikes, wants and desires. Our designers will then present you with a proposed design, without any commitment required so you can make the most educated decision possible. Sound good? Great! Are you ready to take the first step in getting the home of your dreams? Book your initial consultation with one of our designers today!