Tips to ensure a quality renovation
Drooling over renovated homes on HGTV or in high-end magazines is something many of us enjoy. These media outlets make it appear easy to turn an old room or house into a dream space. In reality, however, things aren’t so simple.
When the average person is renovating a home or room, there are many decisions to be made. In fact, it can get exhausting. The Braemar team has created a list of tips to help you during the renovation process and to make sure you’re more than happy with the final results.
1). Hire a designer: Sometimes homeowners try to save money by doing everything themselves. This is a slippery slope. We all have our areas of expertise, and designers are highly skilled at looking at a space and creating a beautiful vision. They’re also abreast of current trends and materials. Hiring a designer won’t only save you significant time and stress; it will offer you amazing results.
2). Make a plan: There’s a very true saying that goes, “If you fail to plan, plan to fail.” Create a prioritization list based on what’s most important and what’s least important. That way, if you’re trying to stick to a budget, you’ll know which projects to work on first. This kind of plan also helps you stay on track instead of veering off on side projects.
3). Ignore blatant fads: There’s a difference between trends and fads. Trends carry weight and usually sustain overtime. A trend would be something like using a navy blue paint color or incorporating more stainless steel in your kitchen or using. Fads would be painting with neon colors or buying furniture made of bamboo. Talk with your designer about whether an idea is a trend or a fad so you can be sure to use your money wisely.
4). Do some of the work yourself: Notice the word “some.” There are times where the homeowner tries to do too much work and gets bogged down or overwhelmed or both. Be honest with yourself about your skills and schedule. What can you truly accomplish and do you have the time to do it? Reasonable tasks for a homeowner include painting walls, changing out hardware or refinishing furniture.
5). Enjoy the process: Before you start the renovation, realize the project is going to take time, money and energy. If you know that going into it, you can more fully enjoy the process. Realize that the transformation of the space is an exciting experience. With a designer, a solid plan and a budget, everything will go more smoothly.
Like anything in life, change can be taxing for an individual and a family unit, but the reward of a renovated room or house is significant. At Braemar, our designers specialize in renovations of every kind. Whether you want to convert a garage to an office, renovate a bathroom or re-invent your old kitchen, our team will take care of you from point A to point B.
