Avoiding Waste When You Refurbish Your Home
The perfect home with a garden and a roomy kitchen is everybody’s dream, and getting there is a matter of incremental improvements that bring your home up to your expectations. This process is called renovation. For inexperienced renovators, upgrading your home can be quite a hassle. There is nothing wrong with letting your imagination run wild, but it is important to keep an eye on your budget. Advantage Waste Disposal has a few tips to help you cut down on waste and save money at the same time.
Evaluate Your Space and Plan Your Projects
You may already have a good idea of what you want before you start renovating, but can your ideas be accommodated within the building space? If the space can handle the upgrades, what about the time it will take and your estimated budget? It is important to evaluate the space and plan renovations accordingly to ensure your project goes off without a hitch. A professional contractor should be hired to analyze the building’s condition and to make cost and time projections.
Finalize Your Budget
All components of the renovation process will have a price tag attached to them. These components include the cost of labor, the cost of materials, snacks, alternative accommodation while the renovation is going on, and dumpster rentals among other things. Your budget should also account for the estimated time frame for the renovation completion, plus extra time for any issues that pop up along the way. A contractor or an architect can help you evaluate the cost of completing the renovation project on time or ahead of schedule.
Work with an Architect
An architect can turn your ideas into schematic drawings, making improvements according to your budget and also lending his or her expertise in areas you may have overlooked or cannot handle yourself. This is a great way to save money by combining areas or smaller projects within your overall renovation plan.
Avoid Over Capitalizing
It is wise not to build a mansion in a desert. When renovating a building, the area or neighborhood it is located in is important. The house should have an aesthetically pleasing design, but should not cost much more than the other houses located in the vicinity. The rule of thumb is not to spend more than 10% of the home’s value on a renovation.
Permits & Licensing
Now you are almost ready to start your renovation project. Before you can start the work, it is imperative that the designs and upgrades are approved by the local building council. The contractor will let you know what changes may require planning permissions, statutory consent, building regulation, and other approvals depending on the local laws. When choosing contractors, you should go for licensed and bonded contractors. Make sure they have good reviews and plenty of experience. A legally binding written understanding should be drawn up which, should include the time-frame of work and compensation.
Supervision & Contingency
If you are a very busy person, you can hire an architect or contractor to act as the foreman for the renovation project. If you have time to spare, come by regularly and supervise and make sure that the work is going as you envisioned and the correct materials are being used. Waste management is another important aspect to consider. Make sure construction waste is properly stored to avoid city fines and to prevent accidents. Every project should have plans put in place to ensure that even when things go wrong it can easily be remedied. The first step is putting money for miscellaneous expenses in the budget. Also approach multiple contractors so that in the event one defaults, they can easily be replaced.
