How To Renovate Your Home With Less Stress on You and Your Wallet

Home renovation is very exciting, but it can also be very stressful. You will be making major changes in your home, and doing so will cause changes in your schedule, home budget and lifestyle. The most important thing to do is to plan ahead as much as possible and to accept from the beginning that there will be alterations in those plans as you go along. There are a few steps you can take before the reno even begins that will make a big difference in your stress levels and your finances.

Have a Clear Understanding of What You Want

Before you do anything else, you must take that time and put in the effort to decide what kind of renovation you want. It is probably easier if there is a particular look you want to go for such as a cottage aesthetic or a post-modern vibe. If you choose an overarching style, then small details will be easier to decide on. Once you have chosen a style, think about what the essential elements of that style are. This will help you come up with a list of must-have items and what elements you can be flexible on.

Develop a Clear Budget

Once you have decided what you want to do, it's time to take a long, hard look at your budget. Just like you never want to buy more house than you can afford, you also never want to go deep in debt for a renovation. 

If your home has structural needs, you definitely want to prioritize them in your budget. As exciting as new countertops can be if your house needs a new roof, new windows or a new HVAC those functional needs have to come first. 

Once the necessary fixes have been budgeted, then you can start looking at the aesthetics and extras. You may decide that some large ticket items are worth taking on some debt. Most people end up needing to finance swimming pools or major landscaping projects. Just be careful to show some restraint on these big changes and pick and choose those that will really contribute to your quality of life.

Clear Your Calendar

In consultation with any professionals you intend to hire, come up with a time frame in which the renovations will be complete. And then add at least a week to that. Seriously, things will go sideways at some point and it will be a lot less stressful if you accept and plan for that from the get-go.

Once you understand how much time the renovation should take, get out your family calendar and choose a time block that will work best for you. Think about your life and plan well. If you have small children, doing the reno during their summer break when they will be underfoot at all times may not be a good idea. Do you have older kids in high school or college? Don't fill the house with workmen during finals week. Get as granular as you can and choose the most perfect block of time possible.

If you plan on doing a lot of the aesthetic work yourself, you may want to consider using up some vacation time so you can focus completely on your home. The work of a renovation can really feel overwhelming if you are only able to focus on it part-time.

Invest in Some Good Tools

If you have made the wise decision to do some of the work yourself, budget in some money to buy the tools you need. For most projects, you don't really need anything fancy. Make sure you have a good, safe ladder. Invest in a basic toolkit with common items like a hammer, screwdriver and level. An item that is worth its weight in gold is a good quality drill with a good selection of heads and bits. Having the right tools for the job will make your projects so much easier.

Renovating your home is a huge undertaking. Reduce your stress and expense with planning and preparation. Look at your budget and calendar and make sure you are equipped for jobs you're doing yourself. Then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.