Even once you’re lucky enough to have bought your dream home, it’s likely you’ll want to make improvements and add to its value in the years ahead.
Favorite upgrades usually focus on either the kitchen or bathrooms, where styles and colors change regularly. These areas can date your home if they’re not refreshed every decade or so. Other popular projects include basement and attic conversions, and second-story additions.
Choosing where to spend your money can be daunting, especially if it’s a priority for you to get a return on your investment when the time comes to sell.
As an experienced local real estate agent, I work with buyers every day and can guide you on the upgrades that they value most.
Some elements of a remodel from a homeowner’s perspective are often overlooked, and they can be a real – if temporary – interruption to your lifestyle. So below are some tips to help make the experience more bearable.
And if I can help you select a suitable upgrade for your home, or advise you on the best way to go to market right now, please do not hesitate to call me.
- Don’t try to live through a large-scale renovation. Find temporary accommodation while the work is being carried out. Your contractors will love you for it. But don’t forget to include this cost item in your budget.
- Be tough on deadlines. Every day your contractor slips will be a day that you’re spending money on accommodation. There’s nothing wrong with negotiating a financial penalty for work that goes a month or more over the deadline.
- That said, large-scale works take time and not everything goes according to plan. This isn’t always the fault of your contractors but is the nature of the beast. So balance your desire to hit the deadline with some understanding of construction reality.
- Book your accommodation at least a month ahead of when the work is due to begin or organise to stay with family.
- The ordering and delivery of materials takes time. If there’s a hold-up at this stage, you may want to delay taking up your temporary abode by a few days. So make sure your arrangements are flexible.
- Pack up all the belongings you’ll need at least a week before moving out to avoid a last-minute rush. In all likelihood, building materials will start arriving around this time, too, so the chaos will begin and you’ll be glad to be bugging out.
- Arrange with your contractors to address all structural work first. Once this is done, you might be able to move back, thus reducing temporary accommodation costs – or family strain!
- If you do want to return before all the work is completed, make sure there’ll be no interruption to electricity and water supply. And, of course, you’ll want access to the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms.
- Make sure you’ve booked waste removal. Hopefully, your contractors or project manager will have done this, but double-check. You don’t want old concrete piling up in the driveway, blocking access to workers and giving neighbors a reason to complain.
- When living off site, build time in your week to inspect the progress of the work regularly with your contractors. Do this at least twice a week. And don’t just wander around. Focus on the relevant stages that have been outlined in your project plan, discuss the next steps and identify any issues that might cause issues or make the project fall behind schedule.