What should you improve? What should you replace? Here is a guide to get you through your home improvement phase.
Are you ready to remodel your home? Should you throw a party at the beginning or at the end? Of course, you can celebrate when it is all over, but until you get there, it can be a bit challenging.
Home Improvement Plan
Have you ever planned to clean out the attic one morning, but once you got up there, you spent all day looking through one of your old family photo albums? What a waste. How can you ensure that your home improvement phase does not follow the same unproductive path?
Another nightmare predicament is that half-built home. Can you imagine how you would feel if you ran out of money during the home improvement phase? That is why you should make a Wish List, determine an important function to add, think about creating a realistic budget and find financing to make your home improvement phase, a ringing success.
Wish List
Perhaps, the most fun part of home improvement is creating the Wish List. This is easy, you have probably told your family members a hundred times what you wanted to add. You could even make it an informal family discussion.
Just ask them out-of-the-blue – “What would you like to add to our family home?” Don’t promise anything; if you do, then you could get in trouble if you don’t deliver. But, simply get their opinion on the topic.
You might be surprised. You can also share your own thoughts. When you get agreement from all family members, you can have a smoother home improvement phase.
Add Functionality
Start to get a little more formal by considering a function, you want to add. Do you want your home to be more comfortable, larger or more energy efficient? Adding a function will be the best way to add to your home’s resale value.
Realistic Budget
Next, figure out your budget. This is where you compare your dreams to reality. Create a realistic home improvement budget to begin with. There is no point in hoping to add an Olympic-sized pool if you can’t afford it.
Pencil in your hopes. Then, determine a sensible budget. Set your budget ahead-of-time and stick to it.
Write your budget in pen. You might face a nightmare if you don’t control your costs. Be prudent.
Find Financing
How are you going to finance your home improvement phase? It is time to get with the program – you can finance anything nowadays. A home financing package makes the most sense.
Did you know you can even get special Department of Energy financing for improving energy efficiency in your home? There is a government program called Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE. So now, let us get an understanding about What is Pace Financing?
Family or Market?
Why are you improving your home? Is it solely for your family’s own benefit or are you hoping to increase its resale value? The best home improvement depends on which of these goals you want to accomplish.
It is for your own family, then simply think about what you have always wanted to add. What does your neighbor have that you don’t? What are the best technologies on the market?
If you want home improvements that really pay, then you need to consider cost versus value ratings. These are lists showing how much your home value increases based on different home improvements. Be prudent with your home improvement investment.
Finish a Phase
Try to determine a halfway completion point of your home improvement phase. Depending on the type of home improvement project you select, this could be when you regain a portion of your home’s functionality. When you reach this phase, you can signal that an end is in sight.
This will encourage your family members to push forward. You also might want to time your home improvement phase to have the least impact on your family members, if possible. It all depends on how long it takes.
If your project is only a couple of months, then you might want to schedule it during the summer. The children will be away at summer camp. You will optimize the number of beautiful days that the workers have.
Celebrate Completion
As you near completion, set a date for a housewarming party. You do that when you move in, now you have a remodeled home. This allows all of your friends and relatives to take a gander at what you have achieved.
This is also a beacon for your family members during the toughest days of the home improvement phase – when they feel like the project will never end. Tie a ribbon around your home improvement phase and share your happiness with all the neighbors.
And, you might also share the contact information of your contractors with your guests too. You know how everyone wants to keep up with the Joneses. You could allow the contractor to post a sign on your lawn, showing pride in their work.
Of course, you should discuss this ahead-of-time. You might get a small discount or special benefit by giving your contractor some free advertising.
Home Remodeled Home
Plan carefully, get financing and stay within your budget. You can do it. You will be very happy when you complete your home improvement phase.
Perth property valuations can save you headaches when planning or completely home improvement phases.
Find a point to celebrate a partial completion. It depends on what you are remodeling, but you can regain a little more of your house functionality. When you finish, you will be happy with a better, more valuable family home.
