Steps to Perfecting the Restoration of Your Home

In the last few years, the number of homeowners looking to restore their current homes rather than move have increased. From 5% in 2013 to 15% in 2018 looking to stay in their current homes and remodel.

Home remodels and restorations take a lot of time and money, so it is important to thoroughly plan each stage of the restoration and develop a timeline and budget for the project. Prior to starting a large-scale remodel, it is essential to prepare and plan in order to set goals which are achievable otherwise things can begin to go over-budget and become incredibly overwhelming.

Preparation

Planning and preparation is key when it comes to projects such as home restoration and remodelling; it is essential you set out a plan of what you want to achieve and how you are going to do so, you cannot go in blind.

Budgeting

Projects such as these can get extremely pricey so one of the very first things you need to do is sit down and consider how much you can spend and how much you think you will spend. Remember, it is always better to overbudget than underbudget as it is fairly common for projects to go over budget.

If you plan on doing the work yourself, price up things like materials, equipment you need to purchase or hire for the job as well as the time it is going to take. Alternatively, if you plan on hiring someone to undertake the project, call around and get some estimates from them; if possible, try to split things into individual tasks to get a clearer picture of the budget.

Planning

You need to ensure you know exactly what you want the outcome to be and draw up some plans, either by yourself or with a professional. You will not only need these for your own referral, but you will need to be able to apply for planning permission to your local council.

Before beginning any work, you must check whether your building work will require planning permission and building regulations approval. It is likely that when undertaking an entire restoration or remodelling project that you will need to apply for both of these. Applications are separate for the two.

GOV.UK states that you will likely need planning permission if you plan to build something new, make a major change to your building such as an extension or change the use of your building. The best course of action if you are unsure about planning permission is to contact your local council to find out.

Demolition

Obviously, before beginning any work the first step is demolition. Begin by ensuring you have all the necessary equipment for the job such as demolition tools and skips for the debris. Having a skip to hand whilst you carry out your home restoration is essential; it makes the process run a lot smoother and prevents any hold up whilst you have rubble removed. Demolition work can be very dangerous, especially when performed by an amateur or without proper care; so, if you plan to do the demolition work yourself make sure you take all the necessary precautions.

Roofing

In some cases, you won’t need to worry about roofing. However, if you need to do work on the roof; whether that be to make any repairs or to replace entirely it is one of the first things you’re going to want to do as it plays such a big role in the structural integrity of the building.

Extensions

If you’re renovation project includes adding an extension to your home, obviously the building work will need to be completed before you can move on to updating the inside of your home. For this stage, you will likely need to employ builders, unless you are one yourself. Make sure you have received planning permission and buildings regulations approval before beginning building work.

Take it Room by Room

Plumbing and Electrics

Once you have completed all the necessary demolition and building work and you have a blank canvas to work with, it is time to start the work which needs carrying out beneath the floors and behind the walls. This includes everything from central heating to installing new electrical and plumbing systems. This work needs to be done first to avoid damaging any new structures.

Generally, this is the stage when you will need to have your home inspected to ensure the plumbing and electrical system is up to date and running smoothly. It is likely you will need to re-wire your plumbing and electrics when you remodel your house and it can be a lengthy and often expensive process. This is your opportunity to move things such as plug sockets and consider where is the best placement for them.

Once you have completed all the necessary wiring, you can move on to the next steps.

Framing

Now it is time to add the framing and drywall. This is one of the aspects of home restoration where you may want to employ a contractor, unless you are skilled in this area. Even if you don’t use a contractor for any other aspect of your remodel, you may want to use one for this step. You’ll likely find that a contractor will be able to fit your drywall, move and construct walls as well as add support beams and even window and door openings.

Although you may not want to spend the money on hiring a contractor, it will save you the time, effort and money of doing it yourself and then having to hire a contractor later to fix things.

Painting and Decorating

Painting and decorating is one of the steps in the renovation process that you can tackle yourself if you wish as it can help save you a significant amount of money. Whilst painting is something you can do yourself; it can be heavy and time-consuming work.

Fixtures

Once all the painting and decorating is complete, you can begin to add in fixtures such as cabinets, showers, toilets and lighting. This is best done after the decorating is complete as having to paint around fixtures can be extremely fiddly and there’s a high chance you will get paint on your new fixtures.

You will likely want to have a plan for this part of the restoration process; design your perfect kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. Having a design prior to this stage is essential to ensure there are no delays and you can get exactly what you want. This should be one of the most creative parts of the process, so you can really get imaginative and come up with something beautiful.

At this stage, you may need to think about hiring some professionals of different backgrounds and trades. It is essential you have someone qualified fit things such as lighting, showers and toilets. You would likely want someone qualified in joinery to fit your cupboards also; to ensure a professional finish. As this is likely one of the most detailed stages it could take up quite a bit of your budget, so it is important to plan for this.

Doors and Windows

Next, you can begin to install windows and doors. Again, this stage will likely require a professional. When hanging your doors it is important that you consider your flooring; although flooring is generally one of the last things you will fit in your restoration process it is important you have some idea of what flooring you want.

For example, if you are planning on fitting carpets you will need to take this into account when hanging your doors as you need to be sure they can comfortably open and close when the carpet is fitted. In this instance it could be worth waiting until the carpet is laid to install the doors so you can ensure they are cut to size to avoid having to remove and rehang the doors later. If you have installing a tiled or laminate floor you don’t need to worry about this as it shouldn’t have an impact.

Finishing Touches

Cleaning

Now you have completed all the main work, it is time to clean. Hopefully, you have been removing and disposing of large debris and dust as you go along but now you need to have a large scale clean of everything to ensure when you are fitting the flooring and adding the finishing touches that you have a clean slate. Dust from home renovation can get everywhere, so make sure you thoroughly clean and dust; getting in a professional cleaning service can be beneficial.

Flooring

Flooring is always one of the last steps as you want to avoid getting it dirty. So now comes the time to fit your new floors. As mentioned earlier, if you were fitting carpets you may have done this at an earlier stage. But, if not now it is time to fit flooring such as tiles, laminate or wooden. A lot of the time, if you’re feeling up to it you can fit your flooring yourself; this is one of the steps in the renovation process where you can save some money, especially if you have laminate flooring. For tiled or wooden floors, you may want to consult a professional to ensure you have the best finish possible.

Furniture

Now comes the fun part, moving all your furniture into your newly renovated home. It is likely you’ll have purchased a lot of new things, so this is one of the most exciting aspects. Once you have successfully moved all your furniture in and got everything set up how you like, you are finished with your project and can enjoy the new home you have created.

You may also like

SUBSCRIBE TO HSS HIRE BLOG

Make sure you never miss out on our latest trade offers and news from HSS Hire Group. Sign up today.