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Home remodelling can be terrifying and exciting at the same time. Drawn-out remodels can be a drain on everyday life and whirlwind remodels will seem to take up all your time and attention.
Yet why focus on the negative? Home renovations are a great opportunity to make your home give you the relaxation and luxury you need every day.
In this article, Your House Garden will present the key components of the renovation process and share a few design ideas that are sure to get you excited about remodeling your home.
Making a Renovation Plan
Making a plan will get help you through those stressful renovation moments (yes, we guarantee there will be a few) and ensure you stay organized and in control.
The plan will assist in keeping track of materials, contractor schedules, and the budget.
The first step in creating the plan is to wander through your home with a nice notebook or spreadsheet-ready tablet and imagine what your future palace should look like. Mark down how you would change each room, and dream big.
Have fun with this, and don’t let silly things like practicalities get in the way of your vision.
Once you have developed a list for each room, start to flesh out the details. Is there something that needs to be fixed up? Are you shooting for a particular color scheme? Do you know that you want a particular type of wood flooring? Do you just want to create a completely separate addition such as a she shed?
The more specific you can be about what you want, the more accurate your budget will be.
Budgeting
The budgeting part of the plan will help decide what you will implement during the renovation.
Take the specific room list and start researching the market price for the materials. In most matters relating to home improvement, you get what you pay for, so don’t buy cheap.
Pad your budget, think about labor costs, and be realistic.
Lighting Design and Ambiance
Don’t ignore lighting!
From overhead fixtures to pendants, lighting is extremely important to ambiance and design, as it sets different moods. The best home plan will have three layers of lighting, including general lighting, task lighting, and drama or accent lighting. Yet good lighting fixtures don’t come cheap.
Ensure good lighting is part of the plan at the start so that you don’t overextend your budget and find yourself living in the dark.
Quality Windows Are a Must
While we’re being frank about the cost of your renovations, let’s talk windows.
Changing your windows or adding new windows will be one of the more expensive items in the budget. Yet you do not want to skimp on window quality. Even if you need to spend more than you planned, buy high-quality windows and reduce costs elsewhere.
This will reduce heating costs and minimize maintenance, weatherproofing, and safety concerns. They will also reduce cooling costs in the summertime.
Labor – DIY vs. Hiring a General Contractor
One of the biggest costs and considerations is labor.
Even for avid DIYers, major renovations can often be too much for homeowners to handle alone. Doing your own remodelling can drag out the process, leaving you feeling exhausted and uninspired in a half-completed or gutted house.
Some individuals derive a lot of pride from doing their own remodels, but if you’re at all in doubt, it’s best to hire an expert.
A general contractor’s job will be to spearhead the renovation project, organize labor, and just help streamline the renovation steps overall, making your life easier in the process.
The general contractor oversees and manages the project. They are responsible for finding subcontractors (plumbers, electricians, painters, and others). Then they schedule the labor and hold each subcontractor responsible for deadlines so that the project stays on time and budget.
The general contractor will also source materials and ensure they are delivered when required by subcontractors, minimizing the risk of project delays.
Since you are trusting this person with handling the project and achieving it’s vision, make sure you see eye-to-eye with the general contractor. Interview them, check their references, and pay attention to how quickly they return calls.
The general contractor will add a large labor cost to the project, but the right one is an invaluable investment. If you do decide to manage the project without assistance, it’s imperative that you are highly organized and available onsite to deal with issues as they arise.
Electrical Work
Electrical work is not something to tackle unless you have years of experience in residential electrical renovations. Hire yourself an electrician and schedule a walkthrough of the plan before renovations begin.
Do you want pendant lighting fixtures, sconces, updated outlets, chandeliers, or a smart-home control panel? If any of these or similar items are on your list, make sure to mention them to the electrician. Take into consideration where outlets are and whether new ones are required.
Is your home up to code? It’s way past the point when any house can or should have ungrounded outlets.
Even if a home’s plugs are up-to-date, consider diversifying them for ease and convenience. Think about where you might use USB outlets and plan a charging station or two around your home.
This is a great time to go green! It may seem expensive, but the market for green energy is in its infancy. This makes solar panels a feature for potential buyers, and make some solar panels a smart investment that will add resale value to a home.
Resale Concerns
Remodelling your home adds some perks to the way that you live, including larger spaces for entertaining, better atmosphere, more natural light, and the development of the perfect niche environment for your lifestyle.
Another powerful motivator for renovating your home can be the potential increase in the resale value of your property.
Experts warn homeowners that, in most cases, they should not expect to see a complete return on every dollar they invest in their home improvement.
Unless the renovations are extremely thrifty, DIY, and forgo most contracting labor costs, homeowners can expect to get back around 60 percent in resale value. Typically, exterior renovations, such as work on siding, patios, garages, and high-end windows, have the potential to yield greater returns.
Style? A Mix of Old and New
Most people classify luxurious home interiors and exteriors as a balance of vintage and modern. Building according to what’s trendy right now could mean that your home outdates itself in just a few years.
Trendy is good for interior decorations, but when it comes to remodelling, stick with what’s timeless.
Older styled materials like wood, granite, stone, and tile have stuck around for a reason. And the real luxury comes from being surrounded with these natural materials while still being able to have a modern lifestyle.
As you plan in your new styles, try not to ignore the special architectural interests that your home already offers.
For instance, if you have vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, think of a way to accent these textural differences. Vintage fireplaces can be spruced up and restored with modern ventilation and gas options without having to be completely removed.
10 Luxury Renovations Ideas
Your Dream Kitchen Renovations
Redesigning the kitchen tends to be one of the top priories for most homeowners. as it tends to be the focal point of family life. It is also the place where visitors tend to gather. Not to mention, some of the most useful home gadgets are made for the kitchen.
1. Kitchen Islands – Walled-off kitchens are a thing of the past. More luxury homes are being built with spacious kitchen islands. They open up a space to make it feel bigger while offering some much-needed counter space. Kitchen islands are often built with a breakfast bar to allow casual kitchen seating. Many islands also make room to house high-tech appliances, including a built-in wine cooler, trash compactor, or refrigeration drawers.
2. Stone Counters – Your countertops are the central touch that binds your kitchen. For years, stone countertops have reigned as the most durable, easiest to clean, and chicest in appearance. They come in a wide variety of options, including different stone color combinations and beveling. You can also opt for a backsplash in matching stone to protect your walls from spills and messes made in your cooking area.
3. Real Wood Kitchen Cabinetry – Not even the most high-end cabinet covering and simulated wood can come close to the stunning appearance that real wood cabinets make. Real wood has a natural and unique character that will add to the tones of your house, making your space cozy and warm, even when the ceilings are over nine feet high.
4. Built-in Luxury Appliances – And while we’re thinking about your cabinets, treat yourself to some off-the-beaten-path appliances that enhance your lifestyle. How about a built-in cappuccino-and-beverage-maker to help you start your days off with energy? Or a juicer bar with drainage, for the easiest smoothies you’ve ever made.
Living and Dining Ideas
In modern living spaces, living and dining rooms often flow flexibly into each other, making these spaces the heart of your home. Much of the warmth of these spaces will be determined by how you decorate, but there are a few ways of guaranteeing the right blend of coziness and elegance.
5. Stone-Face Gas Fireplace – Nothing is cozier and more luxurious than sitting in front of a fireplace on a cool day. Thanks to modern technology, fireplaces aren’t the high-maintenance, sooty, dusty messes they used to be. Gas fireplaces remain clean and chic while giving you that warmth you crave. It can be great for anywhere from a living room to your home’s man cave.
6. Wine Racks and Wine Trellises – For the wine connoisseur, there is nothing more attractive than walking into a home that has bottle-laden wooden wine trellises. This shows your guests that the party is always on and they always look elegant.
Spacious Master Bathroom Suggestions
Your master bathroom can be the place of all things relaxation. This is an intimate area that you can truly tailor to your personal tastes.
7. Large Tube with Tile Backsplash – Separating your shower from your bath is like separating work from play. Even with a good showerhead, the shower is going to be much more utilitarian than a large luxury bathtub. And while you’re working on that bathroom, think about laying some tile for that added elegance that will impress guests while you soak.
8. Heat Lamps – Installing heat lamps in your bathroom helps to give your body plenty of time to relax and unwind. Heat lamps help keep you from shocking your body with cold when you step out of the shower, and you can even target a lamp to warm up your clothes before you put them on during the cold winter months.
Patios and the Outdoors Ideas
Nothing is more luxurious than having the natural world work for you. Patios make for great gathering places, as people feel less constrained when sitting outside and are often more comfortable conversing in the open air.
9. Screened-in Porch – Screened porches save you from fretting over insects and garden pests while you relax with a book and iced tea. Alternatively, you can strike up the gas grill and retreat to the screened porch while you pour a drink and prep some burger patties.
10. Outdoor Waterscape – Some people just can’t resist the sound of running water as they enjoy their yard. You can build an outdoor fountain or small waterfall in your yard to give yourself the feeling that the creek and woods are never too far away.
If you dream it, you can build it. Let us know what you would add to our list of luxury home improvements!
