We all want our dream home but sometimes we forget that it's not free. After reading this you will be equipped with the correct tools to start your journey of refurbishing/renovating your dream home. 1. Planning
Take your time researching your project, you should not rush yourself on starting your refurbishment as you need to respect the amount of research you should do. Ask around, don’t just do research on the internet even though it is the best place to start however, you will gain a lot of knowledge from people that have done the journey themselves. The lessons which they learnt from the experience which you can’t necessarily find on the internet. Forums are a good place to start if you do not know people that have been refurbishing there home or renovating it. Another positive from asking people is they can recommend you contractors or even discourage you from certain ones which is always a bonus as no one wants ‘cowboy builders’.
2. Be the project manager
This is not as daunting as it seems ! You have the vision, you know what you want. So you can make the decisions. All you need is to find your trusted contractors and work your way from there, it doesn't take a master mind to tell who looks trusted as an Architect and Builder. Using reviews are a good way to start when all those companies come up on your search page. The role of a project manager should however not be underestimated as you are in control of all your expenditure, this involves making sure you have enough labour and materials for workers to carry out the work. An added benefit is you will be also able too distinguish which jobs you can do yourself on a DIY basis, this will definitely save you a bit off money.
3. Gain Multiple Quotes
Some will say this is common sense.... However, it frequently happens from experience on asking people "how did the competitors compare to that price ?" In which they will respond with one other quote or even none. We recommend you gain five different quotes from a variety of companies, this will give you a better understanding of the average market price and see for any big differences regarding price. Remember you are the client, so do not be afraid to as questions while your on the phone to these companies, a good question to ask is a break down of the quote so you can understand there pricing system and possibly find room for negotiation.
4. More Glass More Light
Natural light doesn't just create a better atmosphere within a room in regards too artificial lighting, it also saves you money and keeps your family healthy ! People tend to forget that natural sunlight is healthy as it increases vitamins, helps heal, creates a better complexion, makes you sleep better at night and increases blood circulation. The list is endless but they are a few benefits of having natural sunlight for a human, the more glass you have around your home the more natural lighting can penetrate through it. We also cannot forget the sustainable aspect of natural light as you will save money on your energy bills instead of turning on switches throughout the day time. You can do this by changing your solid doors too window doors, pulling back curtains, using light colours in your interior design scheme and also making sure your windows have white trims.
If you enjoyed this please share this blog with anyone you think is interested with the share buttons below.
Have a great day !
The Archi-Tech Team