A professional renovator will work with you to create a detailed budget and timeline for your project so you know what to expect. Once you start selecting materials, take the budget with you so you stay on track. What you don’t want to happen is to run out of money midway through your project because you made too many changes along the way or selected more expensive materials.
What’s a timeline? On TV, renovations seem to be completed within a few short weeks. The “reality” is that sometimes it can take up to eight weeks just for the kitchen cabinets to be built. Before you start your renovations, prepare a timeline with a renovator so you know what to expect. This will give you an exact idea of how long it will take to do the tasks so you can plan accordingly.
Also, it’s important to remember that quality, professional renovators aren’t necessarily available right away. Some are booked months in advance, depending on the project. In order to stay on track, materials have to be bought ahead of time and certain items could be out of stock. It might take additional time to get them or in some cases, replace them. It’s important to remember that even a quick project will take a few months, while bigger projects can take up to a year to complete.
within minutes, seemingly without consulting the clients. You’re not going to want to allow an interior designer to do anything without your input. When it comes to the actual planning, it’s best to plan for the unexpected. In “reality”, structural changes like moving walls, doors, windows or adding additions may require the services of a structural engineer in order to obtain permits. A good renovator needs to plan for these types of engineering costs and potential time delays in order to complete the project.
Don’t forget the design and planning
In the end
On many renovation shows, the interior designer comes into the home with their assistants and an iPad and start moving walls and designing the new space
Your own home renovations might not have all the glamour of a TV show, but if you take into consideration the factors above, you will end up happy and proud of the results.
Alisa Aragon-Lloyd obtained her mortgage license from the University of British Columbia and has been helping her clients since 2011. She has her own company, Bridgestone Financing Pros powered by DLC Homeline Mortgages and is on the board of directors for the Homebuilder Association of Vancouver (HAVAN).
58
RENO + DECOR | JUNE/JULY 2022