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How to Start a Home Renovating Business from Scratch

There’s always something happening in the real estate market. As one of the major driving forces behind every economy, it offers a wide range of opportunities for different types of businesses. Due to the lively character of this field, it attracts lots of new entrepreneurs. Furthermore it can work well as a part time business because you can purchase and renovate homes at your own pace.

According to data published by the US Census Bureau, about 592,000 new family houses were sold in the US in 2016. That figure represents a 16 percent increase year-over-year, so you can see a promising increase in this field of the economy. From this point of view, it seems that this niche has a lot of potential. Hence, it would be wise to seize the moment and start your own home renovating business.

If you want to explore other business ideas, I suggest you take my quiz below.

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QUIZ: WHAT BUSINESS IS BEST FOR YOU?

https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/61d7017346527600188162ea/q/1?embed=61d7017346527600188162ea6d2df383b54a8c55399f6bce6a6beffa&redirect_host=1&auto_resize=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businesstown.com

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Start out as a Subcontractor

Although the workload in the housing market is growing, the beginning will be all but simple. If you want to begin your business successfully, get ready for a multi-step process. First, start out as a regular worker in a home renovating business or a bigger (re)construction company. It will help you make connections in the field and gain some precious experience.

Then, learn the tricks of the trade regarding the financial side. As time goes by, start developing an exit strategy. For instance, start doing some less-challenging home renovation projects on your own as an extra job. If you’re good, you’ll get recommendations from your clients. As your workload keeps growing, hire assistants and increase the number of work hours. Finally, when your side job becomes your main source of income, leave your current position and launch a brand-new home renovation business.

Calculate Your Budget in Advance

As opposed to construction businesses, which are usually huge enterprises, home renovating ventures are managed more easily in financial terms. Nevertheless, don’t think it will be smooth sailing. With many entrepreneurs doing the same thing as you, the most important step is to ensure that you have enough budget to cover your initial expenses.

This budget should include your workers’ wages (direct labor), overhead expenses (the total cost of all the means you use to carry out the work) and direct materials (pretty self-explanatory). When you’ve calculated all those initial expenses, it’s time to see what financing models you can apply for. Make appointments in several banks and check if they can offer you some affordable business loans. Also, do some research on government grants for small businesses. Even if you don’t qualify for one at the moment, it’s good to know what options you can count on in the future.

Avoid Unregistered Work

Future home renovators should never work without proper licenses. When you’ve decided it’s time to pave your own business path, pay a visit to the local Small Business Administration office (e.g. on your way to the bank). Tell them about your business plans and get all the information that might be useful for the initial stage of your professional development.

Here you’ll also have to decide how you’ll to register your business. If you already know you’re going to hire employees soon, registering as a limited liability company (LLC) is the most practical solution. The greatest benefit of this business model is that your personal assets will be treated separately from your business finances.

In addition, you have to check with the authorized local government agency whether you need only to register as a home renovation office or you also need to get a license. The rules are different even from state to state, let alone from country to country.

Keep Focus

When you’re at the beginning of your home renovating business adventure, try to narrow down the number of tasks your business performs. If you go too wide, you’ll lose focus, which might lead to issues such as missing deadlines or being late with payments. Wise entrepreneurs in the home renovation industry start from strictly limited work.

For instance, offer only bathroom renovation or only carpentry work at the beginning. Also, make your business visible for your potential clients. You can register on one of those contractor databases and become available through the mobile home remodel search. That way, it’s more likely that new customers will spot your venture and hire you for their remodeling work.

Suppliers and Collaborators

People who supply you with the materials that you need for your home renovating business and your collaborators need to be treated like your family members. Although it’s a business collaboration, it should be based on mutual trust and support.

The most important principle you should always stick to is paying your suppliers and collaborators on time. Your business will depend on them, as much as it will depend on your own skills. For instance, you could use online invoicing to speed up the payment process and accelerate the workflow of your business. In addition to the workflow, those practical tools also ensure easy cash flow, which will result in smooth and fast business cooperation.

The home renovation market can host many new businesses. While it will take a lot of time and sweat to become an established business owner in this field, it offers a lot of space for (both home and professional) improvement. Therefore, take the plunge and launch your very own home renovation business.

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Learn how to start and run your business by watching the many courses on BusinessTown including Start-a-Business 101, How to Create a Business Plan and The Complete Guide to Digital Marketing. You can try BusinessTown for free.

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Important reasons for home renovation

home renovation

Home renovation can be expensive, complicated, and time-consuming. However, after a period, you will be required to renovate your home to make it look appealing to you and your visitors. The importance of home renovation may differ from one homeowner to the other. This article provides you with the main or key reasons as to why you should consider renovating your home.

The benefits of home renovations

Here are the main reasons as to why you need to renovate your home:

To increase the enjoyment and comfortability of your home

 home renovation

The enjoyment and comfort of your home are very essential. Everyone would want to go to work or any place knowing that at the end of the day, they would love to be back in their comfortable and enjoyable home. When your home is still new, the high chances are that the home feels comfortable. When days pass, the comfort starts to decrease since you will start to desire top up other things in your home to improve the comfortability and enjoyment in your home. Satisfaction and comfort at home are essential factors to consider.

To increase home value

If you among the homeowners who plan to sell their homes in future, then there is need to renovate the home to improve its value. Some of the renovation you will be required to do in improving the value of your home will include changing the front door to the new door models, updating the design of your bathroom, kitchen and living room.

To secure a safety issue

Some of the renovation tasks cannot be ignored such as leaks from the roof, electrical problems, or a crack in an undesired place. These safety jobs must not be ignored so that the family can be safe and avoid the home from being destroyed.

To improve the home’s function

With time, you may need to divide the home into more rooms to accommodate the increasing number of family members. Also, you may be required to increase the number of your bathrooms to avoid commotion at the bathroom during the busy mornings. The function of a home keeps on changing; hence, a renovation might be required to meet the changes needed in a home.

To improve the style of the home

An old home might be having an outdated look which makes not appealing to the eye of the buyer. Updating the style of your home is important to keep up with the new home trends in the market today. Most homebuyers prefer to purchase a home with an attractive style. A good home style improves the value of the house.

To improve the home’s efficiency

materials

Installing new heat pumps, new windows as well as topping up some insulation are just some of the renovations that can minimize energy expenses and get to pay for themselves after some time. Most buyers would prefer to purchase a more energy-efficient home since the cost will be minimal to them.

There is the importance of home renovation since it improves the style, comfort, enjoyment, and value of the home. If you own a home, you should never ignore the idea of renovation.

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Health and well-being benefits of plants

Concentration and Memory. Being around plants helps people concentrate better in the home and workplace. Studies show that tasks performed while under the calming influence of nature are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding a higher quality result. Moreover, being outside in a natural environment can improve memory performance and attention span by twenty percent.

Keeping ornamental plants in the home and in the workplace increases memory retention and concentration. The calming influence of natural environments is conducive to positive work environments by increasing a person’s ability to concentrate on the task at hand. Work performed under the natural influence of ornamental plants is normally of higher quality and completed with a much higher accuracy rate than work done in environments devoid of nature. Going outside or being under the influence of plants can increase memory retention up to twenty percent, a recent University of Michigan study showed (Sewach). The effect of nature in the home and in the workplace serves to stimulate both the senses and the mind, improving mental cognition and performance. (Bisco Werner 1996; Brethour 2007; Frank 2003; Pohmer 2008; Serwach 2008; Shibata, 2001, 2004; Yannick 2009)


Educational Programs / Special Events.  Parks and botanical gardens often play host to educational programs and special events, which contribute to the cultural awareness and education of the community (children especially). This raises environmental consciousness and appreciation.

Installing a park or botanical garden in a community has many direct benefits to residents, but an auxiliary benefit of having such a naturalized landmark in the community is the special events and cultural opportunities it brings to people who might not otherwise be exposed. Botanical gardens and zoos often create educational programs for children in order to teach them how the value of being environmentally-conscious and conserving the environment. They can also impact adults in the community as well, creating a cultural awareness of the importance of natural environments. Parks and gardens foster an appreciation for nature that often instills in residents a sense of responsibility for the caring of and protection of the environment. (Appleseed, Inc. 2009, Dubey 2007, Nadel 2005, Phipps Botanical Gardens and Conservatory 2010)


Flowers Generate Happiness.  Having flowers around the home and office greatly improves people’s moods and reduces the likelihood of stress-related depression. Flowers and ornamental plants increase levels of positive energy and help people feel secure and relaxed.

Keeping flowers around the home and in the workplace greatly reduces a person’s stress levels. Natural aesthetic beauty is soothing to people, and keeping ornamental flowers around the home environment is an excellent way to lower levels of stress and anxiety. People who keep flowers in their home feel happier, less stressed, and more relaxed. As a result of the positive energy they derive from the environment, the chances of suffering from stress-related depression are decreased as well. Overall, adding flowers to your home or work environment reduces your perceived stress levels and makes you feel more relaxed, secure, and happy. Flowers can help you achieve a more optimistic outlook on your life, bringing you both pleasing visual stimulation and helping you to increase your perceived happiness.

(Brethour 2007, Collins 2008, Dunnet 2000, Etcoff 2007, Frank 2003, Haviland-Jones 2005, Hartig 2010, McFarland 2010, Rappe 2005, Waliczek 2000)


Health and Recreation.  Access to parks and recreational activities is positively correlated with rates of physical activity, which improves mood and contributes to overall healthiness. Health care costs are subsequently reduced.

Parks and urban green spaces impact people’s health by providing them with an inexpensive (often free) and convenient recreational service. There is a positive correlation between the presence of a park in a neighborhood and the level of physical activity of the residents; people are much more likely to exercise when there is a no-cost, aesthetically pleasing area or facility for them to use. As a result, residents of neighborhoods with beautiful parks are much healthier; their increase in exercise makes them less susceptible to physical ailments and more resilient against minor illnesses. As a result, these residents do not spend as much each year on health care and medical treatment, because they require fewer of these services Healthy people are happier people; residents who exercise often have excellent overall health and therefore have a more positive mental outlook. The presence of parks in neighborhoods encourages residents to exercise, thus improving their physical state and enabling them to more fully enjoy their lives.

(Appleseed, Inc. 2009, Mitchell, 2008, Bisco Werner 1996, Brethour 2007, Fjeld 2000, Frank 2003, Sallis 1995, Shoemaker 2009, The Trust for Public Land 2008, Wolf 2004b)


Accelerates Healing Process.  The presence of plants in hospital recovery rooms and/or views of aesthetically-pleasing gardens help patients to heal faster, due to the soothing affects of ornamental horticulture.

Shrubs, trees, and flowers have a practical application in hospitals: the presence of plants in patient recovery rooms greatly reduces the time necessary to heal. The soothing effects of ornamental flowers and plants are so great that simply having daily views of flowers and other ornamental plants in landscaped areas outside patient recovery room significantly speed up recovery time. Another technique to decrease recovery time is horticulture therapy, where patients care for and nurture plants themselves. Patients who physically interact with plants experience a significantly reduced recovery time after medical procedures. (Brethour 2007, Frank 2003, Friend 2008, Lohr 2000, Park, 2009, Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Assn. 2009, Ulrich 1984)


Improves Relationships/Compassion.  Research shows that people who spend extended lengths of time around plants tend to have better relationships with others. This is due to measurable increases in feelings of compassion; another effect of exposure to ornamental plants.

Ornamental plants affect the levels of compassion that people feel for others. Studies have shown that people who spend more time around plants are much more likely to try and help others, and often have more advanced social relationships. People who care for nature are more likely to care for others, reaching out to their peers and forming shared bonds resulting from their common interests. Extended exposure to nature and wildlife increases people’s compassion for each other as it increases people’s compassion for the environment in which they live. In short, being around plants can help to improve relationships between people and increase their concern and empathy toward others. (Brethour 2007, Etcoff 2007, Frank 2003, Hagen 2009, Haviland-Jones 2005, Pohmer 2008, Rappe 2005)


Improved Human Performance/Energy.  Spending time in natural environments makes people better at doing their jobs. It also increases energy levels and feelings of vitality.

Spending time in nature gives people an increased feeling of vitality, increasing their energy levels and making them feel more animated. Their performance levels are, in turn, increased by this improved state of mind. Natural environments induce a positive outlook on life, making people feel more alive and active. When people experience increased vigor, they put more of themselves and their energy into their work. Plants can help people to improve their performance at work and at home by increasing their perceived vitality and giving them more feelings of added energy. (Bernstein 2009, Brethour 2007, Bringslimark 2007, Dravigne 2008, Etcoff 2007, Kaplan 1995, Kuo 2001a, Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Assn. 2009, Rappe 2005, Shoemaker 1992, Univ. of Rochester 2010)


Learning.  Research shows that children who spend time around plants learn better. In addition, being around natural environments improves the ability of children with Attention Deficit Disorder to focus, concentrate, and engage more with their surrounding environment.

Keeping plants in a child’s learning environment enhances learning capabilities by helping them to focus and concentrate. This improves their ability to learn new things and makes it easier for them to absorb and retain information. Ornamental plants are conducive to generating a positive learning environment, reducing children’s tendency towards distraction and helping them to be better able concentrate on school work. Specifically for children with problems paying attention, adding plants to the classroom can have a dramatic positive effect on the way they learn. For example, children with Attention Deficit Disorder, learning in a natural environment can help them to engage more in the classroom, improving their focus and concentration on the task at hand. The soothing effects of natural aesthetic beauty help to minimize the distractions that would otherwise occupy their minds. By altering the environment in which children learn, plants can help them to learn better. (Faber Taylor 2001a, Frank 2003, Kellert 2002, Kuo 2004, Lieberman 1998)


Medicinal Properties.  Cultivating plants is beneficial to humankind because of the many medicinal properties of trees and foliage plants.

One of the more obvious benefits of plants and trees is that many of them have valuable medicinal properties. Cultivating plants helps humanity because it provides opportunities for additional scientific studies of the possible positive medicinal values of plants. Natural herbal remedies are simple and holistic methods for treating common illnesses and maladies. Some can be made in the home and are a natural way to treat minor complaints. By cultivating plants we can continue to cultivate our knowledge of the natural world and arm ourselves with more defenses against disease and infection. (Brethour 2007)


Mental Health.  Studies have proven that people who spend more time outside in nature have better mental health and a more positive outlook on life.

People who spend more time outside in nature have a significantly more positive outlook on life than people who spend a great deal of time indoors. Communing with the natural world increases people’s feelings of vitality and energy, and consequently has a large positive effect on their overall mental health. Being outside around trees and ornamental horticulture is proven to improve people’s mental health, and give them a more positive outlook on their lives. People who spend time outside every day are less likely to be depressed or stressed, and thus have fewer burdens on their mental health. (Barnicle 2003, Faber Taylor 2001b, Grinde 2009, McFarland 2010, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens 2009, Shoemaker 2009, Wolf 2004b)


Perceived Quality of Life.  People associate beautifully landscaped areas with a higher quality of life. This is important in attracting businesses and sustaining growth in the community.

Beautiful natural landscapes not only improve the aesthetics of the community, they also affect resident’s perceived quality of life. People associate living in areas with a great deal of natural beauty with a higher quality of life. A high quality of life, in turn, benefits the entire community, because residents spend more money and positively affect the economy and social pulse of the town and can also attract new businesses. Thriving communities are ones in which natural beauty is appreciated as a part of an overall high quality of life, which is why installing landscaping is crucial to both the success and happiness of the individual and the public. (Brethour 2007, Bisco Werner 1996, McFarland 2010, Nadel 2005, Phipps Botanical Gardens and Conservatory 2010, Wolf 2004b, Younis 2008)


Reduce Community Crime / Community Cohesion.  Neighborhoods with beautiful parks tend to have less crime. This is due in part to the effect that parks have on a community; parks give people a reason to come together and become a tight-knit community. People who care about their neighborhood parks are much more likely to get politically involved when businesses threaten to downsize them. Increasing political activism in the community is another positive outcome of cultivating a love for neighborhood parks.

Neighborhoods with beautiful parks and landscaping have reduced crime rates. This is due to the increase in community cohesion that occurs as a neighborhood rallies around a beautiful local landmark. When residents feel greater pride in the beauty of where they live, they are much less likely to detract from it (either by graffiti or endangering people within it). Communities that choose to clean up their parks and beautify crime-ridden neighborhoods have less crime and fewer criminals to deal with. Parks can positively affect the community be reducing criminal acts and bringing residents together. Cohesion in the community is critical to the success of the community as a whole, and this can be achieved through unifying people around a park or botanical garden. Parks decrease incentives for people to commit crimes in the community, and at the same time help to bring neighbors together. They can also increase local political activism. As businesses and urban expansion threatens to downsize parks in the community, more and more people are banding together in a political effort to save their parks. Parks inspire people to come together and fight for what they know is holding them together as a community. (Appleseed, Inc. 2009; Austin 2002; Bisco Werner 1996; Brethour 2007; Brown 2010; Brunson 1998; Frank 2003; Gorham 2009; Harnik 2009; Inerfield 2002; Kuo 2001b, 2001c, 2003; Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Assn. 2009; The Trust for Public Land 2008; Wolf 2004b)


Reduce Stress. Studies show that people who spend time cultivating plants have less stress in their lives. Plants soothe human beings and provide a positive way for people to channel their stress into nurturing.

Participation in gardening and landscaping activities is an effective way to reduce levels of stress. Studies have shown that people who nurture plants and garden have less mental distress than others. Gardening provides people with a positive way to channel their stress and frustration into something beautiful that provides them with comfort and joy. Part of the effects of gardening come from the satisfaction people get from nurturing and helping a living thing grow. Plants and gardening soothe people because they help them turn their stressful feelings into something positive which gives them pleasure. By helping them transform their stress into a more positive emotion, gardening also gives people an excellent coping mechanism for their daily frustrations. Nurturing plants reduces stress levels and gives people a way to cope with their negative feelings. (Mitchell, 2008, Brethour 2007, Bringslimark 2007, Frank 2003, Kohlleppel 2002, McFarland 2010, Pohmer 2008, Ulrich 1991, Waliczek 2000)

11 Ways Plants Enhance Your Mental and Emotional Health | Psychology Today

Therapeutic Effects of Gardening.  Gardening can act as therapy for people who have undergone trauma. The act of nurturing something is a way for people to work through the issues surrounding traumatic events and improve their mental health.

Gardening can have therapeutic effects on people who have undergone trauma, either mental or physical. The act of nurturing a plant can provide victims with a way to work through their issues and heal their wounds, whether they are on the surface of the skin or deeper. Cultivating plants also improves their mental states and helps to put them in a better place for recovering. Gardening is a therapeutic tool that can be used to help put people in a better psychological state during recovery and help them to work past the mental barriers that could impede their healing. (Aldous 2000, Barnicle 2003, Brethour 2007, Collins 2008, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens 2009, Pohmer 2008, Rappe 2005, Stoneham 1995)


Traffic Safety / Driver Satisfaction.  Beautifying roadways can have the dual effect of increasing driver satisfaction with the roadside landscape and creating a natural median. Drivers are much less likely to accidentally drive over a median if there is a landscaped area between oncoming lanes of traffic.

Beautifying traffic medians not only improves the aesthetics of the roadways, it also affects driver attitudes. Studies show that drivers are more at ease on roadways with natural landscaping, and are much more inclined to think positively about the community that they are driving through if the roadways are beautiful. Furthermore, adding trees to roadways creates a sort of natural obstruction which could reduce the likelihood of cars crossing medians into oncoming traffic lanes. This improves driver safety and makes the community a safer place for everyone to live in. Landscaped areas between oncoming lanes of traffic could decrease the number of accidents occurring due to drivers crossing the median and make the road a safer place. (Wolf, 2001b, 2001c, 2006)


Upgrade Effect.  As parts of the community begin to improve their urban green spaces, other areas will be forced to stay competitive and beautify their areas as well. The upgrade effect benefits the entire community, as neighborhoods and businesses encourage each other to landscape and beautify the community.

As more businesses and neighborhoods take on the task of beautifying their surroundings, other competing areas will be forced to follow suit. In other words, as a community works to better itself, other parts of the area will be forced to upgrade as well to keep drawing people in; this phenomenon is known as the upgrade effect. The upgrade effect positively affects everyone, because it keeps communities from ignoring the benefits of landscaping and developing green spaces, it forces competition and keeps the area looking beautiful. Neighborhoods will be encouraging each other to keep beautifying the landscaping, setting off a cycle of self-improvement that has positive ripple effects outwards to all sectors of the community. (Bisco Werner 1996, Brethour 2007)

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Top 7 Reasons to Renovate Your Home

Home renovations are costly, time-consuming, and messy. Still, many people choose to renovate their homes for a variety of reasons. There are almost as many reasons to fix up your home as there are projects to choose from. Here are the top reasons for renovating your home.

Renovate your home

1. To increase your comfort or enjoyment of the home.

This one comes first for a reason. Although there are many good reasons to renovate your home, your own comfort and enjoyment are important factors that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you renovate solely based on how it will impact the future sales price down the line, you may end up living in a showplace that doesn’t feel like a home. Your comfort and enjoyment are more important than what improvements will make the most money when you eventually sell.

2. To fix a safety issue.

Some home renovation projects just can’t be put off. Electrical problems, roof leaks, or a crack in the foundation are some problems that must be taken care of to keep your family safe and prevent catastrophic or total loss of the home.

3. To improve the home’s value.

If you plan to sell the home within the next few years, you may want to renovate some or all of it with an eye toward getting the most you can when you put it on the market. Some projects that have the best immediate return are opening up the main living space, replacing the front door, and updating the kitchen or bathroom.

4. To upgrade the home’s function.

Maybe you need more space, or a second bathroom would make things a lot easier during those busy mornings. Maybe your husband wants a man cave, or you would like a deck or a patio for outdoor entertaining. Renovating so that the home functions better for the residents is a good idea, as long as the upgrades don’t hurt the home’s value or decrease usable space.

5. To increase the efficiency of the home.

New windows, a heat pump, and added insulation are examples of improvements that can decrease energy costs and pay for themselves over time. More efficient homes are also more attractive to buyers if you want to sell since they know costs will be lower on an energy-efficient home.

Renovate your home
Planning and dreaming together is part of the fun of home renovations.

6. To update the home’s style.

An older home can have a dated look that makes it less attractive to buyers or can look more plain than upscale. Updating your home’s style can be a whim based on new trends or a way to prepare a house for sale. The best bet is to use timeless styles that send the message of sophistication.

7. To prepare the house for sale.

When the main objective of renovations is to sell the home, choices should reflect what is most likely to help with the sale. Neutral colors, upgrades that add value, and fixing any cosmetic or functional problems will help get the house in tip-top shape for resale.

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Eco-friendly home improvements that make a difference

16 Ways To Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient

The promise of green energy home improvements is long-term energy savings in exchange for one up-front cost. These eco-home improvement renovations are designed to lower your carbon footprint and save you money, benefitting both your bank account and the environment. What’s not to like?

Still, some green home improvements are more expensive than others, and affording the initial investment can be a struggle for many homeowners, especially when the returns might not be seen for years — or even decades. That leads to the question of which green home improvements you should prioritize for the best savings, and how you should go about financing them. Luckily, with a little research, those questions are easy to answer.

Green home improvements

A whole new market has emerged for eco-friendly home improvements. These products and renovations will help make every area of your home more energy-efficient, from the roof to the floors, including:

Tankless water heater

There’s a good chance the hot water that comes out of your kitchen sink or shower is heated in a tank where a large capacity of water is stored and kept hot constantly, just waiting for you to turn on the tap. If you’ve ever run out of hot water, it means you’ve used a full tank worth of water faster than the refill could be heated. The problem with this design is that the water is kept hot 24 hours a day, seven days a week – which requires quite a lot of energy. If you don’t want to wait for the water to heat up every time you need to wash your hands, though, what’s the solution?

Tankless water heaters have the ability to heat only the water you need — and they do so as you need it. They’re generally powered by gas or electricity, but these systems are not commonly pre-installed in homes in the United States, where tankless water heating has only been readily available in the past decade or two. Still, their on-demand design is 8% to 34% more efficient than storage water heaters and can save you over $100 per year in bills, according to the Department of Energy.

Green flooring

The average home in America requires more than 2,000 square feet of flooring and many of our go-to choices in materials have disastrous effects on the environment. Wood that isn’t responsibly sourced is causing massive deforestation in Central America and Africa, mostly due to demand from China and the United States. Vinyl, a popular cheap flooring alternative, has a high carbon footprint and isn’t recyclable. It also has a shorter lifespan than higher quality flooring materials, which means it’ll end up in a landfill when it inevitably needs to be torn up and replaced.

Thankfully, builders are responding to consumer demand for greener flooring options and have begun to make alternatives more widely available. Here are just a few environmentally friendly flooring materials to consider:

  • Linoleum
  • Reclaimed wood
  • Recycled tile
  • Cork
  • Bamboo
  • Recycled rubber
  • Stained concrete

Solar roof panels

Green and sustainable home renovations | Refresh Renovations United Kingdom

You’ve probably seen solar roof panels on residential homes, maybe even while driving through your own neighborhood. More and more homeowners are adopting this movement as they see the long-term benefits of having their own renewable energy source. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average monthly electricity bill is $111.67, which adds up to $40,201 over the course of 30 years. This is how much you could save by cutting down on paying for electricity.

Solar roof panels require a high initial investment, but there are numerous ways to lower installation costs, including tax credits and government expenses, along with these three easy ways to finance solar panels to make them affordable for your budget.

Dual pane windows

It’s hard to believe that one extra layer of glass could have a substantial impact on your energy bill, but it does. Dual pane windows can reduce energy usage by up to 24% in the winter and 18% in the summer. The space between two layers of glass is filled with gas — usually argon or krypton — which is denser than air and therefore a better insulator. This helps trap warm air in during the winter and cool air in during the summer, which significantly lowers the need for heat or air conditioning.

Programmable thermostat

The U.S. Department of Energy encourages people to turn down their thermostats while they’re not home, citing evidence that adjusting the temperature setting by just 7- to 10-degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day can lead to 10% energy savings each year.

Still, we’ve all had hectic mornings when we forget to turn the dial down before we run out the door, and waiting for the temperature to get more comfortable when you return home isn’t always ideal. Enter programmable thermostats. These handy devices are more affordable than you might think and can be readily purchased from retailers like Amazon and Home Depot. Hiring an electrician to install one is quick and easy, though you might even be able to install it yourself. Depending on the model, you can either program the temperature setting for certain times of the day or even control it in real-time via an app on your smartphone.

Financing eco-friendly home improvements

The makings of a sustainable renovation - Renew

The overall financial goal of eco-friendly home improvements is to save money on energy costs, but many homeowners still face a cost barrier when trying to come up with the initial investment required.

There are a few loans specifically designed for home improvements that you can take advantage of to finance green energy home improvements. Government loans are great options, as there are often tax breaks or incentives offered for improvements that reduce energy consumption. For smaller projects, you might get away with using a personal credit card, but higher-cost renovations will be best serviced by a home improvement loan.

The bottom line

Paying for green home improvements doesn’t have to be a burden — even if you’re on a limited budget. There are many ways to finance home renovations that will allow you to profit in the long term. With such a wide range of eco-home improvement products available, it’s just a matter of choosing which one will benefit your home the most.

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Safety Tips For Renovations

I’ve been helping my dad on the construction sites since I was a little boy and staying safe was always a top priority. My dad taught me why we do things right the first time, and safety is part of that – a big part.

He would always educate me on safety considerations that are essential to a safe job site; keep the job site clean, keep it organized. He always made sure I used my safety glasses, safety gloves etc for home renovations and home improvement projects. That’s all part of safety.

#7 Keep your Work Site Clean


One day I was helping my dad gut a room. I was young, so I was just ripping things down. The floor got completely covered by garbage. My dad tells me I should stop and clean it up but I was almost done, so I told him I’d clean it up later. I needed to pull down the rest of the ceiling so I grabbed a chair – not smart – and I put it over some garbage.

What I didn’t know was that it was covering a hole in the floor for the heat register. When I stood on the chair, one of the legs went through the hole and I hit the ground. The first thing my dad asked was if I was okay. The second thing was, “Does that teach you anything?” It did

#6 Hire a Pro For Your Home Renovations


A lot of homeowners don’t have experience doing certain projects, so they don’t know what to expect. If you don’t know what to expect you won’t know what safety equipment you’ll need.

A person is a pro for a reason. They have the right skills. They have experience. They know what to expect from different jobs, different tools, and different materials. Do you know if the materials you’re removing have asbestos, lead, or mold?

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If you are renovating an older home (build before 1980), contact a professional testing and abatement company to have materials in your home tested for asbestos, including walls, ceilings, vinyl floor tiles, siding, insulation and roofing materials.

When you don’t bring in the right people, you risk your safety and your family’s safety, too. Look at gasoline-powered tools. You need proper ventilation if you’re going to use them. And opening a window or door isn’t going to cut it. No amount of CO is safe. People have suffered serious neurological damage because they didn’t know better.

#5 Use Products that can keep you Safe


You can also protect yourself with some products that I use in my home. The Eaton Surge Protector is designed to provide protection at the point of entry to the home. 

Protection at this location can reduce surges entering the home and avoid destroying your appliances during a storm.

A whole-house surge protector involves accessing the main power panel and should be installed by a licensed electrician

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smart lock essentially replaces the need for keys, opting for a digital key. Don’t worry, there’s still a key but you’ll be able to lock and unlock your door from your phone, or the lock’s touchpad. A Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt comes with additional security features, like an alarm system to give you peace of mind and to keep your family safe.

#4 Keep a Well-Stocked Safety Kit


  • Safety eyewear: Don’t cheap out. Make sure you have a couple of pairs of good quality, all-purpose safety glasses or goggles that are scratch and fog-resistant. Safety glasses come in a variety of styles for many different applications. Do your homework.
  • Work gloves: Gloves will add protection and help keep your hands clean.
  • Earmuffs & earplugs: Come in a variety of safety ratings based on noise exposure. If you are working with any power tools or machinery make sure you have the proper ear protection.
  • Dust Masks and Respirator: Dust masks should be worn for general purposes, like cutting wood, and respirators should be worn when sanding, painting, or varnishing. Do your homework and make sure you are properly protected for the task at hand.
  • Hard Hat: Hard Hats are required for any site deemed a construction site.
  • Steel toe work boots: There is a wide selection of styles and grades to fit everyone. The bottom line is, they are mandatory on a job site and provide both sole and toe protection. DIY’er should also make sure they are properly protected – no flip-flops or sandals!
  • Proper workwear made from durable material: Even if you are doing just a small renovation, make sure you wear the appropriate clothing for the job.
Home Safety & Maintenance

#3 Stay Away From Jobs that Require A Permit


Nothing that requires a permit, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or changes to the structure. If you don’t know what you’re doing you can even screw up paint.

I always say hire a pro to avoid mistakes that can end up costing you more.

#2 Stick to Finishes


If you want to try something for yourself, finishes are pretty safe. That includes drywall repairs, baseboards, painting, and minor tile work.

#1 Heights and Ladders


When working from any height on home projects, even a few feet up, you need to be careful.

The general rule is 4’ x 1’, meaning for every 4’ up, the ladder goes out 1’.

There are hundreds of ladder accidents each year from people not taking the necessary precautions. To prevent accidents, make sure your ladder is secure. Consider using a ladder-locking device that prevents kick out and reduces lateral movement. Whether you are cleaning your eves, changing a light bulb, or stringing holiday lights remember to stay safe when working with heights.

Even on small home projects, you need the right safety equipment, so make sure you have protective eyewear, gloves, respirators, and earmuffs or earplugs if you’re using loud tools. And remember to wear safety gear on the job site, even if you’re not doing the work-especially hard hats and steel toe boots. 

Avoid the risk of injury in your work environment. Don’t just use one safety tool but make sure you have all the tools needed to do the job correctly because you must protect yourself at all times.

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Home Reno Safety Tips That’ll Ensure You and Your House End Up in Good Shape

10 Home Reno Safety Tips That'll Ensure You and Your House End Up in Good  Shape | Home reno, Home renovation, Renovations

Choosing to renovate your home is a big undertaking. Sure, Chip and Jo make “demo day” look so fun, but the reality is that renovations can take a toll on your physical and mental health—and can be dangerous, too, without the right precautions. Whether you are personally overseeing your home renovation or outsourcing the project to licensed experts, it’s likely to be a stressful process either way. Here are a few ways to ensure that you stay safe, healthy, and (reasonably) un-frazzled while you’re renovating your home.

1. Make sure your home structure is secure before you start

“A lot of times, when renovating an older home, the structure could be compromised before you start the rehab,” says Lance Massey, Project Manager at Rehab Specialists of Tennessee, Inc. Some homes might have foundational issues due to previous flooding or water build-up. “Have a structural engineer write a report on the current structure recommending the best practices to secure,” says Massey.

Kevin Anundson, Director of Business Development at NARI, says that when looking for visual signs of structural failure, you can start in the basement. If you see cracks in the walls, or mold and mildew, these are signs of water intrusion and could mean that the wood might be rotted above it. 

Know the floor plan of the house—inside and out. This includes gas lines, water lines, electrical lines, load-bearing walls, etc. If you have the original floor plan of your house, you might gain access to that information. Otherwise, you’ll have to play detective by pulling down some sheetrock and doing a little digging until you find these lines, so proceed with caution, as drilling into one of these could be dangerous and costly to replace.

Credit: PhotoAlto/Odilon Dimier/Getty Images

2. Have a clear plan for your renovation before beginning

“Have a clearly determined scope of work for the renovation before the project starts,” advises Anna Karp, co-founder and COO of Bolster, a design-build firm in NYC.  “Renovations can often morph into larger projects midway through construction if the pre-construction stage is not handled adequately. This may lead to expensive, rushed, and potentially unsafe decisions.”

“A big part of pre-construction involves probing to understand the details of how the building was constructed. The safety hazards you can encounter are pre-existing illegal conditions and work that was done in the property before your time,” says Karp.  Top ArticlesREAD MOREDyson’s Black Friday Sale Is Here and It Includes TheirMost Popular Stick Vacuumshttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.489.0_en.html#goog_432927884https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.489.0_en.html#goog_1483669193https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.489.0_en.html#goog_219421717

So when you decide you want to redo your kitchen, then halfway through that process, you decide you’d like to go ahead and re-do that entire floor of your home (and quickly, please! We’re staying with my mother-in-law!), you’re more likely to have potentially dangerous mistakes due to rushing or due to unwelcome building surprises.

“We have seen everything from bricks turned to ash, to lead heavy homes and structures built on top of rotten decks and worn out cloth wiring, which is very typical in pre-war buildings,” Karp says.

3. Separate your living space from the remodel zone

Although it is ideal to stay in another space while you’re renovating your home, not everyone can afford that luxury. “We have done many apartment combinations where the homeowners have lived on one side of the property during the reno,” says Karp.

“We have created cocoons that shield one side of the apartment from the other. However, even if the reno does not result in a safety hazard per se, it can certainly become unnecessarily complicated if the homeowner resides there.”  

If you’re going to be living on one side of the house while renovating another, she says to be prepared for constant construction traffic. Don’t bring kids to the site at any time, and make sure all items are properly boxed, not just covered with sheets. “If the property is empty during the renovation, work progresses faster and that in itself is a major risk mitigator,” she adds.

4. Know when to bring in the experts

“You’ve got to know your limits, because there’s potential to get hurt,” says Heath Thompson, PA at Jackson Clinic concentrating in internal and family medicine. Thompson has also done several home renovations himself. “If you’re trying to save money but you don’t know what you’re doing, and knock down a load-bearing wall…”

Well, that would be bad

“Don’t be too prideful to consult an expert, because accidents happen and you can be injured,” Thompson adds. You might think it’s worth cutting costs to take on the electrical wiring of your home, but if you accidentally cut into exposed wiring and spark a small fire with your creative cost-cutting solution, you could not only endanger yourself, but also those around you.https://261bb96c6c2e0b3f62383efe19c9296b.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Credit: Johner Images/Getty Images

5. Keep your worksite clean, and wear the right gear

Occupational Safety Tips - Workplace Safety - SLMA

“Basic rules never grow old,” says Karp. “Always keep a clean site and always wear appropriate clothing.” A clean site should be organized, with all the tools in one location, as well as all materials properly labeled and protected. If applicable, permits should be displayed, and there should be an appropriate “office area” with paperwork and rules such as how to dispose of trash properly for the building or area.

As far as appropriate clothing goes, Karp recommends gloves, pants that cover the legs, belts to protect the waist if you are moving heavy things around, as well as a construction hat and steel-toed boots for any intense demo or construction projects. It’s wise to include a pair of safety glasses in your tool kit, too, to protect your eyes from flying dust.

She adds: “For die-hard DIYers: tools are to be handled expertly and they are to be kept in one place. Be sure to always check that tools are unplugged before you pick them up when starting your construction shift.”

6. Make sure your carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers are in working condition

Yes, this might seem obvious, but it’s especially important during this time that all household safety items are in working condition. “If the contractors are cutting concrete, in a basement renovation for example, one has to be concerned both about dust/silica exposure, and the carbon monoxide produced by gasoline powered tools,” says Brian W. Christman, MD, and spokesperson for the American Lung Association. “It would be important to isolate the area as much as possible with plastic sheeting and keep a carbon monoxide detector active if the family is trying to live in the home during renovation.”  

Thompson adds that gas leaves the house through either a chimney or pipes, and if you’re moving things around during a renovation, you might accidentally block that airway, so having those detectors in working order is vital.

Credit: AleksandarNakic/Getty Images

7. Identify when dust has become a problem

“Often the biggest problem occurs during the early demolition phase when drywall is coming down and there are large amounts of dust. The main risk is to those with sensitive airways,” says Christman. “That includes babies and small children—due to the small caliber of their airways and developing lungs—and patients with asthma, COPD, and congestive heart failure.” He recommends changing the air filters often during this process. 

Thompson advises to always wear a mask when dust is flying, and that while light sneezing or coughing might be normal, if you develop a cough with sputum production and fever, it’s time to seek medical help.

“Dust control is very important and there is specialty machinery to deal with it during the renovation. The neighbors will thank you,” says Karp. 

Of course, sometimes flying debris can be more than just run-of-the-mill dust. Karp says to always do testing for asbestos and lead prior to starting renovation. 

“Speciality firms deal with asbestos abatement and the appropriate air monitoring services and sampling that is required,” says Karp. “While Bolster carries our own certification for lead-safe practices removal, access to the home is not allowed during hazardous material abatement.”

8. Be on the lookout for black mold

“There is also some risk of disturbing and aerosolizing significant amounts of mold that could trigger airway narrowing or sinus problems in allergic folks,” says Christman. According to the Centers for Disease Control, black mold spores can cause flu-like symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, skin and eye irritation, while longer exposure can cause fever, shortness of breath, or nausea.

Black mold looks black specks and might be found behind your bathroom wall, for instance. If there is a small area to be treated, Anundson says you can wash it away with a good bleach solution and encapsulate it with a mold cover paint, while Thompson recommends calling a mold removal professional to eradicate it.

Credit: sturti/Getty Images

9. Turn off the electricity when working on the electricity

How to Turn Off the Power in Your Home | Better Homes & Gardens

“And always turn the power off when dealing with electrical work!” says Thompson.  He adds that it seems obvious, but is worth the reminder. So here’s another one: Turn off the electricity from the circuit breaker when you’re working on electricity.

10. Take care of your mental health by keeping an otherwise normal routine

Sure, there’s going to be a lot going on during a renovation, but it’s important to prioritize your mental health. “Don’t disrupt previously established healthy patterns because the reno is stressing you out,” says Beth Livingston, LMSW Therapist at The National Institute of Psychotherapies. “Keep the things you need to access most to maintain your sanity at your fingertips, not buried in the chaos of the renovation.”

Whether that’s your yoga practice or fitness routine, volunteering at your favorite organization, making time to have coffee with a friend, whatever it is that makes you feel healthy and balanced, keep doing it.

And perhaps most importantly: Manage your expectations. Doing the research upfront, budgeting for potential problems, and knowing when to seek help (professional or medical) is key to maintaining your physical and mental health during a renovation.

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Find A Contractor: 7 Tips For Finding Reliable Home Renovation Contractors

Secrets to Finding a Home Renovation Contractor You Can Trust | Reader's  Digest

Hiring a contractor can be difficult — especially when an important home renovation in your house depends on the abilities of someone you just met. Renovations can also become costly, and wanting to ensure the job is done well is a reasonable request. When you’re in the process of hiring a contractor to work on your home, have these things in mind to find a contractor that can tackle your home renovation with professionalism and a solid skill set.

1. Ask For Referrals
Websites that offer referrals for contractors can be a great tool if you don’t know where to find someone for the job, but also be wary. A contractor can have seemingly stellar reviews, but unless you’ve seen jobs they’ve completed in the past and spoken to people who have worked with the contractor before, you shouldn’t trust everything you find online as your only source. Experienced contractors don’t need website referrals; they’ll have real contacts for you to contact who can attest to their integrity.

2. Seek Out Active Communicators
Communication will play an important role in the renovation process, so look for someone you can get along with. Problems and challenges can arise at any point of a home renovation project, and when they do, you and your contractor should be able to communicate and work through the issue together. Choose a contractor that seems able to remain calm and also keep you calm while finding a solution to any  problems.

3. Look For Solid Contractor-Homeowner Contracts
There is no way around having a contract between you and your contractor; it’s part of their job description. If a contractor is not willing to write up a contract for your job or if the contract is incomplete, then it is likely unwise to proceed with the home renovation project with that contractor. All contracts should include every detail of the project:

  • Start time and end time
  • Cost estimates of all materials being used
  • A list of all sub-trades
  • An explanation of what would happen in the event of a change of order
  • A payment schedule that revolves around project stages instead of dates

4. Don’t Fall For Free Quotes
When a contractor offers you a quote, they’re giving you a breakdown of costs for the project at hand. Even though it may seem like a positive thing for a home renovation contractor to offer a quote for free, it can also be a negative sign. The best contractors typically charge for quotes because they are busy with their jobs. If contractors taking the time to look at your home and discuss the project with you, it usually means that they are serious about working on your home. If you are paying for the quote, it usually indicates that you’re serious about getting the job done. One way to find contractors who are more likely to do a good job on your home renovation project is to be skeptical of those offering free quotes.

5. Look For Contractors Giving Realistic Cost Estimates
Quotes are necessary, but they probably won’t give you all of the information you’ll need in order to properly choose a contractor. Before you hire someone, you’ll need to pay for a detailed estimate. This estimate should contain every aspect of the project, including specific materials and required permits. Proper estimates are pages-long and should answer every question you have about the renovation — even ones you didn’t necessarily think of. Be cautious about proceeding with the contract if a contractor tries to give you an insufficient estimate and you can spot price discrepancies or a lot of missing information.

6. Look For Contractors Who Don’t Blatantly Overcharge

Do you know how to find a qualified house remodeling contractor?


Experienced contractors are not going to ask for a deposit or upfront retainer of more than 10% for the average project. Inexperienced contractors who do charge higher fees upfront might not have the money to get the job started, which could signify a lack of projects on their calendar. Try to hire a contractor with a healthy business that seems to have a lot of work in progress.

7. Make Sure Your Contractor Can Get The Permits
Permits are expensive, but building officials can actually shut down a job if it does not have the correct permits. Permits are a necessary expense when it comes to home renovations, and better contractors are aware of the consequences of not having them — which is why they’ll always make sure to have a municipal building inspection done before starting their work on your home renovation.

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Renovating? Here’s How to Navigate a Co-op Board

Make it easier for a co-op board to approve your home renovation with a few key steps

Co-op buildings have unique ownership structures. C-op owners technically lease the space an apartment occupies. A co-op board, and its representative, the management company, have power over any renovations you’d like to do. Because the board’s role is to protect the interests of all of the owners, the process is less in your control than you’d think. However, by following a few key practices, you can put your co-op board at ease for your desired remodel.

Simple renovations may not need co-op board approval

The most basic work done in kitchens and bathrooms is known as “rip and replace.” This work includes updating finishes, replacing porcelain plumbing fixtures, and upgrading appliances in their existing locations. For this, your building may not demand a permit; saving you money, time, and general red tape.

How your building will evaluate your plan

Your building is likely to use its own architect to evaluate any renovation plans you submit. This process is known as an alteration review. Expect to pay for this service, typically in the $1,000-$2,000 range. The architect may flag aspects of the design which seem only tangentially related to your renovation objectives (e.g., relocating the intercom). As a result, communications can drag on for months. However, the principal concerns of this review will not be aesthetic. Rather, the building architect is charged with protecting the building from liability, plus advising the board about building code requirements. Overall dimensions of rooms, and door openings, may need to be enlarged as part of gut renovations. In other cases, wet areas, like bathrooms and kitchens, may be required to stay within the pre-renovation footprint. This requirement is also known as “wet over wet.” These rules act to protect a downstairs neighbor from flooding after a bathroom upstairs is enlarged over, say, a bed. Also remember that with new plumbing, the building may also require you to replace branch lines all the way back to the main water lines. This may result in additional demolition and expenses.

Bring in your own architect

For larger jobs, you’ll need your own architect or engineer. Some offer advice on style and design at a premium price. Others will produce a basic set of drawings that can be submitted to the co-op board or management. They may also file renovation plans with the city, in a service known as “architect of record” and “expediter.”

Larger renovations requiring a city permit

A permit for a larger co-op renovation can sometimes be a judgment call. In extreme cases, your board may decide to make you file for one after work has begun. (Be aware: this can possibly result in fines and other city penalties!) The city will also require you to produce a certificate documenting asbestos tests for areas of the apartment that will be demolished. Asbestos can be found in many places: in plaster or joint compound, in caulking, in linoleum flooring, or even impregnated in the underlayment for wood floors. Should asbestos be present, you will be asked to plan for removal by specialists, or encapsulation. The latter is usually cheaper, leaving asbestos undisturbed and adding new finishes on top when space and aesthetic considerations allow this.

Legal considerations & co-op rules

The co-op board or building likely has already published and distributed alteration terms or as “house rules,” which should be reviewed closely. They often cover things like requirements for working hours, deliveries, and protections mandated for common areas during debris removal. Even in jobs that do not require permits, you will want to provide management with a written scope of work, listing the various upgrades you propose and requesting written permission—at least over email—to proceed.

What is an alternation agreement?

When you submit your plans, the co-op board may ask you to sign an “alteration agreement.” This alteration agreement can include provisions tailored to your particular job. It is not uncommon, especially in blue-chip buildings, for these agreements to encompass punitive regulations. Provisions like time limits for renovations, and daily penalties imposed when jobs are not completed as requested by the co-op board, are not uncommon. These agreements may also—not surprisingly—seek to shift liability for construction to the apartment owner. In cases of particularly punitive agreements, however, you may choose to engage a tenant’s lawyer to negotiate more favorable terms with the building’s legal representative. Typically, you will need to acknowledge the agreement in exchange for the co-op board’s or management company’s signature on your building permit application.

Avoiding problems in a co-op renovation

Your proprietary lease may allow inspections, so the building architect or superintendent may ask to have a look around your apartment, should any questions arise about your proposed renovations or even work underway. For this reason, it is worth keeping the apartment clean and tidy, whether you are living there through the renovation, or not. An environmental testing firm may visit the apartment to monitor lead levels as part of a regular inspection. (This is most likely if your building has a history of lead.) Don’t panic—especially if you have an advance warning. State environmental agencies recommend cleaning with a HEPA vacuum for soft surfaces, or soapy water and paper towels for hard surfaces.

Managing relationships with your co-op board

Staying in the good graces of your co-op board, and particularly becoming friendly with the board president, can short-circuit potential miscommunications and suspicions based on building gossip. The co-op board has the ultimate discretion to direct the building management in matters regarding the schedule and procedures around your renovation. And if you are hoping any exceptions will be made, neighborliness—to say nothing of cookies or Champagne—may help. Good luck navigating the co-op board to fulfill your renovation dreams!

Reach out to your neighbors before a renovation begins. Begin with a considerate letter and end with a glass of wine and a smile.

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Kitchen Renovation Prep: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Remodel

Before you tear down any walls, look at this list

You need to be fully prepared—both financially and emotionally—to take on a renovation project. Sometimes, they can go haywire, as you never know what you’re going to find when you start poking around behind the walls and ceilings. Even if there are no major mistakes made along the way, renovations are prone to going over budget or taking longer than you ever anticipated.

Though kitchen upgrades are sure to increase your home’s property value and improve your quality of life over the long term, they also come with plenty of challenges. So when heading into a kitchen renovation, it’s best to come prepared by asking yourself these key questions, which were previously shared by contracting professional Mike Daddio in an event hosted by AD. “If you have these questions answered before you call the contractor, then we’ll be able to have a much more productive, streamlined conversation,” he says. 

Plan Kitchen Remodel | HouseLogic Kitchen Remodeling Tips

1. What is your objective?

Being clear about your ultimate goal will help you and your contractor focus on what matters—whether lasting solutions that will turn your kitchen into an efficient workhorse or less costly design enhancements that will help you land a good price when it’s time to sell.

Daddio advises asking yourself: “Are you planning to sell your apartment in three years? Are you intending to spruce up for that sale? Or are you looking to have all the bells and whistles?”

2. How long do you plan to live in the home?

“If you’re going to be living there for one or two years, you probably want to consider a different type of renovation, something that’s maybe not as costly or something that’s more timeless and traditional in the aesthetic that’s chosen by your design team,” says Daddio. “If you’re going to be living there a little bit longer, then naturally you’ll be spending a bit more and designing something that you really love.”

3. Do you have children?

“If so, where are you going to store everything? Are you going to have a kitchen with a magnetic board? Do you hang your children’s artworks?” Resilient, easy-to-clean materials, whether wood or stone, are also ideal for kid-friendly kitchens, so it’s helpful to keep your children’s needs in mind from the beginning.

4. Do you have allergies and health issues to consider?

If someone in your family suffers from asthma or other breathing issues, let your contractor know. “Things that are important to stay away from if you do have any of those concerns are high-gloss lacquers and urea and phenol-formaldehyde, which are used in the adhesives of most plywoods,” Daddio says.

5. Will you be living in your home during the renovation?

Do You Need a Kitchen Remodeling Permit in Sacramento?

“It adds to the lead time and the construction duration, so that’s something that’s very important to know,” he continues. “It also adds to the level of protection and cleanliness that needs to be maintained in the renovation.”

6. What is your budget?

“This question has to be something that’s first answered for yourself, so you understand what amount of money you want to spend, but it’s important, to be honest with the people on your design team, and your contractors, about what that number is.” Once you have a budget in mind, add a 10 to 20% contingency, because things often don’t go quite as planned.

7. What have people in similar homes accomplished, and what has been their limitations?

“What I always encourage on first meetings, in New York City especially, is that you invite your building’s superintendent,” says Daddio. “Getting to the answer of ‘Can we do it?’ sooner rather than later is very, very helpful in the process.” Research local zoning laws, landmark preservation rules, and yard setbacks.

8. Can you remove that wall to open up the kitchen?

“It’s very easy to ask the building’s superintendent or other people within the apartment that may have completed renovations. It’s also great to schedule walkthroughs with those people to see what they’ve done.”

9. What’s behind those walls?

Be sure to ask: “Are there utility risers that limit the amount of wall that can be removed safely?”

10. When can we get started?

How Often Should You Remodel Your Kitchen?

“I always say that a well-planned project is a well-executed project,” says Daddio. “Take the time to properly plan everything that you’re doing. Source your long-lead materials and purchase them in advance.”

If you feel ready to move forward with your kitchen renovation, you’ll need to secure a trustworthy design and build a team to help you get the job done. Ask your contractor to share details about their communication style, license and insurance, go-to subcontractors, and more so you can make an informed decision about who you are entrusting with this important project. Once you both have established that you’re on the same page, it’s time to get to work!

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