Home Renovation Planning
Transform your Home Remodeling ideas into a
Buildable home Renovation Plan
By: Mark J. Donovan
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No matter how large
or small your home renovation dream, a successful home renovation project starts
with a well thought out and documented plan. Initial home renovation planning
can simply consist of a few
sketches and a list of features you want in the home renovation project. In many
cases these plans can communicate enough information to enable an
architect to develop a set of drawings that contractors can bid and build to.
For small home remodeling projects a set of hand drawings may actually be all
that is necessary to pull permits and begin construction.
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However, the
more thorough your home renovation planning the more accurate your projects
costs, and the more likely you will realize your home remodeling dream.
Besides
communicating the scope and features of a home remodeling project, home
renovation planning also enables you to develop an accurate time line of
construction and a project completion date. This is an extremely important
aspect of the home renovation project as the timeline helps you to schedule
the various subcontractors as they are needed on the site.
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A home renovation project without a
well thought out schedule is a recipe for disaster, both in terms of project
costs and delays. A poorly planned home renovation project could also lead to the loss of
subcontractors that you slated for the job. Subcontractors have their own
schedules to maintain, and if you blow your home remodeling schedule they may
have to disengage from the project to meet their other commitments.
Upfront solid home renovation planning also enables you to estimate and tract material and
construction costs. |
Home remodeling
cost overruns are highly likely when the project is ill conceived and not
properly planned. In addition, determining an accurate estimate of home
renovation costs prior to construction will enable you to assess the full cost
of the project. With this information you can adjust your financing plans, or
project size and scope accordingly.
When developing a
home renovation plan it is important to consider all aspects of the project. The
more information you include in your plan the more accurate the costs and
schedule you can produce. This said it is wise to mentally walk through the
entire project from breaking ground to moving in. By going through this process
you can develop the order and list of items that must be considered in a
particular home renovation undertaking. In the case of building a family room
addition, for example, you would start out by developing a construction list
that would include:
-
Obtaining
architectural drawings
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Pulling permits
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Excavation
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Installing
footing and foundation walls
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Sealing new
foundation
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Backfilling
foundation
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Rough Framing
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Rough Electric
and Plumbing
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Etc…
By going through
this mental process you can determine the items that need to be scheduled and
budgeted for, as well as the subcontractors that need to be hired.
It is also
extremely important to be detail orientated when developing your home remodeling
plans. Do not leave TBD budgetary allowances for lighting, flooring, cabinetry,
etc., and do not accept contractor allowances from contractors on these types of
items. Visit your local home improvement store and cost out the items before
signing a contract with a building contractor or breaking ground. By obtaining
these specific costs during the home renovation planning process you will obtain
a more accurate cost model for your home construction project, and not be
disappointed when you find out that lead times are longer than you “hoped for”
on these particular types of items. Longer material lead times end up delaying
project schedules or having to find alternative product choices that you may
have to compromise on.
So if you are in
the early stages of considering a home remodeling project, make sure you
allocate sufficient upfront time for proper home renovation planning. By doing so, you will
have a higher probability of achieving your home renovation
dreams.
For more help on building a home addition, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Room
Addition Bid Sheet.
The
Room
Addition Bid Sheet
provides you with the knowledge on how to plan a house addition project,
and what to look for when hiring contractors for your new home construction. It
also includes a detailed cost breakdown table and spreadsheet for estimating
your own new home addition building costs.
How to Finance your Home Renovation Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related Building Home Addition Articles
Additional Home Renovation Planning and
Construction Resources from Amazon.com
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