Guest Post - 6 Effective Ways to Organize and Prepare for a Home Renovation

6 Effective Ways to Organize and Prepare for a Home Renovation

On paper, a home renovation seems like a pretty simple undertaking. You are aware of everything that needs to be done, know your home like the palm of your hand, and have a pretty decent timetable in mind, right? It is only when you roll up your sleeves and start the actual work that you see how terribly wrong you were about all three of these things. How can you, then, solve this problem, and prevent the next renovation from, once again, disrupting your family life?

The importance of good preparation

One of the main reasons why so many renovations break the budget or simply drag out way longer than you intended is because we often fail to pay attention to certain things such as permits, insurance, lack of available materials, and the sheer fact that the design takes some time. Each of them can spawn new problems and delays. So, if you want to have a seamless remodel, you better put some effort into preparation. Here are a couple of tips that will help you.

Make a rock-solid budget

The point of a good budget is to give you a clear insight into the necessary costs and prevent the excessive spending. The items this budget should cover are:

• Available funds

• The condition of your home

• Size of the renovation area

• Value of the required labor and materials

• List of priorities

If you can, put all this in the form of a detailed spreadsheet for the sake of transparency, and include the column where you’ll be able to track the actual costs against the estimated ones. Also, don’t forget to put aside money for unforeseen expenses. Things like window coverings, light fixtures, and other small items will always escape your mind. Once you’re done, start the acquisitions as soon as possible.

Think of the schedule in advance

Now that you have your budget in place, you’ll need to make a detailed schedule that will be based around the renovations you listed as priorities but leave enough room for optional works if the remaining funds allow. It is very important to include contractors in this planning, see what you can do yourself, and leave room for unexpected delays. Also, do your best to schedule most of the works while your kids are at school so they have enough breathing room while they’re home.

Prepare the necessary paperwork in advance

This applies both to you and the contractors. As for the contractors, they will need to provide you with their license and liability insurance that will cover the workers’ compensation coverage in case of an accident. On the other hand, the contractors will find it much easier working for you if you have all the necessary permits, conduct a professional building insurance valuation and, in turn, pay the appropriate insurance premiums.

Create a work contract

This is the best way to have a good night’s sleep once things finally kick into motion. A work contract should cover the deadlines, scope of the projects, payment schedules, payment amounts, and, generally speaking, provide the sense of assurance both to you and the contractors. Therefore, don’t be surprised if you are asked to include some terms like preventing the children from accessing the site while the works are in progress. These regulations are in the best interest of your family.

Declutter your home

This is the crown jewel of all preparations, so do your best to pack as much of your belongings as you can into sealed and marked boxes and move them out of the way. Also, it is a good idea to remove mirrors and pictures from the neighboring walls, move the plants outside so they don’t end up damaged, and leave enough swing space for workers. While you are doing this, see that your family's routines are not impeded. Create the layout that will suit their daily workflow.

Have an honest talk with your children

Some kids find renovation works fascinating and love the change of pace in their lives. Others don’t handle the changes so well. Your job will be to sit with your family, present them with the changes that will temporarily affect their lives, and tell them what they can expect. If your kids are having difficulties with coming to terms with this, try showing them how your home will look after remodeling and include them in the decision-making process to make them feel more important.

Here you go, six important steps that will help your family handle the renovation in a much more seamless way. You will have to put a lot of effort into research and have a couple of long talks with the contractors, but all this hard work will eventually pay off. Remodeling rarely goes without troubles, but at least give yourself the privilege of choosing how and when you are going to address them.

About the author: Mike Johnston is a home improvement blogger, DIY enthusiast and sustainability buff from Sydney. He is a regular writer at Smooth Decorator and contributor on several interior design, real estate and eco blogs, always on the lookout for new ideas and the latest trends in these fields.

Say Goodbye to the Junk Drawer

You need to replace 3 AAA batteries. You slowly open your “junk” drawer hoping everything does not fall out. Filled with pens, pencils, rubber bands, tape, batteries, birthday candles, business cards, buttons, take out menus, and extra keys to name a few, you rummage around pushing and pulling the items to hopefully find the batteries. You can’t find them and frustrated you shut the drawer. You are now on your way to the nearest convenience store to buy more AAA’s. You promise yourself that one day soon you will organize the drawer. Sound familiar?

All homes need a drawer to put odds, ends and tools that do not quite have a home anywhere else based on how often we use them. Usually this type of drawer in found in the kitchen or office. But is this really junk? These items are useful and necessary. At House to Home Organizing we prefer calling it a utility drawer where you can easily find your daily necessities.

Here are some tips to organize and de-clutter these drawers:

Take everything out. Wipe drawer clean. Let go of things which have been never used and are easy to get again. For example, the soy packets from the Chinese restaurant that have been sitting there for 6 months. Recycle old and unused business cards and take out menus. (Most take out menus are online these days) Go through spare keys and make sure you label what door or lock they go to. Recycle the questionable keys. Do all the pens work? Do the pencils have erasers.

Sort and group like items. All rubber bands together, paper clips together, pens, pencils, tape, batteries, keys, birthday candles, etc. Make piles so you can see quantity. Keep a reasonable amount of each item. For example, if you have 10 rolls of tape maybe 8 can live in a backup area in your home. Quantity will determine the size of the containers you purchase.

Measure the width and height of the drawer. Decide what type of systems you will use to divide the drawer. Need ideas? Look online. You can buy small plastic baskets, mesh trays, wood organizers, clear Lucite trays,  the options are endless.

Here are a few examples:

-Mesh Tray

-Clear Draw Organizer

Seville Classics 5-Piece Bamboo Storage Box Drawer Organizer Set

Once you have purchased the storage systems the fun begins! Arrange the items in their new containers. Now, when you open the drawer you can easily find what you are looking for. No more rummaging around and being frustrated!

Maintain your organization. Go through the drawer weekly. Up keep is crucial to prevent clutter from returning. Also, if there are any items in the utility drawer that you don’t use frequently it may be time to move them to a remote location.

Invisible Organizing

We have all heard a picture is worth a thousand words. And never before has that saying been more true than in the brave new world of social media. Professional Organizing lends itself to amazing before and after pictures. There is no doubt that you get a wow factor transforming a garage filled with 30 years of clutter into a useful space with room for the cars and lined with finished systems. However,  sometimes the before and after pictures can look exactly the same. How is that possible? Good organizing isn't about Instagram, it is fundamentally about being able to find what you are looking for, so you can be productive and efficient.

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In most cases people don't have chronic or extreme clutter, they have busy lives and lack of systems (containers, baskets, hooks, etc...) They may have a cleaning person or simply want their surfaces free from clutter.  In these cases the before picture is often the same as the after picture until you open the drawers and closet doors. When people get the house ready for guests or just want a clean look they tend to turn to "make it go away" areas, hidden from view. These black holes give the space a neat clutter-free look but don't tell the whole story. At House to Home Organizing we usually start projects by focusing on the closets, garage, attic or basement. We want to free up usable space in order to create homes for your items to live. We want you to be able to find what you are looking for and that means looking at the whole picture. Additionally, by emptying the hidden areas we can review every item in context so our clients can make regret free decisions. Great before and after photos can make people say wow, but don't forget to see the whole picture.

Time to De-clutter

Life is stressful. We are all constantly juggling many tasks. Children, aging parents, work, financial commitments, exercise and healthy eating, to name a few. Trying to manage it all effectively and keep your living spaces organized can be daunting. After a long busy day the last thing most people want to do is come home and clean and organize their home. Usually we want to put up our feet and just relax. However, letting things slide for a long time is not great. Clutter can pile up quickly. Once it gets out of control it takes longer to fix, and time is something none of us have to spare.

Here are some signs that you may need to start de-cluttering:

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Anxiety

Coming home makes you anxious. When you enter your home you should feel calm and stress-free. If it feels more like a junk yard and less like a peaceful relaxing environment it is time to take charge.

Unpacking

You still have boxes from a previous move that have not  been unpacked. You meant to unpack them 5 years ago but never had the time. Now you may be moving again and wish you could remember what was in them. Keepsakes? Photo’s? A box of half-full cereal or canned food? (gross).

Lost

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You can never find what you are looking for. Whether it be a battery, clean underwear, headphones or earbuds, chargers, car keys, you should be able to find things with ease. When one can’t find something they tend to buy it over and over again. At House to Home Organizing we go into living spaces which often have a multitude of items like batteries, tape, wrapping paper, and pens. Over buying is usually due to people not being able to find what they already own.

Socializing

Friends prefer you to come to their house or meet at a restaurant. Spaces that are filled with clutter are uncomfortable to relax in. You may have gotten used to the clutter, but other people are uncomfortable. Having a clean and organized living and entertaining area will help your friends and family relax and have fun.

Need help? Contact a professional organizer. Professional organizers are trained to help people de-clutter without stress. Organizing properly takes time. A professional organizer can help you organize quickly and efficiently, so you will have more time to spend with the people in your life that you love. Additionally, you will be able to find what you are looking for and relax with friends in your clutter free space.