While the usual hustle and bustle is absent from the city streets, it seems that Torontonians are still finding ways to keep themselves busy at home. The most popular hobby they’ve picked up? Home improvement.
TD Bank released a “Real Estate During COVID-19 Survey” that showed that home renovations were up by almost 40 percent. It’s clear that people took advantage of their extra time spent stuck at home and decided to make changes.
Are you planning on following in the footsteps of other Torontonians and doing your own renovations? If so, you should take a look at these simple tips for a stress-free home renovation.
Keep Your Valuables Safe
There will be dust everywhere, and it will be nearly impossible to keep it off of your belongings. You can wrap your furniture in plastic and pack away your valuables into boxes to protect them from the mess, but your best bet is to put as much as you can into storage until the renovation is finished. Finding and using self storage units in Toronto will do more than keep your valuables dust and damage-free — it will free up space so that you can finish projects quickly. There’s no need to tip-toe around couches or move boxes out of the way.
You might also want a storage locker for any new furniture pieces that you’re hoping to use once the renovation is over. You can tuck them away until the majority of the work is done, and it’s safe to move everything in.
Clear the Air
You don’t want to breathe in all of that dust. Here are some steps that you should take to improve the indoor air quality:
⦁ Section off construction areas with plastic dust barriers
⦁ Vacuum up dust and debris daily
⦁ Put air purifiers in spaces where you will be spending more time (bedrooms, home offices, etc.)
Establish a Timeline
One of the first things that you need to do to ensure a stress-free home renovation is to establish a timeline. How many projects do you want to complete? What season do you intend to start? When do you hope to finish?
Give yourself a realistic estimate. When shopping around for contractor quotes, ask them about their average time for certain projects. (Their average project time may be longer due to COVID-19.) That will give you a better idea of the expected deadlines.
Never assume that you’ll be right on schedule, especially now. It will always take more time to get things done. Home renovation experts recommend that you make a flexible renovation timeline because there will always be something that comes up, like hidden issues, order delays or even bad weather. During the pandemic, many contractors have had difficulty getting certain materials such as treated wood so it’s important to add a few extra weeks to your timeline as a buffer.
Budget for Extra
Another one of the biggest renovation mistakes that people make is not adding wiggle room in their renovation budget. No matter how careful you are, there will always be hidden costs and extra projects to do. For example, your contractor may discover that wiring or pipes need to be replaced when renovating your kitchen. Try to have an additional 10-20 percent above the original estimate on-hand in case of additional costs.
Renovating will be exhausting, no matter what. But you can at least make the experience a little less stressful for yourself.
You might be interested in reading, “Tips for Prospective Homeowners in Toronto“.
