



Beginning your first home renovation can be thrilling, especially when your space is long past due for an upgrade. While you may be excited to dive into the process, there are many logistics to be decided on, planned out, and approved before this renovation can even begin. Because the home remodeling process is so complex, here is a step by step guide with the best home renovation tips so you can be sure the process goes off without a hitch.

1. Planning

The planning process is perhaps the most important part of your home renovation because this is what everything that happens will be based on. You’ll want to start by assessing the work that is absolutely necessary to have done and then incorporate the smaller home renovation ideas in afterward. Ask yourself what the priorities, goals, and purpose for the renovation is instead of simply deciding that you’d like the space to be updated and look nicer as a whole. The more specific, the better.

This is also when you’ll decide the scope of work and timeline. Depending on the kind of renovation work you’ll be doing, the timeline of the project will be longer or shorter, so you’ll have to plan and budget accordingly. Now, a commercial renovation or office renovation might have a slightly different process, but be similar nonetheless.





2. Determine Budget

With the scope of work in mind, it’s time to get realistic about your budget. If you are looking to save, you might want to look into home renovation ideas on a budget instead of going straight to a contractor with your ideas. Look into the average costs of home remodeling, weigh the costs and determine what is necessary. Consider your income, labor costs, materials, and your living arrangement during this time. You’ll also want to think about the quality of the products and materials you’ll be incorporating in the renovation. High end, luxe materials will have a noticeably larger price tag, but if you’re looking to make the investment, take this into account in your budget.





3. Hire Professionals

Any good home renovation will likely need a general contractor, and if significant work is being done (walls being knocked down, layouts changing, etc.), an architect too. And while you may think some of the services they provide are things you can figure out on your own, one of the best home renovation tips our Décor Aid team can give you is to consult with these experts. You will want to carefully vet all professionals, so it’s best to contact references or ask around with trusted peers to inquire about their experiences. Furthermore, this contractor will be your contact for all electrical and plumbing needs, so they need to be an expert in all things home remodeling. From there, you can also hire an interior designer to assist in the final look and furnishings of the space.





4. Secure Necessary Permits

When reworking an electrical or plumbing system or doing a large gut renovation, you will likely need the proper documentation to ensure your remodel is safe, thorough, and is granted approval. While a commercial renovation and office renovation may have significantly different permits required, you’ll need to do the research and speak with your team of professionals regarding what you need to obtain. Applications, permits, and documentation vary from council to council but if approval is required, this needs to be done before any renovation on the home starts.





5. Solidify Plans

Work with your entire team to finalize the plans for your home renovation so that you have strict guidelines to follow throughout the process. Many can easily veer off course when faced with numerous ideas which will drive up costs, so you’ll want to determine a concrete plan that includes all required work by each member of your home remodeling team. This should be a line item list that shows the full scope of work by all parties, which will allow you to start developing a schedule once you know what materials are required.





6. Begin Purchasing

You can begin the purchasing process, which can be lengthy so that materials arrive on schedule and are able to be used instead of elongating the process with waiting periods.

order materials





7. Start Demolition

When doing demolition, it’s important to educate yourself on what needs to be done by a professional and what can be done by you. If you are looking for home renovation ideas on a budget , you may be able to cut costs by forgoing a professional if the demolition allows.





8. Work with Designer