Managing change during your home renovation

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Managing change is an important skill to learn when taking on a home renovation project. With so many websites, magazines and TV shows filled with images of gorgeous homes, it can be easy to find yourself suddenly dizzied by inspiration.

Whether you are inspired by a daring paint colour, a stylish room design, or an incredible open-concept transformation, it’s important that you try not to let impulsive inspiration take control of your projects. Taking on too many projects at once, or making several last-minute design or finish changes can result in incomplete projects and also muddy the vision you have for your home. While whim-based project alterations can over inflate your budget, they can also lead to conflicts with other people involved with the project.

Here are a few ways that managing changes during your next home renovation can be made easier.

Consider your priorities

If the change will radically alter the direction of an in-progress remodel/redesign or if it will halt an existing project, take a moment to prioritize before you act. Confer with anyone else who may have a stake in your remodeling project and think about why you want to make this change.

Definitely look into the monetary impact of any change you would like to make. Will new products need to be ordered? Will any products you’ve already purchased go to waste? Are there any permits that will need to be acquired?

With all of these things in mind, you will need to decide where your priorities lie and if finishing on-budget and on-time is more or less important than making this change.

Think about the future

Sometimes, spending extra money to make a change during a renovation can actually end up saving you money in the future. For example, installing under-floor heating during your bathroom renovation will spare you the expense of having to rip out your flooring if you decide to have it installed a few years down the line. While similarly, opting for granite countertops over laminate could mean that you won’t need to redo your kitchen in a few years, after realizing that you really did prefer the higher end material.

Create a file dedicated to the inspiration

The goal should be to use your inspiration strategically and not impulsively. If you saw something on a home improvement show that you absolutely “must try” in your home, journal it, look for similar projects online and file it away. Allow the idea to develop into a solid goal, rather than what could turn out to be a flight of fancy.

Work with qualified professionals

When you work with an experienced professional contractor or design and build specialist, they can be a source of expert advice. Talk to them and tell them about your ideas. Your contractor can help you recognize the impact making your change will have on your project and help you make an educated decision.

Published Darla Grant-Braid

*Article courtesy of EiEiHome