No matter the scope and size and your home installation project, preparation of your space is paramount to how well the installation goes.
Whether it’s the installation of solar panels, a new patio, a new roof, flooring, or even just bedroom drapes, there are a few crucial factors to consider before you allow perfect strangers into your home to work on it.
Home upgrades are hectic at the best of times, without preparing for it, you can expect the process to be far more complicated than you ever imagined it would be. Here’s what to keep in mind before you kick off a major home installation.
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1. Make Provision in Your Budget
A home renovation or installation project almost always includes at least one hiccup along the way. So before you kick off the installation, you want to make provision for any mishaps in your budget.
You may already have a good idea of what the actual project is going to cost. But it’s always wise to add on 5-10 percent of the overall cost to your budget for project/installation delays.
These mishaps or delays could be caused by weather, injury, a delay in material delivery, incorrect materials for the job, and more. Whether it’s something simple like digital antenna installation or something complicated like a whole new roof, always make provision in your budget.
2. Carefully Consider Home Security
When you choose to go ahead with a home installation or renovation that requires the expertise of a professional, it’s important to remember that you’re opening up your home to complete strangers.
For this reason, you want to think about your level of home security and how comfortable you feel about this. It doesn’t necessarily mean you immediately distrust your contractors — it’s more about maintaining a level of privacy.
If this is important to you, keep your bedroom doors shut or locked when contractors are working on your home. Make sure your security cameras are in full working order. Close the drapes if you don’t want people staring inside your home. It’s your safe space, after all, so do what makes you comfortable for the duration of the project.
3. Prepare for Home Installation Disruption
To add to the fact that your home will be invaded by strangers, it’s important to prepare for the installation disruption that is about to ensue. If it’s a major project like re-tiling or laying down new flooring, make sure to cover or remove all nearby furniture and decor items, for example.
Make provision for your pets — if they are easily startled, you might want to cordon them off in a certain area of your home or have a relative pet-sit for a few days.
4. Consider Project Timing
Is it really the best time for a major home installation or remodeling project? Before you dive headfirst into anything of the sort, it’s a good idea to consider the timing in your life.
If you just don’t have the energy, time, or resources to support a major home and life disruption, it may not be the best time for this type of home project. You want to schedule it for a time when your family can handle some means of disruption — even if it’s only for a few days.
5. Make Room for Re-Location
If you’re going for an indoor home installation project, such as repainting, you’ll have to think about re-locating and shuffling things around inside your home to make provision for the project.
For example, if you’re re-painting your main bedroom, you obviously cannot sleep inside it. You’ll have to consider where you’ll sleep and whether to move items out of the room before you begin this project.
6. Get a Good Idea of the Project Timeline
This is another important factor to consider before you kickstart a home installation project. If you have a basic idea of the timeline of a project, you can adequately prepare for it.
This is helpful if you need to move out of your home for a short period, if you need to temporarily re-home your pets, or when you need to prepare areas of your home for mess, dirt, and debris.
7. Prepare for Onsite Mess and Storage
While we’re on the topic of mess — you want to make provision for this so that your home doesn’t look like a complete bomb site for weeks on end. This is especially important if an installation project is going to take an extended amount of time.
A good way to keep mess, dirt, and debris contained is to hire a skip and keep it in your yard until the project is complete. You’ll also need to consider material storage. Set aside a designated area for contractor tools and materials in order to keep some sort of order and organization on your property.
8. Don’t Forget About Utility Lines
Before you head into a home installation or renovation project, always do your homework on any potential utility lines that could be disrupted. Yes, this may be part of your contractor’s job, but it’s worth looking at your home’s plans before you even start plotting out the project to see if it’s plausible.
Remember that tackling major utility lines or factoring them into your project can cause delays and extra money! Think about major plumbing lines, septic tank lines, electrical lines, and ducting before you start smashing into walls, digging up your garden, or pulling off your roof.
Tap Into a Homeowner’s Source of Knowledge
If you remember one thing about a home installation project it’s that you should expect a certain amount of mess and disruption. The sooner you can accept that and prepare for it, the smoother the project will run.
As a homeowner, you can never have enough knowledge on how to improve your space. Find the ultimate resource of knowledge at your fingertips and explore this site for more!
