Taking on a home remodeling project can be time consuming and costly if you don’t plan ahead first.
To save frustration and financial strain, consider asking three questions before you begin.
Purpose of the remodel
First, ask what your purpose is behind the plan to remodel. Are you considering the project, say, to add something you need -- like an additional room or bathroom?
Or, are you considering the home remodeling project to potentially increase the sale price if you’re considering selling your home in the near future.
Perhaps it could even be a bit of both where you need another bedroom but also want to see value in your efforts for whenever you do decide to sell.
Your reason for wanting the remodel could have a direct impact on how much you want to spend on the home remodeling project. For instance, if you spoke with a realtor who shares that, as you improve your bathroom, a particular feature is very
popular with buyers at that particular point in time.
If you were remodeling to sell, you would certainly want to include that feature. However, if you are remodeling for other reasons such as for your own use, you may or may not want the extra expense.
What building supplies do you need to complete the project
The second question you might want to ask before starting the home remodeling project is what supplies you will need.
This can be the basics based on what you know you will want to do. For instance, for likely any project you’ll embark upon, paint and painting supplies will probably be a part of the plan. So there are those kinds of things; the basics. And what about extras? Have you planned on what additional features you might be interested in adding to the home remodeling project?
An example might be that if you are going to be adding a closet to the room, are you also considering adding built-in shelving? If you’re on a budget, deciding these things before starting the project will be very useful. You might decide to adjust the project once you realize you want built-in shelving. For example, if you had planned to have custom window coverings, you might decide to go with standard window coverings to open the budget for the built-in shelving.
What permissions do you need to have in place?
The third question you should ask is what permissions will you need to do the home remolding project you are planning.
When considering this aspect, you’ll need to reach out to your local planning development management department. Different local planning agencies may vary in processes so it’s better to know this at the onset than have to deal with possible
fines or other penalties later.
For instance, the City of Ekurhuleni’s Building and Planning Department (EMM) considers such projects as building a carport, extending a building, and some types of room conversions as needing to have permissions. Too, the EMM notes that it doesn’t need to approve things like repainting or repairing some existing items. But again, the EMM does need to approve projects like a rebuilding project that involves removing existing parts like walls or changing existing
materials to a different material, such as a roof.