The average person spends about four hours in their living room every day.
That’s a significant amount of time. However, if you don’t like your living room furniture or decor, then you may not enjoy spending time there.
We want you to feel happy and comfortable in your room but we know a living room remodel is a big project.
We’ve created this guide to help you with the planning process so that when it comes time to renovate your living space, you’re ready.
What are Your Goals
Before you ever start your remodel, you must decide what your goals are. What is the purpose of your remodel?
Are you looking to open up the space more? Do you want to improve functionality? Is your goal to enhance the aesthetics?
Deciding and understanding your goals will allow you to make informed decisions and create a thoughtful plan. Without it, the process will be much more chaotic and won’t turn out the way you hoped.
Deciding what you want the outcome of your renovation to be will also help the construction team and give them direction.
Gather Inspo
The next step is to look through magazines, blogs, social media platforms, and home improvement websites for inspiration.
This will help you visualize what you want your living room to look like. It will also help your construction team and designer bring your vision to life.
It’s important to remember that while you’re looking for inspiration online, you stay true to yourself. Keep your personal preferences and style in mind.
You don’t have to copy someone else’s style just because it’s trending. Get creative and find a way to make it your own. Online images and ideas are met to help you foster your own creativity.
Make a Budget
Budgeting is probably going to be the least enjoyable part of the process. However, it is a necessary step when you’re considering a living room renovation.
Having a budget from the beginning of your project will give you realistic expectations. Typically, a living room remodel is going to be very pricey when you consider the labor and materials, and furnishings.
Don’t let that discourage you. There are ways to make it more affordable.
One of the most important things is that you don’t overspend. This will only add stress to you in the future and will make it hard to enjoy your new space.
There are a lot of factors to budget for and getting quotes and talking to an expert can help you set a budget that you can follow. Once you have the total amount that you want to spend, you can break it down by category. This will also be helpful, as you can refer back to it throughout the renovation process.
Create a Timeline
Another aspect of the planning process is creating a timeline. A living room remodel is going to take some time, especially if you’re knocking down and building walls.
You’ll need to consider your schedule. Do you have a busy season at work coming up or a long vacation that could affect your remodeling plans?
You also need to think about the availability of contractors. If you’re starting a renovation at the height of their busy season, there may be delays.
If you’re doing it in the off-season, there could potentially still be delays as well due to weather or material shortages.
There are also delivery times that need to be taken into consideration. Are you going to be at your home and available to accept them? If not, you’ll need to be able to make other arrangements.
You need to be realistic about how long each portion of the project is going to take. While you don’t want it to last months and months, you also don’t want to rush it and it not turn out correctly.
Hire Professionals
Part of the planning process includes finding professionals in your area that are qualified to do your remodel.
You’ll likely need a designer to help you pick out a paint color and room decor. There are a lot of design options out there for you to choose from and it can be overwhelming.
Don’t wait to learn about transitional interior design. This will make the decision much easier and will allow you and your interior designer to create the best remodel for you.
You also may need an architect and a contractor and possibly an assistant contractor. Doing your research checking credentials and asking for before and after references is going to be time-consuming, but it would also be worth it.
The last thing you want is to have issues with the people that you hire. You don’t want to risk your project being delayed because you didn’t hire reputable professionals.
Monitor Progress
Once the project is started, you should have a plan in place to monitor the progress. You’ll want to regularly assess the living room remodel and be sure every change the lines with your vision.
Be sure to communicate with all the experts and contractors that are on the project and address any concerns immediately
Living Room Remodel
A living room remodel will change the entire vibe and mood of your home. Don’t wait to change it up. Start now by creating your plan and looking for inspiration.
Whether you want to make big changes or small ones, we are here to help.
Our countless blogs offer home renovation ideas, design advice, budgeting tips, and much more. Keep browsing for all the information you need!
