Your family home should be a place of solitude, and a place of happiness. If your home is not working as well as you want it to, or as well as you think it should, then you need to take action and start remodeling the areas or aspects that you are happy with. The home that you love and cherish can once again be fit for purpose, and just as functional as ever, especially when you take the time to plan out what you need to do, and most importantly, what you want to do. Of course, remodeling any room or any size house requires dedication, time, and lots of energy. Even if you are not physically carrying out any of the work yourself, you still need to be present when the remodel happens, you still need to make decisions, and you still have to make choices. So, to make the whole remodeling process that little bit easier on you and your family, what should you be thinking about, and what should you be focusing your efforts on?
What Does Your Family Need and Want
To begin with, you need to think carefully about what you and your family want. For example, is the kitchen diner still working as you want it to? Do you need more space, or do you just need to reconfigure current layouts? Looking at your home from an outsider’s perspective, and getting to grips with what you want will help you create a clear plan. If you do not decide at an early stage of your remodeling project what you want to do and why, then you could end up with eye-watering costs, and you could end up with rooms and spaces that are not quite how you wanted them to be. Focus your efforts on one room at a time, and establish exactly what is working well and what is not. When you focus your efforts on one room, you can then proceed to the next.
Setting a Budget
Remodeling can be an expensive process, especially if you do not already have a budget in place. Setting aside a budget (and allowing a contingency fund) will ensure that you do not spend more than you can afford to. When you are putting together a budget, you need to speak to contractors and designers. Getting together at least three prices will allow you to get a median figure to which you can then begin working towards. When you are establishing your budget, you also need to think about how you will finance your project. For example, are you refinancing your home, or are you taking out a loan?
Timescales
Time is a big factor in a home remodel. Time can quickly pass when you are remodeling, and unfortunately, if you do not take charge of the timescale, you can find the projects can end up overrunning. Being realistic with the timescale is important too. If you are not realistic with your timescale, then you could end up being frustrated about the lack of progress, or about the time it takes to actually complete a remodel of a room, or area. To establish just how long a project will take, you will need to speak to those contractors that are working (or going to be working) on your home. The contractors will have experience with projects of all shapes and sizes, and they will be able to give you a guideline with regards to the timescale/length of the project. Of course, unforeseen circumstances may delay or affect a project, and you should always add a little extra time to the timescale that you are given.
Tackling One Room at a Time
Unless you are getting contractors in to do your whole house at the same time, you need to focus your efforts on one room at a time. If you are undertaking the remodeling work yourself (even if you are using contractors to help) you will want to focus just on one room at a time. If you try to focus on too many rooms or areas at once, then this could lead to chaos, and it could lead to you being very stressed. You may not actually enjoy the remodeling process, and this may taint how your home feels.
Everyone Needs Their Own Space
To get rooms right for everyone in your family, you need to take their needs and wants into account. For example, if you have children that are growing up, they will probably want their own rooms, with perhaps even their own en-suite. When you take into account what everyone needs and wants, you can then ensure that the remodel is tailored to suit you and your whole family. Getting others within your household to write down what they would like, and what they feel they would need will also allow them to feel part of the whole process.
Design Boards Are Essential
Trying to get all of your ideas, thoughts, and color schemes together can leave you feeling stressed and confused. Utilizing design boards, or mood boards will help you put all of your designs and color swatches together. When you have a design board you can play with ideas, and you can switch and tweak things to your heart’s content. For example, if you feel that schemes and themes are clashing, you could change them easily and quickly.
Experimenting Can Get Results
Of course, sometimes it can be beneficial to step outside of your circle of comfort. For example, you may find that you stick to color schemes and designs that have worked for you previously – but do you need to? Sometimes you can find that stepping outside of your box can give you new ideas and inspirations, which might bring your room to life, or give it more of a presence. Often taking a leap of faith can have its rewards, and it can help you create a home that works for you and all of your family. When you are experimenting with what to do and what to use, why don’t you try out new paints that create lighter and brighter rooms? You may also want to look at using soft and sumptuous pieces together with modern and sleek pieces that can help bring together large, and previously uninviting spaces. Being creative and trying new things you haven’t done before could just help your home feel and look even better.
A Home Office / Study Space
Within your home, you might find it beneficial to have a study or home office. As your children get that bit older, it can help to have a dedicated area for the top study and work. Having a space that you can work within is also beneficial. Having somewhere to work remotely from, or even having a quiet space to contact a Telehealth provider could help you enjoy living within your home that little bit more, and it could enhance the enjoyment you get out of your home. When you have your own study space or home office to get away to, you give yourself peace of mind, which can sometimes be hard to come by in a busy family home.
The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home
A lot happens in your kitchen. From family get-togethers to family home-cooked meals, the kitchen is the place where everything happens. As a lot of time is spent in your kitchen it is important that it looks and feels as good as it possibly can. Having an area that is set up for entertaining, and also having a dedicated space for dining will ensure that your kitchen can be used effectively and efficiently all year round. Investing in your kitchen will be beneficial to your family and your way of life. When you have a space that is functional and truly fit for purpose, you can then focus on enjoying the space, and making memories.
Smart and Connected
As you are remodeling, why not look at getting your home even more connected than ever? A home that is connected and smart is ready for your family to enjoy both now and in the future. Connectivity within the home and smart home devices can make your life so much easier. For built-in devices to connectivity points around the house, you could benefit from a smart home upgrade or makeover.
What will your family need in the future?
When you remodel, you need to think about the future just as much as anything else. You have to be sure that your remodel works for your family both now and moving forwards. If your home will not be suitable for the future, then you need to take action before you undertake any physical work. Doing a project or a remodel that may only last a couple of years is a waste of time and a waste of energy. Creating a home that has space for the whole family to grow and develop into will ensure that you get value for money when you commit to remodeling.
