Top 5 Spring Renovation Tips

Written by Cassandra Nordell

Nothing sparks the urge to renovate more than spring weather! Spring, summer and fall are each a great time to renovate because you can spend your time poolside or outdoors while your interior renovations are taking place. The ability to prepare and have family meals outside (like BBQing) also makes this time of year even easier to tackle a home renovation! Did you know that October is actually the busiest month for major interior home renovations like kitchens, baths or whole home projects? This is because many homeowners want to have a newly finished space in time for the holiday season.

Here are our TOP 5 TIPS for spring renovations!

1. Book well in advance

No good contractors or design firms can start your kitchen, bath or whole home transformation™ tomorrow. Reputable, highly sought-after experts have very full schedules, so we recommend that you start the design process now! If you would like a new kitchen for the end of summer, pick up the phone and get your designer booked as soon as possible. It takes time to plan your project, order materials and apply for permits. Working with a design team is the first step to making sure that all of your ducks are in a row and that your budget is sorted out now, instead of getting surprised mid-project.

Keep in mind, a whole kitchen gut job can take 4–12 weeks to complete, and your design process comes before that. For a whole home transformation™, you’re looking at 2.5–5 months of renovation time, depending on the scope of work.

Starting your design process at William Standen Co. today will help to ensure that you get a space within our busy renovation schedule.

2. Don’t get overcharged for substandard results

There are so many companies out there that are ready to take your money. They promise amazing results, they guarantee a timeline, they come in under budget or less then a compared quote and all you want is to just get the ball rolling. But the truth is, choosing the right contractor and design firm shouldn’t be based on the cheapest price or the fastest turnaround time. In fact, those are red flags in this industry.

It is all too common for homeowners to think they’ve gotten a good deal only to find out that they’ve overpaid for substandard results. That cheaper price? It could cost you way more in the end. I’m sure the last thing you want is to have to add more time to a renovation project just to redo someone else’s substandard work. The smartest move you can make when renovating your home is choosing to work with a company that has a sterling reputation has online reviews that are honest and transparent, and one that is willing to connect you with past clients who’ve undertaken projects similar in value and size to your own. A quality contractor will present you with all the facts, costs and options.

3. Project happiness ROI

I have seen this time and again: an enthusiastic homeowner that feels capable of tackling their kitchen, bathroom or home renovation without a contractor. The problem? Your happiness return on investment (ROI). There’s a reason that contractors, designers and experts exist: They will get the job done faster than you can; it will be more on-budget than if you tackle the job yourself; the tradespeople will show up on time because they have a relationship with the contractor; and you will receive a warranty on the work. When you hook up your sink by yourself and it leaks, destroying your vanity cabinet, leaking into your basement, that’s on you. You don’t have a warranty or coverage on these repairs, and I guarantee that this will affect your happiness level. Always consider the happiness costs of DIY.

4. Protect your time

The most crucial and overlooked mistake I see when homeowners try to DIY their own kitchen renovation, bathroom remodel, or worse, a whole home gut job, is that they end up taking time off from work in order to finish their project, which ends up costing them more money than if they had just hired a pro, to begin with.

At the end of the day, I’m sure you want to be spending time with your family, not spending every free evening and weekend trying to tackle your reno project. This can put a strain on both your family life and your wallet.

5. Start in the kitchen or bathroom

If you’re not ready to take on a whole home transformation, start with a kitchen or bathroom renovation. These two rooms have proven regularly to be at the top of the list for home improvement projects and they yield the best return on investment. Tackling a bathroom or kitchen design and renovation takes less time and can be less overwhelming than a whole home gut job. You can still live in your home while undertaking these projects, and what better time to do so than in the spring and summertime, when you can BBQ and enjoy being outside!