Thinking of Renovating? Buckle up!

[Ken and Ari Walker]

Renovations have been known to lead to many unforeseen disasters, but it doesn’t need to be that way.  With the proper preparation and due diligence, pretty much anything can be avoided. We have all heard the horror stories of living a totally upended life during a renovation, and of timelines being ignored by professional contractors.  If you are contemplating a renovation, the suggestions listed below may save your “mental health” and your wallet:

Make Living Arrangements Well In Advance: For larger renovations the ideal solution would be to check into an extended stay hotel or move in with family or friends for the duration.  If that is not feasible, or the renovation is smaller, find a space out of the way of the construction to make your meals and/or “hide” for your sanity.  Take-out sources may become your new BFF during this time if you have a kitchen renovation on your list.

Protect Yourself With A Detailed Contract: If you go into renovation with a contractor without a specific and detailed contract, you risk finding the project stalled or worse.  This contract should include the address, a start date, a completion date, and details of what is and is not going to be done. As an additional incentive, you might add penalties for not meeting required deadlines.

Keep All Your Receipts: Hold on to every receipt related to the reno in case you need to return the item.  These receipts will come in handy at tax time or at the time of resale.

Organize And Remove Items: Box and store items from the cabinets and closets.  Labeling will save you from hunting for things during the reno and help you to unpack later.

Save Décor Ideas In A File: While some of your décor items may still be useable in the new space, you may want to freshen-up the visuals with a new look.  Gather any idea or picture that offers an inspiration for your “new look” and keep them in a file.

Protect Against Dust, Debris, and Damage: Take down or cover any items you cannot move with a protective tarp or sheeting.  Do your own damage control, don’t depend on your contractor.

Following these few steps and advice hopefully saves you time and your sanity, during one of the most stressful experiences homeowners live through.

Click here for more tips. 

Best, Forest – The Guy in the White Hat
Hard Money Broker and Co-Owner of family owned and operated Sun Pacific Mortgage & Real Estate, serving all of California since 1988! 707-523-2099   www.sunpacificmortgage.com. 
CA DRE license #010005559 and NMLS #289456

Note:  Get our financing despite bad credit, difficult to prove income, property a fixer, etc.!  We finance Jumbo loans, Bridge and short-term loans, Owner Occupied purchases and refinances, investment purchases and commercial.