Homeowners spent $361 billion on improvements, repairs, and maintenance in 2016.

If you are one of the many that want to make your home look better in the upcoming year, you need a remodel checklist. Without a checklist, you might forget something important when you want to renovate your new home and make it perfect for you and your family.

Continue reading this article and we will go over what you need to do when you’re starting your home renovation.

Preparing Yourself for the Remodel

Remodeling your house can be stressful if you’re not properly prepared. Being properly prepared means being prepared both physically and mentally.

You need to know if you’re able to stay in the house during the remodel or if you’re going to have to find another place to stay. You also need to think about how the remodel is going to affect your day-to-day life.

Once you’ve prepared yourself and your family for the remodel, it’s time to move into the actual process.

Set Your Budget

Before starting your remodel, you need to know how much money you have to spend — and you need to be realistic.

If you’re going to be updating alarm system, breaking down walls, putting in a new HVAC system or anything else big, you need to give yourself some wiggle room for anything unexpected that might happen.

Set Your Priorities

After you set your budget, you need to know what your priorities are. If something happens and your budget is dwindling, you need to know what’s got to go.

Working on your most important tasks first will make it easier for you if you need to ax a part of the project.

Get Permissions and Permits

If you’re not going to change major parts of your structure then you aren’t going to need permissions and permits, so you can disregard this information.

On the other hand, if you’re going to do something like adding something to your home, you’re going to need a permit from your local housing authority.

To get a permit, you need to show detailed plans for what you’re going to do. Your city building inspector will be able to tell you about any zoning regulations and what kind of addition you’re allowed to add.

If you have a homeowner’s association, you’ll need to let them know about any exterior remodeling as well.

Your HOA may require your home to look a certain way, so don’t start your work before getting an approval.

Determine What You Can DIY

If you’re on a budget and you want to save some money, doing some of your own work can make a major difference.

Before you try to take care of everything on your own, determine what you can really do. If you’re not very handy, you might not want to do anything. If you’ve done some work on your home before or have someone that can help you, you may be able to take care of a significant part of the remodel.

Clean, Trash & Demo

One of the parts of your remodel you are likely to be able to take care of on your own is cleaning, clearing out any trash and getting rid of anything unnecessary in the rooms you’re working on.

Demolition can be a lot of fun if you want to take your anger out on some cabinets that aren’t needed anymore.

Interview Contractors

Once you’re to a place in your remodel that you’re going to need professional help, you need to interview contractors that you’re considering for the job.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about their experience and whether they understand how to make your project come to life. After you’re done asking them questions, you need to ask them for references.

Talking with people that have worked with them before will give you a better idea of how they work and the quality of their work.

Secure Necessary Financing

If you don’t have enough cash to pay for your project, you’ll need to secure financing for your remodel. You might put it on a credit card, use the equity in your house or some other options.

Before you start on your project, make sure you are approved for the amount of money you need to finish your project. If you don’t have enough money to finish your project, you might be stuck in a house that is only partially finished.

Acquire Insurance

Before you begin your project, consider acquiring builder’s risk insurance. This insurance is important coverage for construction projects and since there is no standardized policy, you’ll need to review the coverage you’re considering.

Protecting yourself throughout the process is a must if you don’t want to be left to foot a bill or something you couldn’t avoid during the construction process.

Once the construction is complete, your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover what you’ve added to your home.

Using a Remodel Checklist for Remodel Success

Now you know how to put together a remodel checklist. You may need to add or take away some items depending on what you’re doing in your home.

Go through the information above, print it out and cross out or add anything as necessary.

Do you need more help with your home? Our site is full of home improvement information and other information that can help you.

Browse through our site, find articles that will help, put a bookmark in place, and come back again soon.