What Do Major Home Renovations Entail?
There are lots of reasons why people want to undertake a major home renovation. This might be to upgrade their existing home or because they have bought a run-down or older house that they want to renovate. If you have never renovated a home before, you might be wondering what major home renovations entail. Is it a project that you can handle yourself, or do you need to hire a Waterview home renovations builder? These are some of the things you need to think about before going ahead with major home renovations.
The Plans
You will need plans drawn up by an architect or designer. The plans will be used by the Council to assess your renovations, and your builder will use them for costing the project and of course all the contractors will need plans so they know what they are supposed to be doing. They also serve as a check so the homeowner and builder agree on what has to be done and that it is built as agreed.
Given the need for accuracy and skill, having plans drawn up is expensive so before committing to that, you might want to discuss your ideas with an experienced home renovations builder. Using their experience, they might have insights or ideas that you may not have considered. They might suggest a different configuration of the layout or a different orientation to capture more natural light and warmth. They can also give you a ball-park figure based on similar work they have done for other clients.
They will also have an understanding of the shape and slope of the land that you will be renovating on. This will have a significant effect on the costs of the building project also.
The plans will need to get Consent from the Council, it is important that you do not make any major changes as this will require another consent process.
Cost for A Major House Renovation
It pays to call in a renovation building company early on so they can give you an estimate of the cost. They will have worked on other home renovations jobs and will have an approximate idea of the cost of your ideas. This may be well over your budget so that will save you wasted time and money. However, if the estimate is close to your budget then you can go the next step and have the plans drawn-up. Once the plans have been approved, then your builder can give you a better idea of the renovation costs. At that stage the home renovations builder will give you a formal quotation including price, time and fixtures and fittings.
Major Renovations For The Whole House
The most common renovations projects are updating the kitchen and bathroom. However, a major renovation often includes making big changes to multiple spaces of a house.
These days people tend to want to have a big open-plan living area. So it is common for renovations to include the kitchen, lounge, dining room, and hallway for example to make one big open area. One of the reasons for the popularity of open-plan spaces is that walls, although relatively small take up a disproportionate perspective of the house. Removing them as part of a major renovation can help create much more living space in a house. Other options with changing walls is to reconfigure the layout, giving views across the garden or creating much brighter internal living spaces.
Other major renovation projects can include adding an upper-storey or perhaps building out over a garage to add bedrooms or an office. Adding a granny-flat is another popular addition, which can often be part-funded by the parent selling their home. Another option is to add a separate entity which can be rented out to gain extra income.
The Costs Of Home Renovations Can Vary Wildly
One of the first things that most people want to know about home renovations is how much they cost. Unfortunately, there isn’t necessarily an easy answer to this question. There are many things that impact the total cost of home renovations.
Upgrading a small home is generally going to be cheaper than improving a larger home unless extensions are involved. Some homes may not need extensive renovation work, but other properties are going to need significant upgrades.
One of the best options for you is to call in an experienced home renovations builder to talk through your ideas. They can then give you a ball-park figure so you can see if that fits with your budget or your valuation for a renovated house in the area.
At Fever Pitch, we have worked on a range of home renovations projects. We will be happy to come along to your home to talk about your ideas and how we could help you. Please call 021 209 2214 or email admin@feverpitchbuilding.co.nz.