Home improvement projects are becoming more and more popular as the years go by. This is especially true following the boom in the real estate market during 2020, which still hasn’t quite dissipated just yet. Since covid, there’s been a lot of people deciding to start these types of projects.

Of course, there’s a lot that goes into a home renovation, and chances are, you probably won’t want to do it all on your own. What can we do to ease the process, and where can we bring in outside help without adding too much cost? Today, that’ll what we’ll be taking a look at.

Overall, there are a lot of potential options here. You can read about some of them on this page: https://diyjoy.com/diy-home-improvement-ideas-budget/, but don’t worry – we’ll be offering a complete guide to home renovation, including whether or not you should outsource jobs like the interior and exterior painting!

If that sounds interesting to you, be sure to stick around! There’s plenty to learn when it comes to these types of large projects after all, even if you’ve done them before!

What’s Involved in a Project Like This?
As you can probably guess, before you start a home renovation, there are a lot of things to think about first. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights!

Planning and Budgeting
Naturally, the first step is to start establishing a budget and thus a plan for the renovation. You’ll want to define the scope of the project and set a realistic budget. Additionally, you’ll need to decide what parts of the home will be involved, consider what you want the timeline to be, and determine what your budget will be for materials, labour, and any unanticipated expenses along the way.

Design and Permitting
It can be easy to forget that when you’re planning a renovation, you’ll also need to get permits from your local government. Here in Vancouver, it isn’t overly difficult so long as you’re going to stay to code, but it’s still worth mentioning.

Additionally, you’ll want to plan out the designs ahead of time. If you aren’t bringing in any external help, that will fall entirely onto you. However, if you do bring professionals in, they may assist with creating three-dimensional renders of the space to give you an idea of what you’re working towards (as well as what to expect in the end).

Just be certain that you obtain the necessary permits from local authorities, such as building permits, electrical permits, and plumbing permits. Otherwise, you could end up dealing with a lot of fines.

Demolition and Preparation
Once you’ve got an established plan, you can begin to take actionable steps in the renovation. Prior to adding anything new, you’ll likely have to remove the existing flooring, walls, cabinets, and fixtures that are being replaced. Even when painting, depending on the new color you’re looking for, you may need to strip the old paint.

Something else to keep in mind in this stage is that you’ll need to clean the areas that you’re planning on working in (or that your contractors are going to be working in). This will keep the ball rolling and will also help with protecting the adjacent areas from dust and debris.

Framing and Structural Work
Depending on your plan for the project, this may not come into play. However, if it is a factor, then this is the step you should start with. You’ll want to construct new walls, floors, and roofs as needed, as well as install windows, doors, and any other structural elements. This will create a foundation for the rest of the renovation.

Electrical and Plumbing
Again, this probably won’t play a role in every single renovation project. However, if you’re planning on changing or installing any electrical outlets or plumbing lines, you’ll want to do it after the foundational work, but before anything else.

This includes installing electric wiring, outlets, switches, lighting fixtures, plumbing pipes, fixtures, and appliances. If you’re bringing in contractors to do this (as most people choose to do), then this is how you should organize the timeline.

Insulation and Drywall
Here in British Columbia, it’s a good idea to invest in insulation and drywall. The winters get pretty cold, after all, and if we can find ways to save on the heating bills come winter, why not take advantage of it? You’ll want to insulate walls, floors, and ceilings as needed, as well as install drywall to create smooth surfaces for finishing.

Installations
One of the final things you’ll be doing is, of course, handling the installation of things such as flooring, appliances, cabinets, and more. Hardwood, carpeting, or tiling work should probably be done first out of these options, but you may choose to install cabinets and countertops first if you’re renovating the kitchen.

Don’t forget that this also includes things like sinks and toilets – in the larger renovation projects, this will likely be a factor. These can take a bit more time than the others, so do keep that in mind. Anything with plumbing can be somewhat complex to install.

Painting
One of the final steps of a renovation is the painting. Depending on your process, you may want to do this before the installation – that’s up to you, though. If you’re bringing in residential painters, it may come down to availability, which isn’t uncommon. Overall, there are a few reasons why you may want to hire professional painters rather than doing it yourself.

For one thing, they’ll have the expertise and experience to ensure that the job is done quickly, efficiently, and correctly. Although it may not seem overly difficult to paint a residential space, you may be surprised by how complex it can get. This is especially true if you’re planning on painting both the interior and exterior of the property.

Often, it will involve utilizing equipment like ladders, which can be dangerous for those who aren’t trained. It’s worth thinking about hiring experts, and there are plenty of residential painting contractors in the Vancouver area if you’re looking for them. You might be surprised by how much time you can save using this option as well!

Finishing Touches
Finally, we can turn our attention to some of the finishing touches you may want to implement. This includes small things like doorknobs and lighting fixtures, including lamps or chandeliers. These are the sorts of things that can take a property from “just okay” to “looking beautiful!”

Sources like this one: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/projects-that-will-grow-your-home-equity-and-projects-that-wont/ can offer further perspectives on this part of the project, if you’re curious.

Final Inspection and Punch List
Of course, before we consider the project finished, we’ll need to do a walk through of the property and perform an inspection. A professional will need to do the inspection to ensure that everything is up to code for the province, so do keep that in mind.

Additionally, you may want to create a punch list of tasks to complete before considering the renovation complete. This can simply help to ensure that everything is staying on track without any distractions!

Project Completion
At last, you can get to truly calling the project complete! Double check that punch list from earlier to make sure that every task has been completed. When applicable, you may also need to obtain a certificate of occupancy – but that probably won’t come up in most cases.

Now, keep in mind that this is not an all-encompassing list. Many home renovation projects will inevitably involve some complications along the way. At the end of the day, that’s why it can be a good idea to bring professionals in to help with many stages throughout the process, even ones where you may not initially think it necessary.

To a large extent, though, the amount of outside help you want to hire will depend on your own willingness to perform the necessary tasks. How much time and energy do you want to sink into it? A lot of the time, we could save ourselves a lot of effort by simply bringing in contractors to do the difficult work while we go to our jobs or spend valuable time with our families.

At the very least, this is something you’ll want to think about if you’re thinking about taking on a long project like this. Hopefully, this guide will serve as a valuable resource for you!