How to Plan your First Home Renovation

Renovating your Whistler home is an exciting step to truly making your property your own. Whether you bought somewhere with the intention of fixing it up, or you just want to update a couple of areas, planning and designing new styles and layouts is always fun!

However, carrying out your first renovation project is no easy task and if you’re not careful it could be very time-consuming and costly, without the results you expected. But don’t worry, our expert local Realtors are here to help and have provided some tips for renovating your Whistler property!

Don’t Rush In

Take your time! This can’t be stressed enough. If you rush into a renovation project without proper planning, you are sure to hit some issues along the way, especially if you’ve just moved into a new home.

It’s important to get a thorough understanding of how your space flows, that way you can explore ways that you can redesign it to make it work better. Spend time in your property and really think about what you’re trying to achieve with your renovation, this way you can be certain of whether your options are viable.

Create a Plan

While you take your time on your renovation, that doesn’t mean do nothing! Take this time to start planning exactly what you want to do with your home and start putting some ideas on paper. While these initial ideas may change, it’s always good to establish a rough idea going into the project.

One of the most important decisions is whether you want to renovate your entire home or just a few rooms. Maybe renovating one room and giving the others a simple makeover will be enough to breathe new life into your entire home, it all depends on your unique situation.

Focus on Every Detail

Once you have started planning your renovation and have some rough ideas of what you want to change, you can start to get into more details. This means thinking about exactly what materials you need, which styles and designs work in your space, and what colour scheme you want.

At this stage you don’t need to create a complete blueprint, but this information will become important when you start speaking to contractors.

Meet with Contractors

When you have a plan of what you want you can start researching local contractors. Our agents have a number of people we regularly work with and are happy to recommend to you, but it’s still important to do your own research.

Take time to research as many contractors you can, read reviews, and get recommendations from friends and family if relevant. Create a shortlist of around three contractors and arrange to meet with all of them.

Discuss your plans and get feedback. A good contractor will most likely offer some advice and constructive criticism where needed. Ask lots of questions and be sure to get an estimate for the project cost.

When it comes to choosing one, don’t necessarily just go for the cheapest, but think about who you trust, who understands your vision, and who you would be comfortable with in your home.

Budget Effectively and Understand ROI

With a contractor in mind and an estimate as a base, you can start to create an accurate budget for your renovation. Take into account any additional expenses (such as eating out and accommodation, depending on the scale of your renovation), and as a general rule add 15% to cover any unexpected costs.

It’s also good practice to analyze potential return on investment (ROI) for your renovation, even if you don’t plan on selling. Make sure that you don’t price your home out of its neighbourhood, and also think about whether it’s worth going all out on a luxury remodel. Remember, at this stage it’s not too late to alter your plans and go for a more mid-range renovation if you think it might be best for your budget and ROI.

Set a Timeline

Using all the information you have from the contractor, along with your established budget, you should now set a date to commence work.

Speak to your contractor and discuss their recommended timeline from start date, and decide whether you need to stagger any aspects of the project or if certain areas are more urgent than others. Once you have your timeline, you’re ready to start!

If you have any questions about renovating your Whistler property, don’t hesitate to contact one of our agents!