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10 Things You Must Know When Building or Renovating
There are many sad cases of home renovations
not going as planned - often going way over budget or schedule, or
unforeseen complications popping up unexpectedly and ruining even up
to years of work.
Most of these situations would never have gone so awry with some
careful planning and early decision making sooner in the renovation
process. Below are a few issues that it is vital to think about
before you begin your home renovation.
10 Things to Think About BEFORE Beginning Work:
Prepare a budget
Be aware of council regulations
Find a tradesperson
Know your start and completion dates
Selecting Products
Prepare plans
Purchasing products
What should I purchase myself?
What services are available to my property?
What sort of hot water unit do I need?
Prepare a budget
Before you start shopping for your new bathroom or kitchen you must
know your spending limits. Whether you are getting a loan or paying
cash, you need to work out how much your project is going to cost.
Some businesses also offer finance solutions for approved customers.
Be aware of council regulations
Find out all the information you can before you arrange
tradesperson. If your home is heritage listed you will need to meet
strict council regulations. Many renovations must be approved by the
council before work can commence. Contact your local council for
more details.
Finding a tradesperson
Speak with family and friends who have done renovations or built a
home. It is important to find a tradesperson that you can
communicate with. Make sure you understand everything they are
telling you. Book a tradesperson well ahead of time, as they can be
booked for months in advance. Ensure that your tradesperson is
licensed. Your product warranties are only valid if installed by a
licensed tradesperson.
Know your start and completion dates
Communicate with your tradesperson and come to an agreement of
realistic start and completion dates for your project. If you have a
specific date that the job must be finished by, for example you have
relatives coming to stay, let your tradesperson know. Keep in mind
that unexpected problems can hold up your project, no matter how
well you have planned it.
Selecting Products
It may take a few shopping trips for you to decide on the products
that give you the look you desire and are also practical for your
needs. Browse through a print or online catalogue. Once you have
decided on a style (modern, heritage or easy living) this will
narrow down your product choices. Be aware of any size restrictions
of the room. Print out or write down product specifications and
measure up your bathroom. You may use the online bathroom planner at
the Bourne Bathroom and Kitchen Centre website to layout the
products you have chosen.
Talk to your tradesperson about your choices. If the tradesperson
tells you that a product you have chosen is unsuitable, find out
why. It may just be that extra work is required that they don't want
to do. Remember, it is your home and you need to be satisfied once
the job is complete.
Prepare plans
It is important that you draw up plans of your bathroom or kitchen.
Discuss the plans with your tradesperson. Let him know what sort of
products you would like, so he will know what work needs to be done.
For example if you have chosen an inwall cistern, the tradesperson
will need to know so he can set up the plumbing correctly before the
tiling is done. It is best to have specifications of all of the
products you have chosen so the tradesperson knows exactly what work
is required.
Purchasing products
When selecting products, find out how long it will take for
delivery. Some goods such as tapware and toilets will be in stock,
while others such as spas and vanity units are custom made and can
take up to 1 month to order in. Often these custom made products are
non-refundable so confirm your product choices with your
tradesperson before ordering. Find out from your tradesperson which
products they will required first. Generally, the first products
needed are the shower base, bath or spa and mixers if they are being
installed on the wall.
As an owner builder, what should I purchase myself?
If you are owner building, make sure you purchase all of the main
products for your bathroom, kitchen and laundry. This will ensure
that you make all of the decisions and achieve the result you want.
There will be things you will not think about when placing an order,
such as different handle types on a vanity unit, the pump position
of your spa, that you will need to decide on. It is important to
make these decisions yourself as they will affect the overall result
of your project. Smaller fittings for plumbing can be purchased by
your tradesperson.
What services are available to my property?
It is important to know whether you need gas or electric appliances
(hot water unit, cooking appliances). If you live further out from
the city, you may need LPG appliances. If you currently have
electric appliances and you want to change to gas, speak with your
tradesperson to determine if this is going to be cost effective and
worthwhile in the long run. If you are building a new home, decide
on the appliances you want before building begins, as the plumbing
will need to be roughed in based on your product selection.
What sort of Hot Water Unit do I need?
There is a wide range of hot water units available and it can be
quite daunting to try and choose one. If you are replacing an
existing unit your choices can be limited, so speak with your
tradesperson. The instantaneous hot water units are popular at the
moment, but they use a larger gas line than the standard storage
units. This can mean major plumbing changes which can be quite
costly, though in the long run the instantaneous systems are cost
efficient. See the Bourne Hot Water Selection Guide for more detail.
Many of these points seem somewhat obvious, but the problem arises
when you start taking things for granted. When you don't make sure
that all your bases are covered, you may find that you have invested
a lot of time, effort and money in a home renovation that you may
end up unhappy with.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer
a great selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be
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