Before You Renovate...

Renovating your home is a big undertaking. Here are a few things to think about before you get started.

- Redzman Rahmat

1. Picking the right renovator

There’s no denying that renovating your home can be a challenging process. In fact, you will already be facing challenges even before the construction begins! It all starts with choosing the right person to work with. After all, you’re entrusting your future home in the hands of strangers!

Whether you decide to work with an interior designer, interior stylist or contractor, this person must be someone you can trust and rely on. Protect yourself from scams and con jobs by making sure that the person you want to engage is qualified and certified. To help you make the right decision, here are a few essential questions you need to ask.

• Are you licensed?

• Are you insured (workers compensation and liability insurance)?

• How long have you been in the business?

• What kind of residential homes do you usually work on?

• Have you worked on similar projects before, and can I look at the pictures?

• How many projects are you handling simultaneously?

• Do you offer warranties?

• Can I have some references from old customers?

2. Understanding your floor plan

Take a good look at your floor plan. A good understanding of this blueprint will allow you to understand your home’s layout better, and consequently, give you the capacity to consider a total spatial reconfiguration.

The first thing to know is that the floor plan presents a top-down view of your home. Everything is drawn to scale and it includes your walls, doors, and windows. By looking at the lines, you should be able to identify which walls can be knocked down and which walls are structural constructs that cannot be removed.