Planning a renovation project is a crucial step, but it is often overlooked.
You are investing a significant sum of money into your renovations, so it is worth taking the time at the beginning to ensure that everything will go according to plan and that you will obtain the desired results.
Start by identifying your needs, your desires, your expectations and your ideal budget. Make a prioritized list of your needs, just in case some items cannot be achieved for budgetary reasons. If you like, you can also make a few sketches of your desired layout. Once you have done this, contact a professional who is capable of putting all of this information in order and providing direction for your project.
A company that provides comprehensive service, including planning, design and execution of the work, such as Construction Précellence, would be your best choice. The knowledge of this type of company will ensure that what you envision can be made into reality, because they will integrate their construction expertise into the design phase right from the beginning, and vice-versa. Always verify that the contractor that you choose for planning your renovation project has the expertise to carry out the type of work that will be required. Verify their skills, and insist on a guarantee that the plans and specifications that they will prepare will respect the established budget, if necessary. You don’t want to end up with plans for a beautiful kitchen that cannot be carried out successfully.
In general, the contract that a company will propose for designing (planning) your project will be separate from the contract for the execution of the work. Following this approach, you can always back out after the planning phase if you change your mind. That way, you will only have to pay for the planning of your project, and avoid committing large sums of money before having a better understanding of the scope of the work. The cost of planning a project is generally between 3.5% and 6% of the total cost of the project.
Among other things, proper planning takes into account the following elements:
Proper planning also allows you to avoid or at least limit unpleasant surprises, which are often referred to as “extras”.
Some people erroneously believe that they have planned for every eventuality. They believe that reading a few books or magazines or watching television specials can replace decades of experience and hundreds of completed projects. Without taking anything away from these sources of information, they can only help you to understand the work proposed by the professionals.
Others say that they know exactly what they want, that their choices are already made, and that any type of planning is useless. Unfortunately, in an effort to save money, they overlook some of the previously mentioned elements, in addition to the necessity and importance of carefully reviewing what they have already done. Among other things, it is important to ensure that the chosen accessories are available, and that they can be used in light of industry standards and the specifications of the particular project. Sometimes, the expertise of a professional is required in order to point out to a client that a certain product is not as effective or efficient as advertised, etc.
Before beginning your renovation project, it is worthwhile to understand all of the elements involved. Planning is crucial for construction and renovation projects of all sizes.
Your best guarantee of a successful project is proper preparation and entrusting the planning to a professional.
