Every home needs a touch-up every now and then to keep it fresh, functional and comfortable to live in. There comes a time when too many touch-ups end up in a chaos. Hopefully before it comes to that you decide on a home renovation PLAN.
There are so many different parts of a house that you can change. Here are the top five home elements that I think deserve priority consideration in any serious home renovation plan.
Your House Exterior
Some people say it’s what’s inside that counts. That may be true in some cases, but for home renovation projects, the outside features of your home is equally important as the interior design. You should prioritise an exterior upgrade because having a beautiful facade can give you and your family a better appreciation of your property.
You can give it a new paint job and landscaping, and this alone can make a massive difference on the overall look of the outside of your home. Go even further by changing the front entrance and tweaking one of the front windows to add architectural interest and street appeal to you house.
Your Kitchen
For most families, the kitchen has probably experienced more wear and tear than any parts of the house. You’ve done a lot of cooking in that kitchen throughout the years that it’s now in a broken-down, non-optimized state. Your years of experience in this part of the house has probably gave you some ideas on how you want to use it and the arrangement that will actually help your cooking.
When drafting the overall home renovation, you can sit down with your home designer and give him some ideas on the things that you want to be changed and suggest a preferred layout or arrangement based on what you think could give you better cooking sessions.
Apart from the layout, you can include some upgrades on your flooring, counter tops, lighting and large kitchen appliances.
Your Windows
One important part of the house that you should include in your next home renovation plan are the windows. When done correctly, new windows can usher in more light and air inside the house. Your home designer can tell you where to properly place new windows with respect to your house orientation. This way, you won’t be bothered by things like the first light in your bedroom, afternoon darkness in your home office, or the cold air during winter.
The main reason why you should put a priority on upgrading your windows is because they should admit daylight and ventilation in acceptable and consistent quantities, while maintaining the ambient temperature inside the house. It goes without saying that the windows should take into consideration your requirements for what you want to see through them and how much privacy you require. The windows should also blend with the overall style of your home, both in design and colour. You can discuss all of these with your designer when he/she is preparing drafts for your general home renovation plan.
Your Walls
Walls have functioned as room separators for the longest time. If your goal is to create a more open floor plan for your living areas, then you should put your walls in the priority list in your home renovation plan.
But before deciding to knock down a wall, check first if it’s non-load bearing as it pose structural issues for the whole house. Unless you’re an architectural or construction expert, I wouldn’t advise you to do it yourself since walls are like the skeleton of your house. The whole structure can fall apart if a load-bearing wall is removed.
Some homeowners have a different reasons for remodelling their walls and one of them is soundproofing. Homes located is main thoroughfares tend to be noisier than others, and one way to remedy that is to put up a drywall to muffle some of the sound.
Talk to your designer to make sure these considerations are included in your overall home renovation plan.
Your Insulation
Usually, the best time for a homeowner to make improvements to thermal insulation is often when doing major home renovations. Upgrading insulation is a delicate procedure that requires knowledge and skill, so it would be best to leave it up to your home designer and builder. They would know the best practices to be followed, and some materials are more appropriate than others depending on which part of the house is to be insulated.
For example, the most common way to insulate an attic is to blow in loose-fill insulation over the existing insulating material. Home designers and builder would know how to do it without obstructing the soffit vents, which are located under the overhang of the roof deck.
To insulate exterior walls, a rigid-board insulation will be installed inside the house. It will make the interior space slightly smaller, but it increases the insulating value and airtightness of the walls without need for major demolition. For insulating foundations, your builder can install rigid boards directly against the concrete wall, or add a batt-type insulation between the studs lying against the foundation walls.
By putting your house insulation in the home renovation plan, you can not only cut down on your electricity bills, but also feel so much more comfortable during winter. You can hire a home energy auditor to find out how much insulation you already have in your home and where it is.
Your Roof
Roofs are technically in the exterior of the house but I would like to put them in a separate category because this is one of the most important of all home renovation elements. Renovating your old roof can mean the difference between a beautiful, safe home, and a shabby, leaky one.
Renovating your roof can give your house a more contemporary look, improve energy efficiency, and possible increase its resale value.
Typically, you’re re-roofing because of leaks or damage to a roof. If it has minimal water damage, re-roofing with an overlay strategy can be the quickest, least expensive, and easiest solution because it eliminates tear-off costs and reduces replacement time.
There are many roofing materials to choose from, and your home designer can help you make that decision. He/She can also give you an advice on local building codes, styles, availability, roof angle, and more.
If you are thinking of any major home renovation in Sydney’s northern suburbs, feel free to contact me here.
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