Starting any renovation is scary. No wonder there are so many legends and anecdotes about this process. The risk of turning an apartment into an endless construction site is simply huge. Today we will share proven recipes and the latest trends in home remodeling on how to start work and organize the whole process to carry out construction and finish work as efficiently as possible.
A Work Plan Is A Must-Have
Why is the renovation taking so long? There are many reasons. In each case, they will be different, but we will still name the main ones:
- It is not clear what to do;
- It is not clear in what order to perform the work;
- No materials or tools are needed;
- No free time;
- Lack of skills, knowledge, or experience;
- No money;
- Unforeseen difficulties arose.
Avoiding these mistakes is easy. Even before the start of the repair, you need to draw up a work plan. Ideally, it is not just a list on paper but a professional design project.
This document is a complete guide to action, which warns you against wrong decisions, evaluates all events in advance, and allows you to assess your financial and temporal capabilities accurately.
It does not matter what kind of repair you have started – major or cosmetic – in the design project, and you will find everything you need:
- Design solutions, visualizations, furnishing plan;
- Terms of reference for builders;
- Planning decision;
- Detailed development of design solutions;
- The procedure for connecting electrical devices, installing plumbing and plumbing equipment;
- Sheets of finishing materials;
- An approximate estimate of the project and a summary sheet for each room.
Such a document will allow you to plan the order and sequence of work, purchase the necessary materials on time, find contractors for work that you cannot do yourself, foresee all the nuances and difficulties, and draw a clear plan with deadlines and material support for each stage.
The Sequence Of Work
First, we destroy, then we create. Repairs must begin with the dirtiest and dustiest work so that when the rough finish is completed, you no longer return to cleaning up construction waste. Therefore, when the premises are as accessible as possible from furniture and things, it is worth starting to dismantle the existing finishes, including replacing old windows with new ones, old batteries with modern heating radiators, and door frames, jambs, and skirting boards for further installation of options more suitable for the new interior.
So, everything is ready. The ruined room pleases only with brand new windows. Cover them with a film to avoid getting dirty and proceed to the rough finishing stage. The ceiling, walls, and floors are leveled, electrics are laid, and all necessary communications are laid – the room is being prepared for final finishing. When all the dirty work is completed, and only the finishing is left, it is worth starting from the top and gradually going down. If the ceiling is for painting or wallpaper, we begin with it and then the walls and floor. If the roof is stretched, then first the walls, then the floor, and at the very end, the stretched ceiling.
When the apartment is ready, you need to finish the little things:
- Install interior doors, boxes, and extensions;
- Install skirting boards;
- Install sockets and switches;
- Connect lighting and electrical appliances;
- Buy furniture and decor.
Procurement Of Materials
There is always a great temptation to save time on shopping trips and money on delivery, and for this, you need to choose everything in one place and order a car with movers, a very dangerous misconception. Could you not do it?
Repair materials should also be bought in stages, as needed. This will save you from cluttering up the apartment, the need to drag furniture and purchases from place to place, and allow you not to spoil or stain materials for finishing with building dust.
Delegation Of Authority
It is impossible to know and be able to do everything yourself. Therefore, part of the work will have to be given to contractors. You can look at this as an additional cost because it’s cheaper to do it by hand. Or it can be an investment that saves time, improves quality, ensures safety, and even guarantees.
You can putty the walls and glue the wallpaper yourself, even if you have never done this. But if you are “on you” with electricity, you should contact an electrician. You can lay the laminate on the floor yourself, but to put interior doors, invite a carpenter. Also, resolve the issue with plumbing, plumbing systems, built-in furniture, decorative plaster, and other complex work in advance, which should be entrusted to specialists.
The same goes for the design project. It is tough to independently think over an interior that is competent to the smallest detail, taking into account all your living space features, without having a specific set of knowledge, skills, and work experience. Ordering a project is not so expensive. The price depends, first of all, on the area of the room. Many talented specialists in the regions perform design work much cheaper than the capital’s designers.
