When you’re planning a big summer home renovation project for your Rochester property, it can be very tempting to jump right into the process. However, major renovations require careful planning so that you can ensure that everything will go smoothly. In this article, we’ll go over some major points of preparation and planning so that your project goes off without a hitch.

Getting Ready for Summer Home Renovation Projects in Rochester

Start at the Beginning

As with the king in Alice in Wonderland, you want to start your project at the beginning and go on till you come to the end. Unfortunately, the beginning is often further back than many people consider. You need to have sufficient time to look at your options, materials, skill set, and needs.

Take the time to dream. What are you doing with the space? What level of changes are you making? What materials will you need? Do you need to hire an architect? What about codes? What colors and styles do you want to incorporate? All of these questions and more will need to be answered before you can start.

Plans, Codes, and Permits

Depending on your project, you may need to have professional assistance in creating plans, ensuring that you’re within building codes, and that you have any necessary building permits. This is important to avoid legal consequences if something doesn’t go right with your project either now or down the road.

Generally speaking, superficial changes such as painting a wall, adding trim, or otherwise making small changes doesn’t require these aspects, but adding a bathroom, bumping up a bedroom, or similar major change will. Don’t forget HOA requirements if you’re working on the outside of your home!

Materials and Contractors

It’s really easy to look at a contractor’s bid for a project and decide that you can DIY it for less. However, it’s also very easy to end up spending a lot more because you hadn’t considered specific aspects of the job that the contractor already knew about, such as drop cloths for antique hardwood flooring that now requires refinishing.

Similarly, it’s easy to choose cheap materials thinking that they’ll work well enough. Unfortunately, an MDF bathroom vanity that has swelled because of water damage will still have to be replaced with a wet-environment-friendly option, causing your costs, energy, and time commitments to rapidly climb.

Scheduling for Disruption

When you’re planning your project, expect it to take half again as long as you think it should. To quote a popular internet meme, “Those home design shows flip an entire home in a week, while I’ve been getting ready to vacuum for the past month.” If you plan for extra time, you can always be pleased with the fast results that you end up with.

If you’re not doing the work yourself, you may want to schedule around the disruption as well. A significant kitchen remodel may mean eating out for a couple of weeks, while a reroofing project may drive you out of your home to a quieter space for a similar period of time.

Planning for the Mess

Any type of construction will create a mess, even if it’s just plastic coverings, masking tape, and an empty paint can at the end of it. Planning for that mess before it’s present at your house can make a huge difference in how well your household recovers from that mess, because it’s difficult to work in an area that is still full of debris from demolition.

A great option for any significant project is renting a dumpster. Available in a range of sizes and rental periods, a rental dumpster allows you to quickly and effectively relocate the mess away from your work site, making it easy to quickly get your home back to normal. An experienced dumpster rental company can help you through the process.

If you’re planning a major summer home renovation project in Rochester, take the time that you need to carefully plan, research, order, schedule, and clean up from the project. By doing so, you can ensure that you’ll get great results that you can enjoy for many years to come.

Worked through the list and are ready to schedule dumpster rental services for your Rochester home project cleanup? Rather than waiting until it’s needed, in the middle of summer festivals and community events, why not take a few minutes now to work through the process? Gateway Dumpsters is your source for great service, so reach out today!