Article | Lake of the Woods Real Estate Blog

Research is essential before renovation, as it will help you scope your options and choose quality.

When you plan to renovate your house, the renovation is an investment in your home. When doing so, you are not only fixing it and redecorating for yourself. You are also adding value to it should you ever choose to sell it in the future. Furthermore, as renovating your house is a form of investment, it should definitely be well planned and thought out. In addition, as we continue discussing this topic, we are also going to delve deeper. We will discover the 10 essential and beneficial things one should do before renovating a house.

Renovating a House 101

A written plan and a mood board will be so helpful throughout the renovation.

Renovating a house can be a small project or a very big one. Whether you are fixing a bathroom or redesigning the entire interior look of your home, there are multiple elements to be considered beforehand. Why is a renovation something you should not rush into? The answer to this is because a single renovation should withstand time and have the quality to it. This takes good research, a solid plan and professional help, amongst many other details.

Tips 1 and 2

Meanwhile, what do you think the number one thing on the list is? When renovating your house, our number one tip to do first is creating a mood board. Gather images, samples of textures, materials and more and place it all on a board to visually create a concept and style. Placing everything in one spot will help you view what your renovation could possibly look like. A mood board is also a great idea because sometimes it is difficult to imagine patterns and textures and colors in your head at once. Having them one beside the other will help you make decoration ideas as well.

Make sure you set a budget before your renovation so that you don’t exceed your financial limits.

While we are on this topic, the mood board also ties into our second tip. Placing everything on the board helps you create a visual plan, which can also help you figure out your budget and the limits of it. Entering a renovation without conceptualizing your finances and having a budget is a bad idea altogether. You can get carried away and not even realize how much you are actually spending. Moreover, adding the cost of all your ideas will help you understand where you stand and how much you would like to spend on renovating your house.

Tip 3

Now that you have an idea of what your renovation could become visually, sit down and create a plan. This plan should consist of all the changes you plan to implement within your home. Any necessary fixes and additions you would like to see, along with the timeline of all of this. A solid list with a good schedule will help you down the road and keep this renovation organized.

Tip 4

A team of professionals will help guide you through this process with beneficial advisement.

Consult with a team of professionals. If renovating your house becomes a big project and you are unsure as to how to proceed, hire a reliable contractor and decorator to help you. A team of professionals will know and understand the standards and laws they must adhere to, taking that stressful aspect away from your to-do-list. Additionally, a team of professionals will also help you visualize your renovation and help you understand the possibilities of your house. Sometimes the layout of the house might not allow you to break down a wall, or add something, and it is good to know ahead of time what you can do and what you cannot.

Tip 5

Renovating your house is easier if you move your furniture out and have an empty space to work with. Whether you are renovating a home you plan to stay in, or are renovating a house in another city, take care of your furniture and belongings ahead of time. Meanwhile, if you are moving away, we advise on getting your household belongings to another state before you start renovating. Place your belongings in storage and keep them there until you complete and finish your new house.

Tip 6

Once your house is furniture free, our next tip is to scope out space. Once you can evaluate the empty space, it will enable you to visualize all the possibilities of your renovation. You could also check back with your mood board and written plan to see if all of that can be done within the dimensions your space allows you.

Tip 7

When it comes to the fun shopping part, don’t purchase the first option you come by. If you are going to the hardware store on your own, talk to the department associate there as they can advise you on the best options. That way you won’t buy the wrong thing or spend more money than you should have.

Tip 8

Don’t forget to prep your house for renovating. Details such as priming the walls before painting them are crucial for the wall color. Priming the walls creates a better canvas for wall paint and helps the paint look fresher and stay on for longer.

Tip 9

Check your renovation timeline once again to ensure that most things will run on schedule. Once you have your belongings in storage, it’s also beneficial to know that your renovations will be timely so that it all works out.

Tip 10

Our last but not least tip of this topic is good communication. This is important before renovating your house but also just as important throughout the renovation. Good and open communication with your contractor or whomever you are renovating your house with is very important so things would run smoothly and successfully.

In Progress

Simply being on top of everything, communicating and being guided by your plan will be more than enough for a successful renovation. Stay on schedule, and enjoy this investment into your new home.

Author’s Bio

Troy Thompson is a 35-year-old teacher, with experience in renovations and decorating homes. Not only is he a fan of HGTV, where he has learned a lot about renovating a home from various TV shows, but he has also moved a few times and renovated a few homes with his girlfriend. Troy loves sharing his advice for unexperienced renovators and hopes that his tips will help someone get started and learn more.

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Reasons for buying a new home after retirement

We all have different reasons, however, we all have the main goal in common – we want to make our lives better, every aspect of it. And that is the main reason behind every home buying process. In Virginia, Japan or anywhere else in the world. We just want what’s best for ourselves and our loved ones. Retiring and enjoying your mature age comes with many benefits, and one of them – you will have much more time on your hands. Time to take charge of your life. And that sometimes means changing your surroundings and starting over.

Your family home might have served you for many years, but it’s probably not the right fit for you anymore. It might feel like an empty nest, or it might be too big now when the kids have moved out. Maybe you want to be closer to your grandchildren. We all have our reasons, however, investing in real estate comes with a great deal of work that needs to be done. Our number one advice for you would be to really think through your reasons. Make sure that they are good and reasonable ones.

Gathering the money

Yes, we need to mention and talk about this aspect when having a conversation about buying a home in Virginia after retirement. Your budget. It is real estate, and such investments don’t come cheap. That is why you need to really consider your budget, as well as your wants and needs. What are you looking for? And can you afford it? These two things can also be very different, so make sure you know your budget as well as your limits.

Calculate your budget. Look into your savings. Talk to your loaning manager and ask for some advice. Try to get all the information and advice that you can use to your advantage along the way. And also – don’t depend, but rely on professional assistance. Having someone who knows the real estate business to its core on your team is of crucial importance. Why? You will want to get the most value for your money’s worth. We all do.

Yes, you will want to hire a professional

As we have mentioned before, having a seasoned professional when buying a home in Virginia after retirement is your best option. It will save you some precious time, energy and even money. Hiring realtors or real estate agents sounds more expensive than it is. And their service, on the other hand, is much needed. Even though you might be buying your 10^th house this time around, if you are not a real estate professional yourself, you will need some help for sure.

This market changes, without us even noticing. And in order to get as much value for your money, you will definitely need some advice and someone who can lead this whole process. Especially if you are coming from another state. Relocating from one place to another is stressful enough as it is, and moving interstate, well – let’s just say, there will be many things to consider when moving to another state. Let professionals assist you. It is the best thing you can do.

Decide what you’ll do with your current house

You will have to make this call, sooner or later. And even though leaving our old lives behind sounds fun and exciting, leaving all these memories behind as well can be harder than you might have originally expected. That is why you need to think about this move. And we mean – really think. Will you leave your old house to your kids? Or are you going to sell it?

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you do it fast. Letting time pass by won’t help you, and especially if you tend to get nostalgic. Allow yourself to enjoy your new beginning, and say goodbye to your old life. Leaving your old family house behind doesn’t mean you’ll leave all the people you love (or the memories you share with them) behind. It is just a property. And the sooner you start thinking this way, the sooner this process will become enjoyable. And you really want things to go smoothly, trust us on this one.

Set up your criteria

Your new home in Virginia needs to be perfect. It needs to meet your expectations and everything you have dreamt of all these years. Make a list of things that are a must and a list of things that are a no-no. You will have to make a compromise here and there, but there are still some things that are and should stay deal breakers. You deserve the best. And now, you can finally be picky.

Enjoy the process

Your real estate agent will lead the way, and all you have to do is to follow his or her lead. Of course, it is your house and you make all the calls, however, your real estate agent (or realtor) is there to do all the hard work. Buying a home in Virginia after retirement is something that you have waited for for so long. Make sure you enjoy it!