Refer to article “Keeping your home clean” for some labor saving tips on how to keep your whole home clean.
Lets start off with how to plan your renovation with a electrical layout.
Mistake #1 – Ignoring layout.
K.I.S.S = Functional = Happy life = Happy Wife
(K.I.S.S = Keep it simple stupid)
For this example lets consider a Kitchen layout. Kitchen layouts can be busy and are sometimes best kept nice and simple. Budgets skyrocket and people get upset when they realize how much cost goes into changing an existing Kitchen layout.
The first step should be getting a kitchen layout plan on paper.
Kitchens are one of the most expensive areas to remodel in your home because of the cost of furnishings and appliances. Some of these appliances will require electrical wiring and plumbing. The importance to locating these iteams is that they are expensive to move. Consider when working within a older home that has no wall or ceiling access to do the work without opening up drywall, patching, painting, removing fixtures and trim… etc.
There are times when starting with a blank slate and completely gutting the old wiring and plumbing make sense but often a simple refresh or retrofit is all that is really needed to achieve that “eye sore to wow!” look that many people set out to obtain.
Mistake#2 not taking into account the big picture. cost vs function.
Ask yourself do I need to:
- make last minute changes. Reworking something once the work has begun because you changed your mind can be expensive.
- modernize my kitchen space and get the latest trends and fashionable designs – basic needs vs. cost of materials. Is supporting a lavish lifestyle or making extravagant first impressions important to you? Yes/maybe/no
- change or refresh my current lighting – removing a flush mount fixture and replacing it with a new fixture.
- Remove old wiring and junction boxes to install new pot lights or add task lighting. Maybe a mixture of both? Example: add a ceiling fan and dimmable 4″ led slim pot lights and maybe add under cabinet led lighting.
- Move electrical outlets and associated appliances to facilitate function and replace old receptacle outlets or maintain the current layout of kitchen. Think about the location of the stove, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker/kettle/blender, split circuits, garb-orator etc. Where do these appliances need to be to maximize functionality.
- Look into electrical code changes that could change a renovation decision choice. example: new code for light switch wiring requires a identified neutral to be present at light switch locations. This code is related to dimmer controls. Also the use of AFCI protection for general use electrical outlets and lighting – cost of rewiring branch circuits vs leaving them.
- Consider this might be the renovation opportunity that could present the required acessability that is needed to replace old wiring. See my articles on Knob and tube and aluminum wiring.
- take a step back. Consider all the details. Was something overlooked that would enhance the build or provided added value and uniqueness. Valuable whole home cleaning tip.
Mistake#3 Going over budget
Don’t get sucked into all the hype. Doing any kind of renovation can be very stressful and expensive. It can stress you out financially with the final price tag and having to dip into credit debt to pay for it all.
Make financing the project part of your plan from the beginning and avoid the surprises. If the plan was to use a nest egg of savings then stick to it.
There are times where a change in your budget is needed and the cost over run is justified. This is true when dealing with electrical safety or if the area being renovated would have to be redone to do it properly later thus increasing the cost of the project by doing it twice.
Not replacing visible damage. If there is a known problem that needs to be dealt with, do it now to avoid bigger headaches latter. Mold or fungus in your home indicates water infiltration. Best to fix this type of problem first before getting yourself in too deep. This will cause a cost over run but could end up being cheaper in the long run.
Hire a professional the first time. Get references and investigate them. This goes back to doing it right the first time. Businesses with fancy work vehicles and pretty advertisements don’t automatically make them pro’s at doing your job. Instead find someone you can trust and feel comfortable talking to. They should be able to obtain permits, answer your questions or get answers promptly. You will want an estimate. Get more then one and compare. “i”s dotted and “t”s crossed with no loose ends in terms of what they will and won’t do in your project – assume nothing. Everybody wins when there is a good project plan with transparency.
When your renovation is all done consider how your going to be keeping it clean to protect your investment.
Cleaning was part of your layout plan right?
Refer to article “Keeping your home clean“
If you would like to get pricing on having home or business renovations completed, give us a call or message us through our contact page.
