Lifestyle
5 Very Important Sustainable Guidelines for Home Renovations
I am pleased to say that the demand for green building projects is surging. A report by Grandview Research found that companies are projected to spend over $364 billion by 2022.
However, not everybody knows how to develop an eco-friendly home improvement project. If you are planning to remodel your home, for instance, it can be a challenge, especially on a budget.
Start an Eco-friendly Remodeling Project
Anyone who has gone through the process, can tell you that home renovations are not a walk in the park. Contrary to what you might see on television, where entire homes get remodeled in one-episode, real life doesn’t work that way. It will take even longer if you are trying to go about the process in an eco-friendly manner, because you are restricting yourself to environmentally friendly materials and must avoid energy intensive machinery.
However, that doesn’t mean you should be discouraged from doing it. If you are truly serious about engaging in a green lifestyle, then you need to make sure that your renovations are conducted in the most sustainable way possible.
However, it also means that you need to plan accordingly in order to avoid feeling too stressed or end up spending more than you had budgeted. Read on to find out how to become a pro when it comes to organizing your home renovation by getting a sense of what is involved.
Start by Getting Some Inspiration
Nowadays, the amount of inspiration you can gather online is endless. There is no need to be a green interior designer to know what you need and what speaks to you. With these ideas in mind, draft a list of what you like and what you have to have. You will find loads of ideas for sustainable remodeling projects. Emma Clark, the founder of the Eco Warrior Princess blog shared some on her site.
Having a detailed list that you can give to your contractor when requesting a quote will make the process much easier and much more likely to meet your needs. And when you compare quotes from different contractors, you will know that they are all looking at the same list when they give you their estimates. You should also remember why green buildings are good for our well-being. This will help encourage you to follow through with construction.
Share Information with Subcontractors
If you are going to be at the center of this renovation, craft a list for each subcontractor. Specify where lights will be placed, if a pony wall needs to be built, and when the cabinets will arrive, just to name a few tasks.
Finish Before You Start
This point refers to the need to have everything finalized before starting. Making changes when you are almost done will not only cost you money but will probably leave you dissatisfied with the results. Don’t try to design the space as you go along, it’s much better to have all plans and designs defined before starting. It will make the process much more enjoyable and avoid quite a bit of headaches.
Don’t assume that the people working on your project will guess what you want, they generally won’t. Communicate every detail, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you.
Pre-Empt Any Questions
You can bet that you will be asked plenty of questions as the project progresses. You need to have thought out the whole thing through to know the answers. Even if you have provided plenty of information in advance, be ready to get questions. You better have most if not all of the answers because deciding at the spur of the moment may lead you to just blurt something out and this may end up either costing you more, taking up more time or trying out your patience. If you are unsure of the answer, do ask the contractor for their opinion, after all, they have quite a bit of experience.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
There may be tiles or stone you want that take weeks to be delivered, permits that take too long to be obtained, you may want Italian cabinetry for your kitchen and have to wait months for it. When you are detailing your budget, add some space by each item to write down how much time each will take. You will get a clearer picture of your timeline. For more information, go to homecarecontractors.com.
Your Eco-friendly Remodeling Project Can Become a Reality
There are a lot of factors that come into play when developing an eco-friendly remodeling project. You need to follow the tips listed above to make sure it is carried out properly.