If the renovation is confined to one room ‒ for example, the kitchen ‒ your life will be disrupted. There will be lots of noise, dust, and inconvenience, but it can be manageable. If you plan to stay, do some careful well-thought-out planning. If you can plan meals beforehand and freeze them, it will help. So will a good takeout menu.
A good contractor will provide dividers and covers and clean the site well at the end of each day.
Pack up items you don’t always need and have cleanable tubs handy that contain everyday items. Consider moving some of your furniture into storage. You might want to set up a temporary room or section of the house, ideally away from the most noise, especially if you work from home.
Most importantly, speak to your contractor about how they will manage your project, right down to the kind of barriers used and the details of cleanup throughout the project and after it’s over. Forearmed is forewarned.
There are lots of things to consider before you even choose your new-kitchen renovator. In fact, most renovators appreciate it when you have done some thinking, planning, dreaming, and research so they know your general vision.
Create a checklist of the things you would like most in a kitchen. It’s okay to dream about anything you’d like at this point. You can adjust your list to fit your budget and timeframe once you know the problem areas of your existing space and how you’d like to solve them (or how you’d like to start from scratch with something completely different).
But first, be prepared to talk to your renovator. An experienced renovator or design-build firm will have a stress-free process to help you make informed decisions.
For checklist ideas, see I’m Dreaming of a New Kitchen.
Will your renovation solve the problems you’re experiencing with your home, from aesthetics to dysfunctional spaces?
Even something as “simple” as natural light can make a huge difference in your quality of life. It’s good for your mood, your mind, and your sleep.
Here are some strategies your renovator or designer can use to enhance natural light in your home:
- Create larger windows in each room
- Design floor-to-ceiling windows wherever possible
- Install skylights
- Build a sunroom addition
- Open up spaces so the light can get through
- Install glass doors with easy access to the outside
- Use colours that reflect the light.
Be prepared. Ask yourself the questions that will most affect your lifestyle and the project and come up with a plan. An experienced renovator will help you plan, too.
The moment you first start thinking about a renovation is the best time to begin your list of questions. If you can, speak to others who have gone through a major renovation and ask about their biggest challenges. This will be especially important if you have a young family or anyone with mobility or health issues.
Once you have an idea ‒ a Plan A and a Plan B ‒ for each possible situation, you’ll find your renovation will go much more smoothly. Preparation is a major stress-buster.
For ideas about some of the questions you might ask, see Stress-busting a big reno.
It’s a good question and a critical one. There are too many horror stories out there about scammers and fly-by-night fraudsters who might look good on the surface, but whose appearance is a thin layer.
There are a number of steps you can take to ensure you aren’t scammed or defrauded.
The first step is to find out who’s listed as reputable. Don’t even consider anyone without a known reputation ‒ whether that’s by word of mouth or professional listing.
For more pointers to consider before you even begin the process, see Don’t be a bad-reno story.
Renovation can be fun, especially in the early stages, when you’re dreaming of all the ways you can make your home more functional and more beautiful for your family.
But it doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it often takes several months, and the “who” of your renovation is as important as the “what”.
There are many things you can do to make sure you hire the Right One. They include the task of researching for reputation, warranties, methods, and processes.
For some guidance, see In search of the Right One.
That depends on the company you hire to do the renovation. The most professional renovators with the best reputations take it as a matter of pride that they leave your worksite tidy and safe at the end of each day.
It’s a good idea to discuss this at length with your contractor and to have the “tidiness” factor spelled out in your contract beforehand.
Good renovators use tarps and plastic dividers to contain the mess and protect your walls, floors, ceilings, stairs, entrances and yard. Not only that, but they protect new work from damage too.
There’s going to be a mess at times, sometimes lots of it ‒ no doubt about that. But good professionals will discuss beforehand with you the best ways of protecting furniture as well as keeping children and pets safe. They will also tell you how they will dispose of materials.
If it’s a large-scale renovation, you might consider moving to a temporary location during some of the “messiest” or disruptive stages and work this into your overall budget.
- Determine what makes sense to invest in that takes into account your overall family budget.
- Decide the scale of your renovation. Will it be a whole-home reno or just a room? Will it be phase one of several new improvements? Will it be a new addition? Not sure? An experienced designer can guide you.
- Decide which company you wish to work with before designs begin so everyone is working as a team in your best interest to achieve your goals.
- Your budget should be generous enough to allow for upgrades required for electrical, plumbing, roof, or foundation. If you have an older home, any toxic substances discovered during demolition will have to be professionally and safely removed, so this will need to be accounted for in your budget as well.
A renovation budget is a big but essential first step. For more detailed advice, see First, the nitty gritty.
They shouldn’t just talk about it. They should take action.
- They need to understand they are working in people’s homes and treat it like it is their own.
- Their company should have a Health and Safety Committee.
- Site supervisors need to undergo regular health and safety training.
- They should belong to the Ottawa Home Builders Association (GOHBA).
- They should participate in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Construction Safety Groups Program.
- They should make sure their sub-contractors abide by the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations for Construction Projects.
- They should be RenoMark® contractors, which means, among other things, they carry a minimum of $2 million liability insurance. They should have coverage for workplace safety and employers’ liability and/or only work with sub-contractors who carry such coverage.
- They should demonstrate they’re serious about maintaining a safe and organized work site.
They must treat you with:
- Respect.
- Empathy.
- Professionalism.
- Advice.
- Guidance.
- Collaboration.
- Honesty.
- Integrity.
- Communication.
- Safety.
- Dependence.
- Trust.
- Principle.
- Commitment.
For more about this, read Watch for red flags.
If you love your home but you’re just getting tired of it, there are many things you can do to make it brighter, happier, and more functional. You might consider:
- Wider doorways
- Seamless one-level flooring
- Curbless showers
- Stairs that can accommodate future lifts
- Flex design so you can just live on one level if you wish
- Bigger windows or new skylights
- More efficient storage
- Better lighting
- Indoor-outdoor integration
- Energy-efficient upgrades
For more ideas, see Should I stay or should I go?
- They’re organized, clean, on time and commit to what they promise.
- They’re the sort of people you feel comfortable with in your home, daily, for weeks or for months.
- They’re respectful and polite.
- They’re clean and always leave the worksite tidy.
And they’re much more than this. See Always expect the best.
These are critical topics to consider when you’re thinking about hiring a renovator.
- Budget
- Design
- Getting EVERYTHING in writing
- Categories and selections
- Permits
- Cost overruns
- Hiring a professional
- What lies beneath
- Insurance
- Warranty
- Testimonials
- Safety
- Associations
- Contract
See Know the basics first for more details.
First, take care of the basics. Drafty electrical outlets and windows, cold and hot spots, cold floors, inadequate water flow, water leakage, and mould are just some things that affect your comfort. Not addressing these basics could make any newly-renovated space still uncomfortable.
Other improvements can make your home more comfortable. For example:
- A bathroom renovation
- A kitchen renovation
- A new living room or family room
- An updated backyard
- Some of the areas that first need to be addressed are often roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC (heating ventilation air conditioning). Sometimes the very structure of the house needs adjusting.
- If there are toxins present during any demolition, they need to be removed with care and expertise.
- There could be issues with underground plumbing and off-level floors.
- They require a designer, contractor or renovator who has experience with older homes.
There are several, but these are the biggest:
- Budget
- Design
- Finding your contractor
- Managing your time
- Dust, noise and inconvenience
- Decisions
- Communication
See more detailed information: The toughest first steps.
- They take the whole process of building or renovation from idea to construction.
- They discuss your ideas and how your ideas fit into your budget.
- They also discuss how your ideas will work with your existing space and lifestyle.
- They prepare conceptual drawings and then detailed construction drawings.
- They do a careful site analysis.
- They know building codes and zoning laws inside out.
- They help you select materials and finishes.
Here are a few things to consider. Keep a journal as you go. You’ll probably want to adjust your ideas and plans as they develop. Ask yourself:
- Why do you want a renovation?
- What are your “nice-to-haves”?
- What are your “must-haves”?
- Is this your “transition” or “forever” home?
- Are you downsizing or expanding your family?
- How easy will a new renovation be to clean and maintain?
- What is your end goal?
- A designer can be an architect, technologist, engineer, contractor, renovator or interior designer.
- Designers prepare and modify architectural drawings for construction projects that include hundreds of details and specifications.
- Designers are critical to the renovation process. The success of your project depends on them.
- Designers know local by-laws and building codes, and the best materials, finishes and products.
- Net Zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible.
- A Net Zero home produces as much clean energy as it consumes.
- Net Zero homes have superb insulation, windows and airtightness. They can be as much as 80 per cent more energy efficient than today’s usual new homes.
- Net Zero building is profoundly important to the environment and the future.
See more about what Net Zero means.
- Misunderstanding, bad communication, lack of experience, not getting things in writing.
- The size of your project and how complex it is.
- Updating your home’s foundation, or its electrical and plumbing systems to accommodate new appliances, lighting, bathrooms and kitchens.
- Septics, water lines, heating systems, designated substance remediation, appliances, landscaping, furnishing, and window coverings.
- A lengthy project involving demolition and structural reconstruction.
- Possible relocation for several weeks or longer; storage for furniture.
- The kind and quality of materials you use.
Learn what can drive your renovation budget to the moon.
You don’t need stairs to get to it, so a flex room is perfect for aging in place or recovering from surgery.
A flex room can easily be turned into:
- a bedroom
- a home office
- a playroom
- a quiet reading room
- a guest room
- a place to welcome a family member: perhaps an elderly parent, or a child home from university.
Phase 1 involves the creation of a conceptual design that includes interior and exterior aesthetics, spatial planning, and indoor/outdoor integration. This is where we ask questions so we can truly understand you and your family’s needs. The entire process is interactive. After all, it’s your home, and you and your family need to love where you live.
In this phase, your architectural designer:
- Examines (and measures) existing conditions
- Does by-law research
- Conducts a “needs” discovery survey
- Develops a conceptual design – typically 2 or 3 revisions that solve your needs ‒ this includes an investment discussion so you can make informed decisions
- Conducts a whole-home renovation impact assessment (which may include energy audits, designated substance testing, septic assessments, applicable authority consultations such as flood plain, minor variance applications etc.)
- Establishes project scope and specifications
- Drafts an investment (budget) assessment
Phase 2 is about details.
This involves choosing all the finishes inside and out. In this phase, your architectural designer finalizes with you the selection of materials and products such as flooring, plumbing fixtures, kitchen cabinets and siding. This ensures products work together and specifications can be provided to the construction team ‒ such as specific electrical outlet locations, water lines for fridge ice maker, cabinetry that fits appliances.
Phase 2 also involves the production of construction drawings and relevant documentation. A solid construction and completion date is established, and then your designer:
- Commits to a construction timeline
- Confirms design assumptions
- Guides product selection
- Finalizes investment costs
- Formalizes the construction schedule and agreement
Phase 3 is about building.
Your Site Supervisor is your primary contact who oversees your project from start to finish, keeping it on time and on budget.
Your Construction Manager oversees all the projects to ensure resources are available and conflicts (such as an electrician required to be in two places at the same time) are avoided.
In this phase, we look after all details, including:
- The securing of all permits
- Making sure insurances are in place
- The locations of utilities
- Safety requirements ‒ which include your family and pets
- The beginning of and total oversight of all construction
- Regularly scheduled meetings and reviews that include a clear understanding of any cost and time overruns
- A final walk-through with you
- A project completion binder
- A 5-year warranty
Here are some critical questions, but there are many more (See Know who you’re hiring).
- Will you supply a written contract?
- Have you undertaken this type of renovation in the past?
- How long have you been in business under this company name?
- Are your sub-contractors licensed, certified, and insured?
- What warranties do you offer?
- Do you supply references?
- How will you handle any toxic substances if they are found during demolition?
- What insurance do you have? What guarantees will we have after the work is finished?
The basics:
- Foundation, roof, furnace, electrical and plumbing systems, windows, doors and exterior finishes.
kitchen:
- Space, natural light, storage, work areas, sinks, paint and finishes, islands, seating, and appliances.
Bathroom:
- Curbless showers, benches, hardware, flooring.
Curb appeal:
- Entranceway and landscaping
Here are a few questions you might ask. But don’t stop here. See more: First steps towards renovation.
- Is my proposed new space going to be comfortable?
- Should I have an energy audit? Are there rebates?
- Will the renovation impact other spaces – for example, a finished basement?
- Will the renovation impact mechanical systems?
- Will a building permit be required
- What kind of warranty do you have
- Exactly what do you put in writing?
