The living room has an important meaning in the house. A quality, luxurious and beautiful living room increases the value of your home as well as increases the quality of life. After a few years, the furniture and equipment become outdated, so refreshing the living room is an interesting idea. However, renovating a living room is not a simple task because it requires very high technical and aesthetic requirements as well as choosing the right materials.
Determine your goals
Before you start renovating your living room, take the time to determine your goals. You should write down questions and answers on paper.
- How to use the space? For example, does the living room integrate with entertainment?
- What style do you want? Modern or classic?
- Function of the living room? Is it connected to the dining room and kitchen?
- The number of people in the living room…
Set your budget
After determining the goal, it is very important to consider the budget. That’s how you control your budget to invest in essential, necessary items and not waste money on unnecessary items/equipment. Homeowners may spend $5,000 to $30,000 on a major living room renovation to upgrade floors, paint, crown molding and the fireplace.
Make a Plan
Making your living room remodel effective is all about planning and documenting it. You proceed to accurately measure the living room. List the types of furniture you want to bring into the living room. How do you want the living room layout and whatever you want: where to put the sofa, whether to expand the windows, whether to add new entertainment equipment?. To more accurately describe your remodeling plans, you can use software to sketch out your living room layout.
Hire a Contractor
The living room is a luxurious place and has many expensive furniture, so remodeling the living room requires knowledge, skills and experience. Therefore, it is necessary to leave the renovation of other rooms to a competent contractor. There are many ways to find a professional contractor such as searching on the internet, referrals from friends, family and neighbors who have used the contractor for their own home improvement projects. There are many ways to evaluate a contractor’s capacity, but the best way is to see their projects and talk to them about the options they offer, costs, and staff.
Go to the Store
Once you have a style in mind, it’s time for the fun part, which is shopping. Start by taking inventory of what you have at home. It can also be a fun way to add a personal touch. For example, you could display your grandmother’s sewing machine. The one thing to consider is how well these pieces will blend into your new space. When you shop, start at affordable retailers to stay on budget.
With these costs in mind, you’ll want to think long and hard about how you will finance and budget your home improvement project. Perhaps you’ve been saving up for a long time and can cover the renovating costs yourself. Even if you can partially cover the costs, some money set aside is better than none.
Obtain Permits
For simple small projects, you do not need a permit. However, any structural changes or additions to your home require you to obtain a permit from the city. There are things that require a permit: structure, electricity, water, gas systems, opening new windows.
You’ll have to pay an average of $200 to $1500 for a permit, depending on the scope of your project. Your contractor can usually submit renovation plans to your city on your behalf. While the waiting process can be frustrating for homeowners who wish to begin a living room remodel immediately, permits ensure the work is done correctly and meets construction safety criteria. Remember that unauthorized work can lead to problems later, such as if you try to sell the house at market value. You also risk poor quality and damage to your home without them.
Ready to build
Once you have a plan, a license, a contractor… you are completely ready for your living room repair plan. You should record, take photos, and videos to track progress, budget as well as actual incidents.
