Planning on home renovations? Call in the professionals!
Owning a property can be both a blessing and a headache. If you have lived in the property for some years, you may well find that you have either outgrown it as your family needs have changed, or you are naturally downsizing as your children grow and leave the nest. It is more than likely that there will come a time when structural alterations need to be made. Depending on the scale of the alterations, you may choose to hire a professional architect to assist with the redesign of the available space, or simply make use of the services of a home renovation builder.
Bring your home up to date with simple renovations
It is generally felt that enlarging or renovating your existing home is, on the whole, a cheaper option than selling it and moving to a different house which may also not be ideal in all ways for your family’s lifestyle and will involve some sort of rearranging of the available space in one way or another, or changing the décor to something which is far more modern and aesthetically pleasing. It may simply be a case of you wishing to upgrade the interior or exterior of your home as decorating trends evolve and your own decorating tastes change. Many years ago, there was a trend for having coloured bathroom suites, and who can forget the ubiquitous avocado green bathroom suites which were all the rage for a few years? Bathroom suites in a pristine white offer so much more in the way of decorating choices and a sense of spaciousness in a small room.
An experienced and knowledgeable home renovation builder has many valuable ideas
Depending on the scale of the alterations, you may choose to hire a professional architect to help with the redesign of the existing space, or make use of the services of an experienced and knowledgeable home renovations builder who will undoubtedly have many good ideas of his own to help you. A specialist in home renovations is not the man to call if you plan on building a simple retaining or dividing wall which does not affect the main building. Home renovations affect the inherent structural integrity of a building and alterations should be undertaken by specialists who know how to meld the new with the old seamlessly and safely.
Renovating is not just about cosmetic changes
Renovating a house, whether the renovations are relatively minor or a major construction effort, is still a daunting exercise. It might be that you are simply upgrading the bathrooms by re-tiling the walls or floors and replacing old bathroom suites, or completely redesigning the layout to make better use of the space and perhaps include a shower or bath as well.
It might be a relatively simple matter of converting an open patio into an enclosed conservatory or building an indoor braai to extend the months of cooking over the coals into the cooler autumn and spring seasons. On the other hand, you may need to extend the existing footprint of the house to include, for instance, a second bathroom, another bedroom or a study area for those who have joined the work-from-home workforce.
No job is too big or too small for a renovations specialist
Whilst a construction builder is mainly concerned with erecting properties from scratch, a home renovation builder is the expert at adapting what is already there. It takes skill and expertise to alter or add onto an existing building, which will include tapping into existing electrical and plumbing supplies in the most efficient way, and ensuring that any additions to the home are not simply “tacked on” with no regard for structural integrity, style and safety. In some ways, it is more difficult to remodel something which already exists than it is to build it from scratch. A reputable home renovation builder will take on existing problems and rectify them, and he will make sure that his work is able to stand up to rigorous scrutiny. He is not a simple handyman, but a specialist in his field, incorporating plumbing, waterproofing, building standards and electrical factors, amongst other aspects, in his work.
How do I find the right home renovation builder?
Check their online ratings and customer reviews
The best way to find a home renovation builder is undoubtedly through word of mouth, as well as seeing the results of their work in person, if possible. Unfortunately, not every builder who advertises his services can provide the standards you require from his work. Luckily, the internet is providing us with an invaluable means of finding these specialists, particularly if you use a search engine such as Uptasker. Uptasker not only provides listings in geographical areas, so that you can find a specialist close to you, but also has other advantages over many other search sites. Uptasker provides access to online ratings and customer reviews, making it easy to assess a specialists’ work and service from those who have employed him, as well as providing one-click links to websites, if available.
There is also the option of obtaining quotes from a variety of listed providers in your area using the same specifications, but an on-site inspection will always be required before any final quote is given. You will also find home renovation builders through their adverts in house and home magazines, builders’ catalogues and publications, Home Expos, newspapers and the Yellow Pages.
