Starting a window replacement at the same time as other home renovation projects can be a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. If you are looking around your home and find yourself unhappy with the way your surroundings look, you are likely already thinking about various home renovation projects you would like to begin. Depending on what it is you are looking to fix or improve your project may be a smaller one, or it may take a while to complete. In either case, it is ideal for you to be well informed before you start putting any money down.
Something to consider: if you want to do a whole house renovation from the kitchen to the bathrooms, a new deck or roof, and to put in new energy efficient windows, all of these projects take a certain amount of time to complete. You might be tempted to align all of them to finish around the same time, but for both your budget and peace of mind it is more beneficial to tier the projects.
First, figure out what you need to fix or replace the most, going down the list so the most imperative improvements occur first while the more superficial ones can wait.
Then, think about what order makes the most sense to do your renovations. If you are looking at improvements on your roof, the siding of your house or getting new windows, you will want to do these things first. This is because all of these improvements are to the envelope of the house, they enclose the house and protect it from harsh weather conditions so they should be done first. This way you don’t end up with the mess of putting down a new floor and then ruining it all when your old leaky windows or roof flood the house.
After the envelope is renovated, look at the inside of the house. Do the bigger work first, like redoing the kitchen and the bathrooms, before putting in new flooring. Since the floor is where everyone will be walking for the duration of your home improvement project, you will ideally want to put new floors in last so as not to damage them while you improve the rest of your house.
Once you’ve figured out a plan of action for the order you want to get your renovations done, the next step is learning how long each project will take you.
Here’s a breakdown of some major home renovation project general timelines:
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Kitchen renovations: 2-4 months (including design stages)
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Bathroom renovations: 2-4 months (including design stages)
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Deck or patio build: 3-6 weeks
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New flooring 3-6 weeks
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New roof: 2-4 weeks
Breaking down your home improvement project into a number of smaller projects, and into stages, can go a long way to helping you feel like this is a project that you can feasibly tackle instead of an overwhelming monster. If you are working with a contractor, make sure you are always in the loop and clear on timelines and deadlines. If you are working with multiple companies to get all the work done make sure that you are clear on their timelines and what to expect from them.
For example, when you are looking to replace your older windows to get ones more suited for Calgary’s weather, you will want to first get some quotes from various companies to see who will fit best for you. From the time of signing the contract, it will take about six to eight weeks for the new windows to be manufactured and assembled and be ready for installation. Then, once the installation appointment is made it will depend on the size of the project for how long it will take to install the windows. Along the way, the company you decide to go with for your window replacement project should keep you in the loop about what is happening with your order. Then at the end you’ll have beautiful, brand new energy efficient windows.
Before starting on the project of improving your home, be sure to do your due diligence and research, research, research! Your home is important enough to you to want to make it better; so make sure you’re doing renovations in a way that makes sense, works for your budget, and will end up making your house look and feel the way you want.
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