The Ultimate Home Renovation Checklist

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If you’re thinking about renovating your home, you’ve probably got million and one ideas, thoughts, and plans swirling around your head. It can get a bit overwhelming. 

To make sure you hit every important renovation to-do, we’ve put together the ultimate home renovation checklist. 

Getting Started

  • Brainstorm your wants and needs. Make a list of what you want and what you need from your renovation project. This will help you set up your priorities and rank what is most important to you, keeping you on track throughout your project.

  • Do your research. Look into federal, provincial, and municipal programs that offer tax credits for certain renovation projects.

  • Look into bylaws. Make sure you are aware of any renovation bylaws and regulations in your municipality.

  • Set a budget. Before you head into any conversations with service providers, you should have a ballpark estimate. This will make it easier to have honest conversations about what is possible in your space.

  • Develop a timeline. If you’re planning your renovations for a specific event—a wedding, the arrival of a baby, etc—it’s important to know this ahead of time and start your renovation with plenty of buffer time.

Find the Right Contractor

  • Research, research, research. Carefully research any professionals, tradespeople or contractors you hire to do the renovation. Ask friends, family, and co-workers for recommendations. Hit Google and carefully look into online reviews.

  • Interview your top picks. Interview a selection of contractors and be sure to ask for references—and be sure to follow-up with the references. It’s important to hear what it was like to work with them from people who have been there before.

  • Get quotes. Obtain written quotes from a few carefully selected contractors, and be sure to review them carefully. 

  • Review contract. Once you’ve chosen a contractor, be sure to carefully review the contractor before signing.

Time to Renovate

  •  Make plans for you. Even with the smoothest of renovations, there is bound to be some disruption to your daily life. Do you need to book storage space for your furniture? Do you need to book a hotel for a few nights? Do you need to board your pet? Be sure to make these arrangements ahead of time.

  • Find some “me” space. If possible, find a space in your home that will remain untouched by the potential chaos of your renovations. This will be a place you can go when you need to get away and have some “me” time.

  • Final inspection. Once the project wraps, have your contractor give you a final review of the entire project. It’s a great chance for you to see everything and to make sure that everything has been completed as per your contract.