Make Peace With Your Home Renovation Budget In 2 Steps!

In this article, we explain how we help our clients be in relationship with their renovation budget. We walk our clients toward joy and share the steps that will lead you to success.

Step 1: Discover What You Already Know

Believe it or not, you already have a wealth of knowledge about your home renovation. Let’s tap into that wisdom by asking a few key questions:

• What is your budget renovation personality? Are you someone who sticks to a strict budget? We call you “Budget Oriented.” Or do you have a budget but want to explore spending more?
  Pro Tip: Our article on What Is Your Renovation Budget Personality will help you to understand your relationship to your home improvement budget.

• How much money do you plan to spend on your renovation? This is the amount you intend to invest in your renovation. It’s the number you’re comfortable with and won’t regret spending. Remember, you can always adjust this number later.
  Pro Tip: For more information, check out our article, “How To Manage Your Renovation Budget“.

• What is your Scope of Work? This refers to the tasks and goals you want to achieve through your home renovation. Create two columns: must-have and nice-to-have. Let your ideas flow freely, even if they seem messy at first. Are you repeating certain elements? No problem! That just means you feel strongly about them. Once your ideas are on paper, review and categorize them correctly. Must-haves are the core elements that define your renovation, while nice-to-haves are like a wishlist. Rank the items in order of importance to make the list more clear.
  Pro Tip: Your must-haves become your Scope of Work, while your nice-to-haves form your Wishlist.

Step 2: Embrace The Beginner’s Mind

Approach your home renovation project with an open, curious, and flexible mindset known as the “beginner’s mind.” This Zen Buddhist concept called shoshin will bring you the most success. By accepting that there are things you won’t know, you open yourself up to continual learning and growth.

Now that you have a solid foundation:

• Share your budget with your design professional. Be open and honest about the number you have in mind. Trust is key, and our article “Share Your Secret Budget Number” explains its importance.
• Your design professional will help refine your Scope of Work. They’ll ask questions and test your ideas to find the best way to accomplish your goals. They’ll also provide guidance on which wishlist items may not significantly impact the budget or can be postponed.
  Pro Tip: Use their expertise to commit to your Scope of Work.
• Lean on your design professional to understand costs and explore different price points. They have valuable insights into the current expenses for goods and services for remodeling projects in your area. If needed, they can let you know if your budget is achievable. When you receive the cost estimate, you can adjust your priorities without losing control.
  Pro Tip: For more insights, check out our article, “How To Manage Your Renovation Costs“.

Moving Forward:

Conquering your budget is all about informed surrender. Discover what you already know and share it openly. Sharing your budget and scope of work will maximize the benefits of the interview process with your design professional. If you need guidance on selecting the right architect, look at our article, “How To Select Your Residential Architect“

We will write an article on cost estimates; sign up here, and we will send it to you!

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Do you have questions about your home renovation budget? Contact us, and we may address your query in a future article!

About Us:

• We are architects specializing in transforming homes to increase light views and experience – we focus on our clients’ delight! contact@akainsight.com
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