Investing time and money into an exterior home renovation project is a huge commitment. Here are some simple tips to ensure your renovation goes as smoothly as possible.

Focus on Balance

When you are planning your project, it is important to prioritize balance. If you aren’t sure what is going to look the best on your home’s structural design as well as within your neighborhood, take a look at some housing exteriors to get ideas. For example, if you live in a neighborhood with homes that are all a more classic style, going super modern and out of the box with your renovation might not be the best idea. In the same way, if all of the homes around your house are neutral colors, picking out bright red siding or any bold color might not look the best.  

You also need to find a balance between the various elements of your own home. For example, your shutters, doors, exterior walls, and more should all go well together. Try out different color combinations to decide which one you like the best. You can look at homes with a similar style as yours and decide what would look best for your home and neighborhood. The most important step to your renovation project is planning ahead and making sure that you are making an educated decision. You certainly don’t want to choose whatever sounds best and decide after the renovation is complete that you don’t actually like what you picked.

Have a Timeline

The timeline for your renovation project will vary depending on the extent of the changes and what they are. For example, if you are planning to just add a fresh coat of pain, this could take about a week. However, for more complex renovations like replacing the roof or siding, you should expect the project to last several weeks. It is important to set a realistic timeline for your project so that you are not unprepared for how long it takes. You also don’t want to rush your timeline. It might be inconvenient to stay at your in-laws’ house for a few extra days, but it will be well worth avoiding any mistakes in your renovation.

Hire Someone Who is Reliable

Cheaper is certainly not always better, and while you might be able to get a really low price from a contractor with less experience and very few good reviews, the work will likely reflect that. It is important to hire someone who is reliable and reputable for a project of this size. Even if it costs you a little bit more overall, in the long run you will be glad that you spent the extra money to ensure the project is done right. If you aren’t sure who to hire, ask the people you know as well as your neighbors, if they have had any renovations done on their home and if they could recommend someone.

If you are debating between a few contractors, compare their certifications, licenses, reviews, and examples of past projects with the prices they estimated for you. It probably won’t be a clear-cut answer as to who is the best choice, so it can be helpful to lay everything out and determine which aspects of their profiles are most appealing and important to your project. If you are debating between someone who has a lower price and someone who has more experience, it can often be better to go with a slightly higher price for more experience.

Clean Up After

When your project is over, there could be leftover debris and other parts of your home that could use some sprucing up. If you haven’t renovated your roof, hiring a gutter cleaning service to make sure everything on your roof and gutters is working properly can be a great way to ensure everything is up to date on the exterior of your home. You can also have anything that was not renovated power washed so that it looks as fresh as what is new.

Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beach goer operating out of Southern New Jersey.