Goal for It: Renovate your Home

Goal # 4: Renovate your Home

One of the scariest yet most rewarding projects you can take on this year is renovating your home. What makes it intimidating though is that you’ll need to do a lot of research, bargain-hunting, and decision-making.

January: Visualize.
Interior decorator Ampy Galvez says the very first step is to know what you want to do with your house. “This way, you can help the designer with your own ideas.” Stock up on home magazines, scour the Web, check out furniture shops and friends’ houses for ideas. Devote this month to inspiration. “But if you are clueless, you can ask the designer to submit several choices for you to choose from,” she reassures.

February: Look for a designer.
Most people ask friends for referrals, but you can also check out the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers website (PIID) for a list of all the licensed interior designers in the country, or call them at (02) 519.3672. You can also look through home magazines that feature different designers and their work.

How to narrow down your list? Interior designer April Sim Alcantara suggests the following:

• Look for a licensed designer. “This assures that the person has background and technical know-how,” she explains. “It’s not just about taste and matching colors. One needs to know the lighting, distances, human measurements, safety standards, etc.”
• Ask for a portfolio. Besides meeting to see if you’re on the same wavelength, check out the designer’s work. “This can be tricky,” warns Alcantara. “We’re trained to match the style of the client, so sometimes the design is based on the client’s and not the designer’s taste.”  
• Check your budget. “PIID has standard rates, and we’re all encouraged to follow them to protect the industry,” says Alcantara. Designers who have been in the business longer charge higher than those who are just starting out.
• Ask about his working style. Make sure your styles match. “Some designers don’t want to make working drawings,” says Alcantara. These are very important because the contractor will need them, plus they show you the proper spacing and sizes of your furniture and living spaces.  

March: Meet with your designer.
Cindy Tuazon*, marketing manager, mom to six-year-old John*, was very detailed when she talked to her designer. “I gave a description of the look and feel of the house I wanted - down to the specifics per area,” she says. “I identified what each room was for and the type of furniture I liked - including pegs and inspiration of the finishing, color scheme, and furniture.”

Alcantara says your designer should submit a floor plan and a shortlist of contractors.

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April: Look for a contractor.
Anne Santos, full-time mom to Tiago, 2, says, “We bid the project to several contractors.” Galvez, however, suggests going with the contractor your designer recommends because they have enough background to work well together.

Engineer Jobert Puno suggests to keep these in mind as you decide on a contractor: cost, feedback from past clients, company profile of past projects, work schedule, and
a working plan. Once you have chosen a contractor, Puno says, “Decide on what you want, and prepare everything even while you’re still in the conceptualization stage.

Go around home depots to have an idea of what you’re looking for. Get the details down pat so when construction begins, it will minimize changes.” Your contractor will study your designer’s plans and get back to you with a cost estimate. This may take one to two weeks.

May: Apply for permits.
Depending on how large a project your renovation is and whether you live in a house or a condominium, the permits will vary. “If you live in a condo, just talk to the building administration as you may not even need a permit,” says Puno. Some condos require a security deposit that they return after construction. If you incur penalties, these will be deducted from the deposit.

“If you’re renovating a house, you usually need a clearance from the barangay, and a building permit,” says Puno. Otherwise, they may not allow the trucks bearing your construction materials to enter the site.

You may handle the permits yourself or assign them to your contractor. You will, however, need to provide all the necessary documents. These usually mean payment documents for your property such as real estate tax documents, a deed of sale if you live in a condo, and so on. “Getting the permits can take from two weeks to a month,” says Puno.

June: Pack up and ship out.
While waiting for the permits, start packing and finding a place to stay in temporarily. Preparing for this will make it easier - and healthier - for everyone. However, if you can’t move out, Puno suggests doing the renovation in phases. “You can break it down into manageable bits. It’s just going to take longer.”

Agree on rules. Puno says it is very important that you discuss your house rules, such as which entrances to use, where workers can eat, and where to store construction materials, with your contractor and your village or building administration.

Go shopping! It will speed things up if you make your decisions early. Tuazon says, “Look for bargains and maximize your credit card’s zero percent interest installment plans. Before you know it, you’d have fully paid for majority of the materials without feeling much of the expense! Always haggle. A lot of the suppliers give good discounts.”  

Alcantara advises bringing the designer’s floor plan with the project’s measurements and sizes when you shop. “This way, you’ll know the sizes that will fit your space. You’ll also have the style in mind. If you’re shopping for a buffet table, for example, you’d know you have to look for a piece that has the same look or effect as the one in the plan,” she says.

July: Begin construction!
Throughout construction, Tuazon advises, “Be hands-on. Work with your contractor and interior designer very closely. Get everyone involved: Your husband (who will take the brunt of your stress), your house help (who will man the construction site), and a yaya or a family member (who will help watch your child while you’re at the site). It may be cliché, but patience, determination, and humor will help you overcome construction obstacles!”

When you finally move back into your newly-renovated home, you’ll realize that all the hard work and stress was worth it. Let the housewarming parties begin!

Photo from flickr creative commons