Do all the fundamental and external work first. It's natural to want to move on to the next phase of the project, but make sure the house is in good condition before you start working on the interior. That means replacing windows and placing a new roof if necessary. If you're in the process of renovating your home, it can be overwhelming to think about everything that needs to be done.
Gardening jobs, new appliances, painting, new floors, the list seems to be endless. To get started with your to-do list, you must first decide whether you want to focus your efforts on the outside or inside of your home. Another thing to consider is how long you plan to stay at your residence. If you are going to do a renovation to stay in your house for functional purposes, your approach will be different from the one you would adopt if you were doing a renovation to get a higher price when you sell.
We generally recommend renewing as much as possible at the same time. It involves a high initial cost, but in the long run it is cheaper to have to call plumbers or electricians only once for a project, rather than several times. That said, we understand that whole-house renovations can be expensive, and therefore, you may have to approach them in stages. The sense of satisfaction that comes with making your house look good on the outside is experienced on many levels, from the colors and textures of your home, to the quality of the materials used to build or remodel it, to the long-term benefits of those materials, such as the character they give it or the ease of maintenance they offer.
That's the advice of Sarah Susanka, one of the country's leading voices in favor of redefining the American home and author of the Not So Big House series, a collection of nine books that focus on design, architecture and home remodeling. The good news is that if you haven't remodeled your home for a long time, there are several new, sustainable products that help homeowners create beautiful, green exteriors, such as the Marvin Elevate and Essential window collections, made of pultruded fiberglass, a tough, sustainable, low-maintenance material that offers a wide selection of colors.
