When it comes to home renovations, there tends to be a disproportionate amount of resources available on how best to prepare for these upcoming projects rather than what you do when they’re complete. But where do you go to figure out what you have to do as a homeowner once all the work has been done and dusted?
Thankfully, our team at HomeWorldDesign is here to help map out an effective post-renovation game plan that’s designed to ensure you can adapt to life in your newly renovated abode as smoothly as possible.
Here are six tasks you can tick off immediately following the completion of your next home renovation project.
1. Update your home insurance policy
It goes without saying that any home renovation project is likely going to impact what you need from your home insurance policy. The addition of a new room can call for an increase of your policy limits, so it’s imperative that you call your insurance providers as promptly as you can.
In some cases, it may even be worthwhile to compare home insurance policies before blindly deciding to amend your existing policy. Who knows? You may just be able to find yourself a better deal with another policy provider, allowing you to save big on your home and contents insurance in the long term. And it’s perfectly reasonable to do a little financial reshuffling after funding a large-scale home renovation project.
2. Sweep, dust, and vacuum
You can expect your first days post-renovation to be filled with just one task: cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Any homeowner that has survived a large-scale home renovation knows all too well the state of chaos that your home can find itself in once all the work has been completed. With that, the best thing you can do to make your home feel presentable again is to just clear all the dust, loose plaster, and other debris that may be scattered across the floors of your interiors.
Start by clearing all larger tools or equipment that your contractors and builders may have used during the renovation process. Then, it’s time to sweep and dust thoroughly, until all your surfaces and floors are smooth and comfortable to touch or walk on.
From here, it’s time to remove any excess dust or dirt by going over your floors and furniture with a vacuum, and perhaps even a steam cleaner if you have one on hand. The more thorough you are now, the easier it will be to tick off the rest of the items on this little list, so be sure to take your time on this task.
3. Focus on ventilating your home
Now that you’ve removed all the larger dust and debris particles from your home’s interiors, the next thing you’ll want to do is just clean out all of those post-renovation fumes or toxins that have a nasty habit of lingering well after construction has concluded. Home renovation projects can drastically impact on the air quality in your home, and if left unchecked, this poor air quality can rapidly lead to respiratory problems for your household.
With that, improving the ventilation of your home should be a topmost priority. And chances are this will involve more than just cracking open a window. For instance, you may even opt to have air vents and a vented HVAC system installed in your new home to help improve your air quality. And if you don’t have the budget for a HVAC installation, then consider investing in a free-standing air purifier.
If your home already has a vented heating and cooling system, then be sure to clear out its filters before you power it on following the completion of your home renovation. This precautionary measure can help remove any dust or debris that may have accumulated in your system throughout your renovation project.
4. Revisit your home maintenance to-do lists
The best way to maintain the freshness of your home’s newly renovated interiors is simply by making sure that all the new functional and design additions to your new home are promptly included in your existing home maintenance checklist.
For example, if your home renovation project included incorporating new hardwood flooring into your home, then you’ll naturally need to add flooring treatments to your list of routine household chores. Doing so can help keep your floorboards in great condition and free from scuffs or marks in the long term.
By ensuring that these new fixtures and features are included in your home maintenance to-do lists as soon as possible, you can effectively help prolong the lifespan of these new assets, which ultimately supports the longevity of your home as well.
5. Touch up any scuffs or marks on walls and ceilings
Home renovations can get seriously messy in more ways than one. If you’re not contending with paint spills or broken furniture, then there’s always the risk of a contractor or tradesman accidentally scuffing a wall with the swing of a ladder or another oversized piece of equipment.
If you’ve already identified a few scuffs that were caused by the activities of your home renovation project, then now is the time to remove all those marks. Thankfully, this can be done with a bit of household cleaner, a healthy lick of paint and perhaps even a little plaster, if you’re working with a dent or hole.
If you or the previous owner of your home left paint tins from the last time those walls were painted, then all you need to do is pull out a tin and go over the scuffs or marks with a precise brush. If there are no excess paint tins on hand, then you’ll need to get a colour match done at your local hardware store, just to make sure that you come home with the exact paint colour that you need.
If for any reason you cannot find the paint you need either in your garage or at your hardware shop, then you might consider repainting the wall with a new colour entirely. This can be a great opportunity to further reinvent your home spaces following the conclusion of your renovation project.
6. Revamp your interior design scheme
Speaking of ‘reinventing your home space’, it’s a universal truth that one of the best things about life after a renovation project is simply styling your new interiors. So with all these preliminary logistical tasks now finished and out of the way, now is the time to let your imagination run wild and start making your new interiors feel like your very own, either by following existing interior design methods, utilising expert tips from interior designers, or just by experimenting all on your own.
This can mean spreading out rugs and floor coverings over your brand new floorboards, alongside swapping out your window coverings to maximise on the overall light availability of your new home spaces. You may even consider buying some new furniture to really give the space its own life. Simply put, feel free to take any measures you want in order to refresh your interior design scheme. You’ve earned the right to dream big here!
With these six tasks ticked off and out of the way, all that’s left to do is just embrace your home’s new interiors and adapt to life in your renovated abode. Just remember to stay on top of your home maintenance to-do list and to keep your interior design scheme fresh by updating your decor and style whenever you feel like it. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy your newly renovated home for years if not decades to come.
