How to Plan a Home Renovation

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Any home renovation whether big or small must be carefully planned and designed to help you manage the risks involved. Before you jump right into your project, here are some helpful pointers on how to go about some important steps.

Green Features

Thinking about sustainability up front is a good idea. There are the obvious things such as thinking about how your project can make good use of lighting and passive heating as well as which materials have a lower carbon footprint. However you can also go one step further and do things like repurpose a kitchen counter as maybe an outdoor kitchen counter or even cut it up and use it for tiling elsewhere.

Hiring an Architect

For your larger projects that require walls coming down then it is probably a good idea to hire an architect. They can help navigate the rules of where you live with what is code and what is not and can sometimes help with permitting. Things can get more complicated when you are doing more than just renovating what is already existing.

Budget

Any scope of work document should include costs that you may not even think about such as fees for dumpster or the like. If the builder’s estimate exceeds your budget, write down your hierarchy of needs and wants and ask your contractor if they can revise it accordingly, Olsen said.

Risks

Older properties tend to have more structural issues so it’s important to know this up front. If you share a wall with a neighbor, also known as a party wall, it is a good idea to get a condition survey of their home before work begins, especially if you are doing excavations. This should include getting photographs, descriptions and measurements of any existing cracks or defects just to protect yourself.

Payments

Changing your mind about fixtures and fittings can be expensive if work has already begun.

For example, if you decide you prefer an engineered wood floor instead of the vinyl one that has been estimated for, it may not simply be the materials that cost more. It can sometimes be more complicated where the concrete base underneath may need to be finished to a different level.

Also, be cautious of big money payments upfront. If the builder doesn’t provide you with a payment schedule, then don’t sign the contract. Make sure everything is spelled out clearly and shop around for what is customary for the area you are in.

Beth Dickerson

Boston, MA

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(617) 510-8565
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Boston, MA 02116

About The Author

One of Boston’s most reputable real estate brokers, Beth Dickerson has achieved more than $2 billion in sales and thousands of successful real estate transactions over her nearly thirty-year tenure. Beth has received national acclaim from the real estate industry and represents some of the most prestigious residents and properties across Massachusetts. Her enduring record as a top producer comes from the intuitive gift of sensing her clients’ needs. She has built a business that is referral-based at its core—a testament to her relationship-driven approach and penchant for exceeding expectations. It is this nuanced expertise that Beth leverages to guide many of her clients-turned-friends through some of the greatest milestones of their lives.

Beth was the proprietor of her own real estate company before joining the residential division of R. M. Bradley in 1993, where she was a top producer for more than a decade. In 2003, she founded her own boutique real estate firm, Dickerson Real Estate, before merging with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in 2007. Today, Beth attributes her success to her comprehensive marketing and advertising strategies, exclusive contact network, and unparalleled insight into neighborhoods like Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End and Waterfront. With an understanding that no two clients are alike, she works with clients in all phases of life—from first-time buyers to luxury developers, seasoned sellers and beyond. Beth offers clients the resources to aggressively market their property locally, nationally and globally, and her attention to detail, drive and enthusiasm are unmatched.

Beth has appeared in prestigious media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Mansion Global, The Boston Globe, and Boston magazine, and was prominently featured as Greater Boston’s real estate expert on WCVB Chronicle in 2020. She has had the honor of serving as President of the Downtown Council of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. For over ten years, she has been a Co-Chair and Committee Member for the Massachusetts General Pediatric Hospital for Children’s Storybook Ball. She serves as a Board Member of the Community Music Center of Boston and a member for the Perkins School for the Blind, Emerald Necklace Park Conservancy, Justine Liff Luncheon, Youth Villages and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, among dozens of other organizations throughout the Boston area.

A long-time resident of Boston’s Back Bay, Beth was an active member of the community as she raised her two children: she served as treasurer of the Clarendon Street Playground and was an avid supporter of the Hill House Community Center.