The demand for home renovations continues to skyrocket as people spend more time at home than ever. On February 26th, 2021, Heaps Estrin hosted a webinar with Reflect Architecture’s principal architect, Trevor Wallace to break down renovation planning, pricing, and current trends from a professional standpoint.
Planning
The planning stage is the most crucial aspect within the renovation. Although you can get renovations done on a whim from your neighbourhood handy man, always be cautious of the contractor who will assure you that they “have a guy” who can take care of the renovation. Professional drawings and plans ensure that the projects gets done accurately and efficiently, and will save you from being disappointed in the end. Time for preparations like city permits should also be accounted for in order for large projects to roll out in time. If there’s one thing to take away from the planning aspect of a renovation, it’s that you will always need more time than you think.
Pricing
Managing price expectations when it comes to budgeting can be tricky. On top of HST, a soft cost of 15-20% should always be budgeted for. This can include building permits and planning costs. When thinking about pricing, it should always be kept in mind that things may not always go according to plan, and you may change your mind about an aspect of your renovation as the process continues. As projects can evolve in the process, 20% should also be budgeted for as a safety net for any additional materials or man hours that may be needed.
Current Trends
Designing based on function over style is what maximizes a room’s potential. Rather than going into a renovation and creating spaces based on what a client may think they need, it is key to discuss the activities that happen on a day-to-day basis with clients and create spaces that work around them. If working from home is the main activity of a client within their home, the aim is then to create a working space that will both fit the needs and bring joy to that client. Trevor also notes that the kitchen (during both day-to-day living and entertaining) is the area where individuals will more recently spend most of their time. Creating a kitchen space that will meet the individual needs and flow with the day-to-day lives of a homeowner is the greatest trend and skill that an architect can provide their clients.
If you enjoyed this blog and would like to view Trevor’s webinar, please click the link above. If you have any questions for us or would like to get in touch with Trevor Wallace, please reach out to us at events@heapsestrin.com.
