Proceeding with Your Home Renovation Toronto Project: What To Do?

A home renovation Toronto project can do wonders for your quality of living. The work has several aspects. You should have a clear blueprint. Renovation includes both interior and exterior of the house. Depending up on the extent of your budget, you can opt for different levels of work. For example, you can commission work in your basement, improve the terrace, decide on bathroom renovation, or go for kitchen work.

Best Time for the Project

Interior work such as kitchen renovation can be done any time of the year. As for exterior work, the summer season is the best time. Doing work in the winter may incur extra costs such as temporary insulation and heating to prevent freezing of the concrete or earth. There’s a lot of pressure with renovation work in summer, so it is advisable to do advance booking at the earliest.

If you want to save money in the long-term, choose for an energy saving work at your home. In fact, the City of Toronto offers various financial incentives for energy saving projects. Check out your eligibility for application at these incentives with a reliable contractor. Such projects not only saves your energy bills in the long-term but also affects the environment positively.

These works usually don’t take much time, but they improve the energy-efficiency of your property. They can be done as side-projects to your main project, any time of the year. Astaneh construction is a reputed home renovation service in Toronto handling both internal and external work. Working with a team of experts will guarantee you the peace of mind. It ensures that the renovation work will be done on time and as per the best standards.

Having a Brand New Kitchen

The kitchen renovation work can be one of the most expensive aspects of the work. If you plan to resale the property soon, keep the expenditure limited to 10 to 15% of the value of the property. Otherwise, it might be difficult to recoup the costs. The cost depends on several aspects. For example, it depend on whether you want a whole new layout or experiment with the existing setup of the kitchen space. Your choice of  materials will also decide how much you will be spending in the work. For example, if you want state-of-the-art cabinets, you should expect to pay a lump sum amount. Other aspects include countertop installation, new ventilation systems, and new lighting fixtures.

• Countertops

Speaking of countertops, you can have a marble one. As for cheaper options, you can go for engineered stone that mimics marble. If you want a cost-efficient makeover, you can choose new laminate countertops. Kitchen work has a special importance if you live in a condo. Here, a kitchen is also a place where you welcome guests.

• Cabinets

Divide the kitchen renovation work into different segments. This helps in managing your budget well. It also helps with monitoring the progress of the renovation work step-by-step. For example, you can start with flooring, then move on to cabinets. It is going to take some time as cabinets take up the majority of space in the kitchen. Plywood cabinets are usually preferred because they are damp-proof and versatile. They are also available in different colors. However, you can also decide to work with hardwood or softwood cabinets.  The contractor should be able to provide made-to-order cabinets if you need them. Focus on the details such as fixing aesthetic knobs and pulls on them.

• Backsplash

The backsplash is typically the focal point of the kitchen. Use good quality tiles that look amazing. You can use an assortment of subway tiles for the process. You can also add a dash of colors in the backsplash. However, you should refrain from using wallpapers in the kitchen because the heat from cooking can cause them to peel off fast.

• Lighting

Lighting adds character to the kitchen. You can try layering the space with different types of lights. Track lights or semi-flush ceiling lights offer a warm, ambient glow illuminating the entire kitchen. You can use task lighting to spotlight areas such as below the cabinets or above the kitchen island. These are recommended fixtures especially if you live in a condo, as the kitchen also doubles up as a space for welcoming guests. Finally, you can use chandeliers or pendant lights for visual interest. Using directional spot lights for accent lighting can help focus on specific areas of the kitchen.

Finding the Right Contractor

Follow this checklist on selecting the right contractor for your home renovation Toronto service. Remember that cheap is not always good and it might cost you more in the long-term. Beware of the red flags. Verify the license and ask for references. If they provide shoddy references, look for another option. Also, ensure that your contract agreement is well-detailed with the minutes of the project. Look at payment terms and timelines mentioned specifically.

In addition to license, ensure that the work begins with a Toronto building permit. Probable consequences of not working with a building permit includes heavy fines, and stalling of work. It might also result in the removal of the work done. Other permits required includes HVAC permit, landscaping permit, and for electrical or plumbing work. Prior to starting work, also check the  affiliations. A good service has a stable standing with BILD, Canadian Home Builder’s Association, and Renomark. You need to check if the service has a General Liability insurance to protect against possible damages.

You should be verifying whether the contractor has WSIB coverage. Without this coverage, you might be held liable for injuries occurring to any worker on your project. Finally, if the contractor is asking for a large deposit fee, it might not be the right decision to go ahead. The deposit fee should not be more than 15% of the total project value.

A reputed contractor such as Astaneh construction takes care of all these aspects. Blueprints will be drawn professionally for submission and provided along with a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) by a qualified architect or engineer. Once you have verified all these details, you can give a go-ahead with your work.