When you need to figure out how to renovate a townhouse with professional skills, it’s about more than going on the internet and finding some DIY townhouse renovation suggestions. If you want to do the job right, you’ll need to do your research diligently and make a thorough plan for how you’ll renovate your townhouse to your liking. Depending on what the state or condition of the townhouse is, you may need to tailor your plan to renovate the property to prioritize certain aspects of the renovation.
On top of thinking about how your neighbors may react to your townhome renovation, you should think about whether there may be legal or community consequences if you remodel your townhome without obtaining the proper permission first. Some townhomes and condos may be located in communities that have stringent rules around making changes to townhomes. For any renovations that require removing objects from the property or changing the color of the interior and exterior aspects of the property, you may need to get permission from your townhome or condo housing association or board. Otherwise, your community may be able to kick you out of the complex or at least send you a stern warning to change it back.
According to RenoQuotes, sharing walls with neighbors could have an impact on your interior renovations. Consequently, it’s important to speak to your townhouse or condo board before taking on a home renovation to protect you from the rules both the board and other tenants uphold. Your townhouse or condo could have areas that can’t be renovated due to the possibility of damage to your home as well as the surrounding homes or even common spaces.
Clear Your Trees
If you want to know how to renovate a townhouse, you should first focus on clearing out any debris or unwanted trees near the townhome property. For this job, you’ll want to call a tree service to handle removing the trees. Falling trees present a safety risk to not only the property and surrounding structures but also to you and any person or creature who is nearby when the trees are falling.
Before you start chopping down the trees near your home, you should make sure that it’s legal for you to remove a tree from the property. If you live in an apartment complex that has townhomes, it may be illegal for you to remove trees without prior consent from your landlord and the other appropriate authorities. Removing a tree in this case could get you in deep legal trouble. It could also put you and your community members at the complex at risk of getting injured. What’s more, you could accidentally damage surrounding objects such as cars, mailboxes, and more. If this happens, you may be liable for covering the cost of the damage. Depending on your insurance policies, you may not be able to get help with paying for these expenses, so you may have to rely on covering them with your resources. This can be costly, so it’s best to avoid the situation altogether if you can help it.
If you own your townhouse and the surrounding property, you may not need permission from a landlord or other entity to remove a tree from nearby. In this case, you should still think about whether it’s safe for you to take down a tree. According to Atlas Tree, cutting a tree down yourself can be very dangerous, and only a few situations allow you to safely cut a tree. For example, you can cut a tree that isn’t too tall and doesn’t require you to climb a ladder. However, you absolutely must consult an arborist if the tree is tall or if the trunk is wide. Make sure not to attempt cutting a big and old tree yourself since that can be very risky. If you try, the tree could fall onto you and cause server damage or it may damage the nearby components of your home.
Another consideration is whether your insurance will cover damage if you cut down a tree by yourself. Typically, insurance companies are more likely to reimburse you for costs associated with damage caused by a falling tree if it falls due to a qualifying disaster or if arborists have removed the tree and caused the damage. While every insurance policy has its terms and limits that may dictate what it does or doesn’t cover, you can speak with an insurance agent before you cut down a tree near your property to see how your coverage would handle any damage that results from this choice.
Spruce Up Your Outdoor Space
If you want to know how to renovate a townhouse, you should think about the exterior as much as the interior. If you’re building a deck onto your townhouse, you should consider what kind of outdoor furniture would match the rest of your renovation plans. If you’re going for a super modern renovation look with your interior, you can either match the modern aesthetic on the inside with modern style choices on the outside of your home or contrast it with some vintage pieces that nod to older generations. You can also prioritize comfort and add pieces to your outdoor space that will let you entertain guests in coziness and style. When you’re fixing up your outdoor space, you should think of what you intend to do in that space. If you plan on entertaining large groups, you’ll have to add more seating than you would if you simply intend to sit on your balcony and relax by yourself at the end of a long day.
There’s no right or wrong answer to these questions, but you should think about it before you start poring over catalogs and putting down money on outdoor furniture since outdoor furniture can be pricey. In general, having a budget for your renovation projects for your townhouse will help you decide what you can and can’t afford. It will also make it easier to figure out what you should prioritize. If you have a high budget, you may be able to invest in luxury items but if your budget is sparse, you may need to put off fun plans like making your outdoor space look like your dream patio and stick to covering the necessary repairs first.
Invest in Solar Energy
For a more sustainable energy source, you can install residential solar panels when you figure out how to renovate a townhouse. Solar energy has been popularized in recent years for its relatively low cost once you install the panels and environmentally friendly design. If you’ve never had solar energy before, you may wonder if it’s right for you. Calling up a solar energy company and asking detailed questions about the types of townhomes they’ve helped convert to solar energy can give you a good idea of whether this type of energy could work for your home.
Install or Restore a Deck
When you want to know how to renovate a townhouse, you should look into deck contractors in case you want to install a deck. If you already have a deck, this may just mean calling up the contractors to repair any damage that has been done to the deck or give the deck a fresh coat of paint or varnish. When your deck looks and feels great, you can entertain on it or enjoy quiet evenings sipping wine with your family on it. Although restoring your outdoor space is not a necessary part of renovating your townhome, it can be crucial if it’s important to you.
Refresh Your Siding
If you’re learning how to renovate a townhouse, you should consider whether the siding on your home has seen better days. If you need new siding, you should schedule a siding install project with contractors who are skilled at recladding a home. If you rent your townhome or your townhome is located in an apartment complex, this may mean that you’ll need to contact your landlord and put in a maintenance request. If you own your townhome, you’ll probably have more leeway in terms of how you decide to go about recladding your house or touching up the siding and replacing panels that are loose or discolored. Sometimes, you may not even need to replace the siding if it’s just dirty. When the siding is dirty or discolored, you may need to schedule a powerwash before you decide it’s time to replace it. Of course, if you have another type of siding in mind for your home, a replacement may be necessary regardless of whether the old materials are completely worn out or not.
Get Rid of Junk
If you want to know how to renovate a townhouse, you should clear out the clutter before scheduling any renovations. If you’re remodeling a townhouse that you inherited from a family member, you may need to schedule an estate cleanout service before you can move forward with remodeling the townhome into your dream home. If you’ve lived in the townhome for years and have accumulated a lot of junk, it may just be time to enlist your family members and friends to come help you clear it out. You can rent a dumpster to make this process easier.
Coat Your Garage Floor
To learn how to renovate a townhouse’s garage floor, you should call a garage floor coating company. They’re qualified to seal the garage floor. This will help prevent water damage and other safety concerns related to your garage flooring materials.
Upgrade Your Water Heater
As you decide how to renovate a townhouse, you should fix your water heater. If it’s completely broken, you may need a water heater replacement. Water heater companies should be able to tell you if it’s time to replace your boiler.
Get a Fresh Coat of Paint
To refresh your paint job, you should call a painting contractor. They’ll know how to renovate a townhouse with paint. You can keep the colors neutral or add some wild color choices for a new look.
Renovate Your Kitchen
As you work on your kitchen remodel, you may wonder if you can still occupy your townhome. While every situation is different, the experts have their take on whether this is possible. According to Sweeten, the process of construction itself could make you uncomfortable if you’re used to spending much of the day at home. It could disrupt naptime for the children or any work duties you plan to accomplish from home. If this is the case, you may find going to the office more frequently to be an attractive option, along with coffee shops and shared office spaces.
You’ll want to ask key questions to your contractor like “Do the daily work hours work for you?” It’s typical for contractors to start work early and their work is usually rather noisy. This makes sleeping in quite the challenge. The best way to handle living in your home while the kitchen is under renovation is to discuss a daily schedule with your contractor to nail down shared expectations. It’s easy to understand that surprises pop up from time to time and everyone needs to be able to respond well to them. When you choose an organized and professional contractor, they’ll make sure to set you up as well as possible.
As you’re renovating your townhouse, it would be kind of you to consider how your remodeling noise and actions may impact those around you. Since townhomes are usually not free-standing structures, you may share a wall or two with a neighbor if you own one. This means that your renovation process could impact those around you, so it’s important to make a plan for how you’ll handle any issues that arise with your neighbors and community members as you renovate your townhome. No matter how old your townhouse is or what your level of ownership is for the property, you’ll want to figure out how to renovate a townhouse before you start working on it. Doing this research will pay off eventually.