Although most Americans still prefer to live the dream of owning their own homes, financial restrictions sometimes prevent them from purchasing real estate. According to real estate sales professionals, a significant percentage of the 73 million people who live in homeowners’ associations and housing cooperatives also live in condominium communities.
Condominiums have become a popular choice for home shoppers. But sometimes condominiums aren’t built to the liking of buyers. Instead of not buying the property and missing out, you can always redecorate and remodel any condominium you purchase. However, you will need help if you don’t want to go over budget or accidentally ruin your condo.
Below are six best tips on how you can remodel your condominium unit effectively.
Condominium communities and buildings can be very nice places to live in because they have a complex network of rules that govern them. If you don’t want to get in trouble with the building’s managers, ask what you can and cannot do for your remodeling project.
Don’t make assumptions on these rules; you may have lived in other condominiums before, but each community will have different rules. Some buildings allow tenants to paint their walls without need of permission whereas others prohibit such activities. It would be time-consuming and frustrating to redo a plan if the building association rejects theremodel because it violates one rule.
Instead of tearing down existing structures and features of your condominium unit, focus instead of adding new things. First, tearing down drywall or removing all the tiles in your bathroom tend to be more exhaustive and take more time because they need more effort. When remodeling your condominium, determine whether you really need to rip apart or remove a feature rather than live with it.
For example, Russian architecture may not be your favorite thing in the world but if removing them could cost thousands of dollars can be too expensive. Better to focus your efforts on easier and cheaper additions instead.
Some of the most expensive things to fix or replace are electrical and water features of a condominium. Replacing a showerhead is fine but installing a shower water heater can not only be very costly but also harder to do. Electrical fixtures tend to be much harder to fix because they can be very finicky. So instead of changing these parts of your apartment drastically, just decide on simple fixes.
For example, rather than replace your light fixtures with elaborate setups, why not just install extra LED light strips on the corners of your room? Not only is this cheaper, it accomplishes the same thing for less money.
No matter how rigidly you schedule your remodels or how effectively you plan it, you must be prepared for setbacks or hurdles that could change your progress. Flexibility is an essential aspect of your condominium remodeling plans and you must be ready to shift gears in a moment’s notice.
For example, you may have been set on decorating your apartment in an elaborate style only to discover that you don’t have the time to do so. Be willing and able to scale back and change the plan in the face of such setbacks.
Never undertake any remodel project without having any prior experience. Some aspects of a condominium remodeling project may seem easy, but it can prove too much for inexperienced remodelers.
For example, laying down parquets flooring might seem like a more complicated version of solving a puzzle but its can be extremely difficult. If you don’t have the know-how, your floor can end up loose and tiles may pop out because of your shoddy craftsmanship.
Don’t be afraid to get professional help for your condominium remodeling because they can save more money in the long run.
You must realize that the purpose of your condominium remodeling even before you start planning or buying materials. The goal of your remodel can alter many things about your plans, from the layout of your space to how much you are willing to invest in it.
If you plan on living in the remodeled condo, you could be more willing to spend more money and time on it but if you plan on flipping the condo unit for sale, you should not spend more money on it than its potential market value.
Remodeling your condominium can be very difficult, especially if you don’t take time to prepare for it. Learning the rules of your building and investing more time in preparations can make each project easier and more effective.
