What do most people do right after they buy a new home or cottage? They start renovating. We’re now on our third vacation property. This one is located in Whistler B.C., and like all the other vacations properties we’ve bought in the past, we’re seldom happy until we have made it over or “made it our own.”

We’re not alone. Pick up any home or cottage magazine and they’re filled with renovation ideas. The April issue of Cottage Life is no exception. “How to Choose Your Contractor and A Reno With Character” are just several of their feature stories.

I spent this morning going over the list of things we want to change on our town home. Among them are: a new kitchen, two new bathrooms, new flooring, new window treatments, new lighting and new furniture. The challenge with this reno, like all the others, is finding someone to do the work who is reasonable and reliable.

While some people prefer to do the design work themselves, I’ve come to rely on Architectural Designers. They have a degree in architectural but are also trained designers. Yes, hiring a professional to do the design work costs money, but after purchasing couches, chairs and end tables that were twice the size of our living room, I’ve learned they more than pay for themselves.

“Architect’s fees tend to run about 10% of the project’s construction value,” according to the Cottage Life article, Who do you Call? “But a well-designed project will increase in value.” That has certainly been our true with all of our property renovations. Also, they can advise you on where to spend your money so you get the biggest bang for your buck.

I’m not exactly looking forward to the next four months of slogging through Home Depot, running around looking at flooring samples or furniture shopping, but I am looking forward to enjoying the finished product. Done right, it will improve our property value. It’s also a capital improvement, so the entire renovation can be deducted off our capital appreciation when it comes time to sell. It makes spending money a little easier.

Cheers,

Julie

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 at 10:26 am and is filed under Décor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.