Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa May 2013 | Page 31

RESIDENTIAL
with your contractor who will take care of
permits and the paperwork, as if it isn’t done
correctly, the council can order you to halt work
causing costly delays.

Plan for problems
There are going to be equipment delays, supply
shortages, miscommunications and delays.
The best way to make sure this doesn’t cause a
critical backlog and make you snap is to draw up
a list of friendly rules for the workers, tell them
where they can park and store their equipment,
make sure they don’t make your neighbours
hate you. On the very bad days when you are
ready to tear your hair out, plan a spa day,
reserve a night at a romantic B&B, and allow
yourself time to de-stress.

The nitty gritty details
Below are just some of the things you might
want to consider doing when you decide to
remodel. If you are making major structural
changes there is a natural rhythm to how it
is done, a f low of work if you will. If you are
planning a major remodelling of your home it’s
a great idea to get an idea of how long each step
will take and what to expect. Below is a typical
remodel step-by -step action plan.

1. Prepare
Replace seriously damaged windows that may
threaten future remodelling work.

2. Demolition
Depending on the scale of your renovations
and the condition of the house, demolition
might be the first step. Demolish as much as
possible if you will not be living in the house.
Rent a large waste container for all the waste
from the remodelling.

www.reimag.co.za

3. Structural Carpentry

8. Windows

At this time, call in the carpenters for major
carpentry projects. Things like:
Moving walls.
Constructing new walls.
Significantly enlarging window openings
Adding beams to support a greater weight
upstairs.
Punching in new doors (or removing existing
doors).

Install new-construction or

4. HVAC Ductwork, Electrical, and
Plumbing
With the walls and ceiling open, it’s time for the
company to install ductwork for central heating
and air conditioning. Also with the walls
accessible, run new electrical and plumbing
systems. Electrical and plumbing inspectors
will visit at this time, too.

5. Insulation
Last thing to do with the walls open: install
insulation in the walls and attic. Insulation goes
fast, so give your drywaller a call and let him
know he’s next up.

6. Drywall
A second inspection from the electrical
inspector (and perhaps the plumbing inspector)
will give you the go-ahead to close up the walls.
Drywallers hang sheets of drywall, drywall
compound, and let the compound dry. After
drying, they sand it smooth. Sometimes, they
will repeat the process until they achieve a
seamless surface.

7. Flooring
Installing the flooring later in the renovation
process saves your f looring surface from
significant damage.

9. Fine Carpentry
Here’s where you introduce carpentry that
doesn’t involve structural issues. Install
baseboards, moulding, trim around windows
and doors, built-in elements (bookcases,
breakfast nooks, etc).

10. Interior Painting, Wallpaper, and
Other Surface Finishes
Painting interior walls, hanging wallpaper,
painting molding and trim, staining and sealing
trim: all of these detail-oriented surface finishes
should be the last items you do indoors.

11. Siding, Gutters
With the house mostly finished, it’s safe to
put on siding. You don’t want to do this earlier
(unless absolutely necessary) because doors and
windows may get punched out, ruining the
siding.

12. Major Auxiliary Building
Last, do major auxiliary building projects like:
swimming pools. Large building projects like
additions should come last. If you do this last
you don’t deplete all of your funds and energy
on projects not related to remodelling the house
itself. However, an alternate view is that you
may want to build an addition very early in the
process so that you don’t ruin any work you do
in the main part of the house.
Once you have your dream home in mind all
that’s left is to put the proper planning in. A
well-considered plan will save you time and
money, because when it comes to remodelling
it’s all in the details and control.

May 2013 SA Real Estate Investor

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