4 Things To Consider Before Starting a Home Renovation Project | Extreme Makeover's Ty Pennington

You might know Ty Pennington from shows like "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Trading Spaces," where he helps build and renovate homes. The designer and carpenter also hosts his latest show on HGTV called "Ty Breaker," and he recently rebuilt his own home. (See the impressive tour here.) Suffice to say, this guy knows what he's talking about. Here, Ty shares his top four tips for what to consider BEFORE you start renovating your home

1. Understand that it will take some time.

"The biggest thing you need to know is, it's not going to take a week. It's going to take some time," Ty says (as in months or even years).

2. Schedule contractors, plumbers + electricians at least six months in advance.

Speaking of taking some time… 

"You have to schedule these guys—your contractors, your electricians, your plumbers—months in advance," Ty says. He recommends booking six to eight months in advance, especially now during the pandemic. "Everybody's working on their home, so just know that it's going to be a long process."

The good news is, this will give you time to really assess what your plan is.

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3. Get a building inspector to tell you what your house is capable of.

To help you make a plan that is actually feasible, Ty suggests talking to a building inspector (or a friend who has building experience).

"Especially if you've never done this before, get somebody who either is a friend, a friend of a friend or a building inspector to tell you what your house is capable of," the "Home Makeover" star stresses.

4. Decide what you'll splurge on and what you'll save on ahead of time.

While it's important to be realistic when making a budget, know what to splurge on and where you can save. "Save the money where you can on certain materials," Ty says.

"But the things I check out first [are] how high can I go, how wide can I go. So that you know what your perimeters are and then you work from that—how can I maximize that space?"