After the long, cold and snowy winter that Ontario has just experienced Spring Fever will soon be here stronger than ever. That’s usually the time when people starting thinking about changing their environment including renovating their homes.Renovations, however, normally can’t start immediately when you decide that you want to renovate. Good renovations take planning and planning takes time. So to get the most out of your renovation and to get started as soon as spring arrives – you should start planning early.

Design and Permitting

Good renovations start with good design. Whether you are designing yourself or with a professional the design process can take up to 4 – 6 weeks. After you have designed your project you will need to apply for a building permit. This will involve submitting building or construction plans. If you are unable to complete these on your own you will need to hire a professional designer who can design your project to the Ontario Building Code. The building permit process can take from two weeks if everything has been provided and completed properly and up to four weeks if additional information or details are required.

Ordering Materials

Next, ordering of the materials including cabinets or special plumbing or electrical fixtures can also take from two to six weeks to have manufactured or shipped. By the time you add all this time up it could take between two to three months before you could actually start construction. So if Spring Fever is getting you to start thinking about renovating, start planning a few months in advance so you will be prepared when the weather finally turns into Spring.