Time for a change? By all means, go ahead and renovate! But not before getting these things down pat.

The time has come: Your ceiling may be screaming for a new coat of paint or a wall needs to be knocked down to create more space in your home. What do you do first? Now it may seem tempting to go scouting for a new office desk or sofa, but hang on. Make sure you have a renovation plan laid out first! Here are to-do items to tick off your list:

Set a timeline. Establishing a time frame ensures that upgrading your home does not remain just that: a plan. You may be running from one work meeting or school activity to another, so having a timeline keeps your renovation project from getting lost in your schedule. Pin down a date for the first meeting with your interior designer or contractor, and be ready with a target completion date. That way, you can expect the time in between to be your busiest, so you can plan for extra help with childcare, time-off from work, and the like.

Decide on a budget. It's almost impossible to predict how much a renovation will cost. Unforeseen circumstances like structural damage you couldn't see from the outside could jack up the total cost of renovation. Come up with an amount that you are willing to spend so that at any point, you can re-evaluate and work with your interior designer or contractor to determine where you can make adjustments.

The normal practice for interior designers, according to Grace Moslares of Magara Designs, is to charge around P1,500 per square meter of space, or a minimum lump sum of P50,000. Consultation fees are somewhere between P1,500 to P2,000 per hour, exclusive of food and transportation expenses.

Some contractors charge around P7,000 to P12,000 per square meter for interior finishings, depending on the type of work required.

Establish the scope of work for your interior designer and/or contractor. You don't want to be arguing about who's in charge of what in the middle of your renovation project. Determine what is expected of each party from the start to the end of the project. Don't forget to include obtaining the necessary work or building permits, paying village fees for deliveries, and sourcing for materials. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to this, but if you don't have the time to attend to these details yourself, it's best to let a professional team handle it for you.

Make a shopping list of fixtures and furniture. Whether your designer is doing the shopping for you or you're doing it yourself, save yourself the trouble of not buying enough, buying too much, or getting the wrong thing. Work with your design team to determine what pieces you need, and ask for recommendations on where to score these for the best price. Aside from department stores, you may want to look at online sites and social media groups for possible options. According to Moslares, some clients prefer to negotiate a package price that would include furnishings and soft furnishings. In such cases, the designer would ask for the homeowner's budget and work with it.

Keep track of your expenses. Oftentimes, when you ask homeowners how much they've spent for renovation, they'd give an exasperated look. They think they spent too much but didn't really keep track of it. Having a separate bank account dedicated to your renovation project is ideal, since you can easily monitor how much you have at the beginning, and how much is spent overall. No need to separate unrelated transactions before you can come to an accurate computation.

To fund your renovation, you may also want to consider a personal loan. Personal loans can help you manage your cash on hand, giving you more time to think about the other details of your upgrade.

Ready to get the home renovation you've always wanted? Citi offers personal loans with the following benefits:

• Approval in as fast as 24 hours
• Flexible terms of 1 to 5 years
• No collateral or guarantor needed
• High loan amount of up to P 2M (subject to approval)

Visit https://www.citibank.com.ph/gcb/loans/loans.htm for more details!

Can you imagine being able to finally enjoy the comforts of your brand new space? Let the renovation begin!