GRACE AND GRIDS
Home Renovation Planner
A homeowner's remodel planner — vision, scope, quotes, budget, schedule, and snagging
A guide, journal, and planner that works three ways — type into it on your phone, fill it in on your computer, or print the pages you need. Use them in any order, and keep the finished book as a keepsake.
Phone Keyboard • Computer • Printable — All Three Included
Grace and Grids • For personal use
How to use this book
This planner works three ways, and every way holds the same pages. On your phone, tap any long box and type — what you type stays saved on your phone as you go. On your computer, click into the boxes and type the same way. Or print the pages you need and write by hand — print them single-sided if you like to write on the back of a page. Start at the beginning if you like a clear path, or jump straight to the section you need today. There are no grades, no deadlines, and no wrong answers here — only honest pages that help you think clearly, talk openly, and take the next small step.
■ A short, plain guide for each topic — what it is, why it matters, and how to begin.
■ Writing prompts and questions to answer in your own words.
■ Checklists and trackers you can use again and again.
■ Space to record decisions, dates, and names, so nothing important is lost.
■ A closing page to gather what you learned and what comes next.
This planner is for organization only. It is not construction, financial, legal, planning, or safety advice. For structural, electrical, plumbing, gas, or permit work, use licensed professionals and follow local rules.
Grace and Grids • For personal use
1. Vision and scope, room by room
A good renovation starts with a clear picture: what will this room do, who will use it, and what must change versus what would be nice to change?
Write scope in plain language — one room at a time, one change at a time. A scope you can read aloud to a contractor without explaining it is a scope that is ready.
• What room are we renovating, and what must it do?
• What must change, and what would be nice to change?
• What style, colors, and materials do we like?
• What must stay, no matter what?
• What is our must-not-exceed budget for this project?
• What would make us say, at the end, that this was worth it?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
1. Vision and scope, room by room — Checklist & Tracker
■ Room and purpose defined
■ Must-change vs nice-to-change listed
■ Style and materials noted
■ Must-stay items listed
■ Budget ceiling set
■ Success picture written
Date / Item · Detail · Done?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
2. Measurements and existing conditions
Measure twice, write once. Record room dimensions, door and window positions, outlets, plumbing points, and anything unusual — sloping floors, old wiring, damp spots — before anyone quotes.
Photograph everything, and note the date. Photos of the 'before' protect you, help contractors quote accurately, and make the 'after' satisfying.
• What are the room dimensions, door, and window positions?
• Where are outlets, switches, lights, and plumbing points?
• What existing problems have you noticed?
• What photos have you taken, and where are they stored?
• What do you not know yet about this room?
• Who can check anything you are unsure about?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
2. Measurements and existing conditions — Checklist & Tracker
■ Dimensions recorded
■ Doors, windows, services mapped
■ Existing problems noted
■ Before photos taken and stored
■ Unknowns listed
■ A checker identified for unknowns
Date / Item · Detail · Done?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
3. Contractor quotes, compared fairly
Get comparable quotes: give every contractor the same scope, the same materials list, and the same questions, then compare like with like. The cheapest quote is not always the best value.
Record license and insurance details you are shown, references, timelines, and what is included versus excluded. Keep every quote in writing.
• Who are we asking for quotes, and what scope are we giving each?
• What is included and excluded in each quote?
• What are the timelines, payment stages, and warranties?
• What references or past work have we seen?
• What questions do we still have for each contractor?
• Which quote offers the best value, and why?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
3. Contractor quotes, compared fairly — Checklist & Tracker
■ Same scope given to each contractor
■ Included / excluded compared
■ Timelines, payments, warranties recorded
■ References checked
■ Open questions listed
■ Best-value choice explained
Date / Item · Detail · Done?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
4. Budget and payment tracker
A renovation budget has three parts: the work, the materials, and a contingency for surprises. Track actual spending against the plan, week by week, so surprises are small and early.
Never pay in full up front. Agree payment stages tied to completed work, in writing, and keep every receipt and change note.
• What is our budget for work, materials, and contingency?
• What payment stages have we agreed, in writing?
• What have we spent so far, against plan?
• What changes have we approved, and what did they cost?
• What is still to pay, and when?
• What would we do if costs run over?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
4. Budget and payment tracker — Checklist & Tracker
■ Three-part budget set
■ Payment stages agreed in writing
■ Spending tracked against plan
■ Changes logged with costs
■ Remaining payments scheduled
■ Overrun plan noted
Date / Item · Detail · Done?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
5. Schedule and materials log
A simple schedule — who does what, in what order, by when — prevents most delays. Materials ordered late are the most common cause of a stalled project, so log orders, delivery dates, and storage.
Check deliveries against orders on arrival. A wrong tile or missing fitting found on delivery day is a small problem; found on fitting day, it is a delay.
• What is the order of work, step by step?
• Who does each step, and by when?
• What materials must be ordered, and by when?
• What deliveries have arrived, and were they correct?
• What is delayed, and what is the knock-on effect?
• What decision is needed from us this week?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
5. Schedule and materials log — Checklist & Tracker
■ Work order written
■ Owners and dates assigned
■ Materials order list with deadlines
■ Deliveries checked on arrival
■ Delays and effects noted
■ This week's decisions listed
Date / Item · Detail · Done?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
6. Changes, snagging, and completion
Changes happen. The rule is simple: no change without a written note — what changed, why, what it costs, and what it does to the schedule. Verbal changes are how budgets disappear.
At completion, walk every room with a snag list: paint, joints, doors, taps, lights, finishes. Record each snag, agree who fixes it and by when, and do not sign off until the list is clear.
• What changes have we made, with costs and dates?
• What is on our snag list, room by room?
• Who fixes each snag, and by when?
• What warranties and manuals have we received?
• What did we learn for the next project?
• Are we happy to sign off — and if not, what remains?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
6. Changes, snagging, and completion — Checklist & Tracker
■ All changes logged in writing
■ Snag list completed room by room
■ Fix owners and dates agreed
■ Warranties and manuals filed
■ Lessons for next time written
■ Sign-off decision recorded
Date / Item · Detail · Done?
Grace and Grids • For personal use
Closing — What I will carry forward
Finish by writing, in your own words, the three things from this book that matter most to you, and the first small step you will take this week. A book that is finished honestly is worth more than a book that is finished quickly.
Grace and Grids • For personal use
Thank you for choosing Grace and Grids. May this book serve you well, and may the work you do with it bring order, peace, and good fruit to the people around you.
Grace and Grids • For personal use