There's nothing like a newly transformed space to give you a new lease on life. Putting your own special touch on even one area in your home can make it feel brand new again. But the process of renovating a home can be lengthy, intimidating, and expensive.

While designing your dream re-design can be fun, the logistical parts of a renovation can cause a lot of headaches. From setting a budget, finding trustworthy contractors, and settling on a design and schedule that you are happy with, there's a lot to consider.

You may have a general idea of the scope of work— replace the bathtub, strip the floorboards, etc, but accurately planning exactly what needs to be done and finding a contractor that can do it in your allotted timeline requires a ton of time and effort. There are a lot of unexpected hurdles that can turn up when you start building, especially if it's your first renovation, and everyone seems to have a contractor horror story.

Asking friends, or trawling on sites like Yelp or Sweeten for contractors is always a good start, but it can be hard to find a singular, transparent source of information out there. And while sites like Pinterest are a great source of design inspiration, actually communicating your ideas to the contractor and bringing your vision to life can be hard if you're not trained in this area.

Luckily, our editors found a service that makes it so much easier - Block Renovation.

Block Renovation has helped hundreds of homeowners transform their bathrooms and kitchens all across the greater New York area. Normally, they'll take you from scope and budgeting through design, build, and facilitate your project all the way to completion. But Block understands that many just want help getting started as affordably as possible, and that's why they have launched their latest initiative — Block Marketplace. If Block Renovation's core service is a fully prepared meal, then think of Marketplace as a premium but accessible grocery store that has everything you need to get started, from knives to recipes to ingredients.

Block Marketplace aims to make its renovation expertise available to everyone, and currently offers two services; Scope+Bid and Design+Bid. But what can these services do for you?

Getting started is the hardest part, and it's no secret why. There are so many variables you need to figure out before you start. On top of all that, you have to find a contractor who you can trust to give an honest and fair estimate. Save yourself the headache by considering Block's Scope + Bid offering, which only costs $50.

Scope + Bid is designed to help you get a better grasp of what needs to be done and how long it'll take, as well as connect you to a network of trusted, vetted contractors.

It's available for any room in your home, big or small. Besides providing clarity on timelines and price, Scope + Bid also unlocks a competitive marketplace of skilled, vetted contractors. You'll then receive up to three competing proposals, allowing you to make a decision and receive a response quickly.

Block knows that letting a contractor into your home can feel intimidating. That's why they vet their contractors in three ways - workmanship quality, client experience, and background/licensing. They inspect contractors' existing job sites, request photographs of previously completed work, and seek references from former clients.

Once Block is completely satisfied, they complete a thorough background check to ensure a contractor's properly licensed. Only 10% of contractors Block vets make it into their network, so you can be sure that you'll be working with the best of the best.

Also included in this offering are tools to help with the logistics - simple contracts, payments, and financing options.

As hard as it is to understand the work that needs to be done, bringing your dream to life is another hurdle many renovators face. You may have a particular vision for your redesign in mind, but communicating your ideas and making them concrete is no easy task. Or worse, you may not have an idea yet, feel overwhelmed by the possibilities, and spend hours on Pinterest to no avail.

Design + Bid provides you with a dedicated design expert to help you visualize your dream renovation. For $500, you'll get everything that Scope + Bid offers, with the additional guidance of a designer who will bring your vision to life. That means you'll work closely with a designer to plan your renovation prior to getting a full scope of the work and competing bids from Block's network of contractors.

If you've been thinking about transforming that room you've always wanted to, Block Marketplace makes it easier than ever before. Plus, if money is the only thing standing in your way, Block partners with Acorn Financing for simple, streamlined lending options.

So, whether you just want an initial concept, or to see your vision come to life, Block's Marketplace has got you covered.

Get started on your renovation today and let Block help your renovation dream become a reality!