Planning a home remodel should be approached carefully. Whether you’re thinking about purchasing a house that needs renovations or looking to refresh your home of many years, preparation is the key to success.
Our experienced designers have valuable tips and resources to share as you begin your research. Most important of all is to ask yourself (and your remodeling contractor) lots of questions.
What are my potential roadblocks?
Before you consider the vision for your remodel, take a look around your home. Are there any large, expensive items that aren’t working as they should? We’re talking about mold issues, electrical problems, foundation cracks, or an HVAC system on its last leg.
If the bones of your home aren’t good, these things will need to be addressed in addition to or as part of your remodel. Factor the time and cost of these repairs into your budget. In these situations, your best option is to look at Design/Build firms whom can include the cost of the repairs into the overall scope, rather than hiring separate contractors on your own.
What are your drivers for the remodel?
Setting goals is important for achieving success — especially with a remodeling project. Take time to consider what you want out of your project. Obviously, you’re looking for a change, but what exactly does that mean? What can we do to help you improve your day-to-day living?
Invision your home at the end of the remodel:
- What does it look like?
- How does it feel?
- How does it function?
- How does it integrate with your daily life?
- What about it makes your life easier?
If you’re like most people, your goals are probably a mix of cosmetic, functional, and inspirational. As they should be! The best way to achieve your remodeling goal is to take a holistic approach to the design of your project.
What exactly is holistic design?
Holistic design is the practice of creating a space that’s fully in sync with your life today and in the future. Holistic design today takes into account what our clients want to feel when they are in the room, even if the clients are not aware themselves! Great designers are trained to illuminate everything that the space can be for the family now and 5, 10… even 20 years (if it’s their forever home) from now. It also takes into account how they want to express themselves and feel in harmony.
Do you need to do any major construction work?
Big layout and design decisions are best determined in collaboration with an experienced designer. Even so, you will probably have some initial ideas for the general work you want completed. Take some time to think about these ideas and ask yourself the following:
- Will your remodel involve knocking down or adding walls?
- Do you want to rearrange the position of appliances (which may mean moving plumbing and electrical)?
- How many rooms do you want to renovate? A single bathroom? Your kitchen? The entire home?
- How will changing those spaces affect the connected areas of my home?
- Are there any other areas that I haven’t considered, that would count as a significant construction project?
For example, say your goal is a kitchen remodel. One of the changes you want to make is knocking down walls to give your kitchen a more open layout. This type of work doesn’t just affect your kitchen, it changes the entire flow of your home. It’s common for the remodel of one room to inspire a domino effect of other updates. After all, you might not be happy unless your living room has the same look and feel as your brand new kitchen — especially if they open up into one single room.
What can you realistically afford?
Thinking through all these details ahead of time will help you determine the scope of your project, which will in turn affect the cost of the remodel. This is what our design consultants are here for! They can help shed some light on what will need to be done in order to achieve the remodel you desire.
There’s no way of knowing the exact cost of your project until you meet with a design consultant to discuss, outline, and design your remodel, but you likely still have a number in mind you don’t want to exceed. Our biggest piece of advice is to go into a project with a flexible mindset. A good design-build company will work within your budget. But you should keep some wiggle room available to account for unexpected costs along the way, just in case.
Do you have the time?
Working with a trusted and experienced design-build team will ensure the process goes smoothly and puts as little stress as possible on you and your family. However, a remodel is still a big undertaking, and you should consider what that means for your life. So think about things like upcoming vacations, life events, holidays, and work schedules.
You won’t have to manage the project (or the teams) yourself, but you’ll still need to be available during the planning and build out. Once the project starts, you may have to adjust your day-to-day routine to account for construction in your home. Maybe you lose the use of your kitchen for a couple days. Maybe you’re down a bathroom.
Every project is unique. Your design-build team will help you prepare and know what to expect, but part of your planning process should be identifying the best time for you and your family to set off on this remodeling journey.
What’s next? Finding the right design-build company for you and your family!
Your time is valuable and so is the future of your home. Avoid the mistake of jumping into a partnership with a design-build firm without first doing some research.
Asking your design consultant for referrals are a great place to start (make sure you actually do call them!), but there are other ways to ensure you work with the right team.
- Look at online reviews and client testimonials
- Look at the company’s portfolio of work
- Research the company to learn more about their history, awards, warranty, process, etc.
- Schedule a meet-and-greet consultation to get a feel for working together
Beyond basic requirements like proper licenses, an experienced team, and good warranties, a few specific things you should always expect from your design-build company include:
- A lot of time is spent upfront planning your remodel — including great visuals like 3D renderings and Virtual-Reality experiences.
- A strong history of local experience and beautiful results. You may even want to ask for referrals from past clients.
- Excellent customer service and communication. These factors alone will make all the difference during your remodeling experience.
If you’re ready to embark on a home remodeling journey, we’d love to meet with you and get to know your vision. Contact us today for a free consultation and let’s get started!
