A whole house remodel is a serious undertaking that can yield amazing results. Here’s everything you should know to decide if this remodeling project is best for you.
It will take a good amount of time, and as the project is being worked on it will make some or all of your house unusable. It’s not something you want to decide to do on the spur of the moment.
Here’s everything you need to know about a whole house remodel, and how to plan a one for your home.
1. Plan Before Making Any Changes
Many homeowners find that they see something small that needs attention, and start adding more from there.
— The drapes need changing, so why not wallpaper the walls?
— If you’re doing that, why not change the flooring too?
It’s not long before the whole house is in a state of being renovated, and you’re living in a cloud of sawdust and paint fumes.
This isn’t the ideal way to go about it.
Instead, sit down and think hard about what needs to be changed in your home.
— What needs to be changed up, and what can stay as it is?
— What do you want for your home in the long run?
Thinking closely about the problems your home has will show you exactly where you need to be working on it.
2. Getting The Best Price For Your Remodel
A whole house remodel is, of course, going to be one of the most costly things you’ll ever pay for. There’s no denying that it’s worth paying for.
If the work is done well, then you’ll have a home that you can be proud of. However, you don’t want to be spending more money than you need to on your renovation.
To ensure you’re only spending what you need to, make sure that you’re shopping around when you’re looking for contractors. Ask for estimates, and get them in writing.
Compare the prices with other services, and see what each company can offer you for your money.
You can even use an online calculator to get an idea of what you’ll pay for a whole house remodel in your zip code.
It’s not just the contractors that you need to shop around for. Make sure you’re not buying the first fixtures and fittings that you see, too.
You want to look around and see what bargains you can get. Doing your research will save you a lot of money.
3. Decide On a Budget
It’s tempting to dive right into renovating your home, to make it the home you’ve always dreamed of. You want to ensure you’ll be able to afford that renovation though, before you get started.
Think about how much you want to spend, and how much you’ll be able to afford on your home.
This will help you decide which renovations are the most important, and what really needs to be done.
4. Should You Find a Contractor?
There’s a lot of reasons why you may want to go DIY on your whole house remodel. You already have a lot of experience in renovating your home, and you have the time to work renovating your home.
If you feel you can do it to a good standard, then you certainly can work on the renovation yourself.
Many homeowners choose to bring in contractors to do the work for them. After all, they have day jobs and it’s hard to find the time to really concentrate on getting a project done.
If you don’t have the expertise to get the job done, then getting a contractor is often the best move.
If you do choose to use a remodeling contractor, make sure that you’re asking for references when you meet with them.
You want to know that they know what they’re doing.
The best way to find out is to see what their past customers are saying. Reading the multiple testimonials and reviews online is another great way of finding out what they can do.
5. Have A Schedule Drawn Up
When you’re working on having your entire home renovated, you’re going to need a strict schedule in place.
There’s going to be several contractors on site:
— Plumbers
— Carpenters
— Decorators
— Architects
— Many Others
Some won’t be able to do their jobs until others have finished theirs. It’s a complicated procedure, so everyone needs to know where they are.
Having a project manager on board can really help with this. They’ll be able to coordinate all the workers in your home, so everything flows smoothly.
Having that schedule in place will ensure that you won’t have to worry about jobs being left half done, and the whole renovation will finish on time.
6. Plan For The Future
When planning your renovation, you’ll obviously be thinking about what needs to be done now.
What can you do to your home to make it perfect for your family right this moment?
These are important concerns, but you need to think about how your renovations will hold up in the future, too. Your children will grow up, and your needs will change.
Will the house still be what you need it to be in 10 years time? In 20?
Plan for when your family changes. Those children’s bedrooms should be easily converted to guest bedrooms.
That home office could be a den when you retire. Make sure you won’t have wasted space in your home, even years after the renovations have taken place.
7. Be Ready For Unforeseen Events
Renovating reveals a lot about a house. Working on your home may show up issues that you weren’t aware of.
These will incur extra costs and disrupt the renovation of your home.
It’s frustrating when this happens, but it can’t be helped.
When you’re planning your whole house remodel, you’ve got to factor in time and budget to handle issues like these.
If the wiring needs redoing, or the floorboards need to be replaced, you’ll be ready to do it.
Creating a Successful Whole House Remodel
There’s a lot to consider when you’re doing a whole house remodel. If you have the time, the budget and the vision though, you can make it work.
Finding the right contractor for your needs is incredibly important. Can you contractor easily proceed with your vision? Or will you need to utilize multiple contractors for each project?
Follow these tips and you’ll have the home you’ve always dreamed of.