A whole house remodel is a big decision – and investment – so getting it right can be a major concern. Whatever your reason for remodeling, there is a ton of options for updating and altering your existing space.
Many whole house remodels come out of a family’s desire for more space. Often, the current layout doesn’t quite fit their needs. We’ve also had numerous projects that started as one-room remodels that ended up spilling into other parts of the house. Frequently, older homes with multiple small rooms are opened up and fixtures, appliances, flooring, and cabinets are updated to reflect today’s aesthetics.
What to Do First When Remodeling a House
There’s plenty of upside to doing a whole house remodel, including getting everything accomplished at the same time. Still, when faced with such a large undertaking, it can be difficult to know just what to do first. Any remodel, no matter how extensive, should enhance your home’s comfort and functionality and increase its value. The best place to start? Creating a plan.
Planning Your House Remodel
A whole house remodel has numerous, sometimes seemingly disparate, features to consider, each requiring detailed planning. Too often, there’s a tendency to dive right in without considering whether all the elements will come together in a cohesive, attractive, and functional way. Everything you’d like to change or add should be carefully researched and discussed. To cover every component in depth would take multiple posts, but here are some of the major considerations that should be included in your overall remodeling plan.
What’s Your Vision? Everyone has a vision of their “perfect home.” Look through magazines, visit home improvement stores, start a Houzz Ideabook, and use Pinterest boards for inspiration. Then consider whether all your ideas will work in your home’s current layout and stay within your budget. Write down your top five must haves.
What’s Your Size? How extensive will your remodel be? Will it be two, three, or more rooms? Will you be adding an addition or second floor? Are you okay working with the square footage you already have if it will accommodate your top priorities? If you’ll be adding on, make sure you know what permits you need, or if there are local covenants to take into account.
What’s Your Style? Every client we work with has a unique personal style. It’s important to have your home reflect the design you have in mind, but think about picking elements that will also stand the test of time. There’s a difference between trends and being trendy, so try to avoid choosing elements that will need updating three to five years from now. With so many styles available to choose from – including traditional, modern, eclectic, rustic, or industrial – once you land on what’s right for you, use it as the foundation for designing the rest of the house.
What’s Your Budget? The sky may be the limit when talking about a whole house remodel, but few people have unlimited funds to work with. Many factors will influence your bottom line:
- Size of the remodel
- Design elements
- Extent of demolition
- Customization
- Fixtures and furnishings
And much, much more. It helps to start with a figure that represents how much you’re willing to invest. If you discover your dream remodel is larger than your budget, you can scale back your wants, or delay part of the project until a later date.
Looking Forward. If you’ll be putting off some part of the project, plan now for those future phases. Think about things like duct work, electrical, and plumbing changes or needs. Even smaller details, like placement of electrical outlets should be thought about. Now is also the time to think about how you’ll use your home as you grow older. Aging in place, or universal design remodeling is worth considering, as it allows you to accommodate your family’s lifestyle now and in the future.
Learn More
Obviously, there are a lot of steps and a great deal of planning that goes into any remodeling project. At Foley Development Group, we can help walk you through each of these steps on the way to making your dream space a reality. We offer a personal, hands-on approach to design build that helps your remodeling project run smoothly and quickly. We invite you to view some of our work and then contact us to schedule a conversation. We look forward to meeting you!