Preparing for a Whole House Remodel in the New Year?
Maybe you’ve been thinking about this for years and now it’s finally time to get started. Or perhaps you just moved into a new home where you love the neighborhood and lot but knew that you would be doing major renovations before moving in to make the house perfect for you and your family. Either way, good planning and preparing are key to a good remodel. Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin to explore your whole house remodel.
1. Have a plan for paying for your remodel
Whether you will be financing your project or paying out of pocket, have realistic expectations for the budget for your project and a plan for how to pay for it. There are so many items that go into the budget including various design considerations, labor, materials, and so much more that realistic expectations must be set up front for a successful project that includes all of the “must-haves” that you want.
2. Take into account resale value with your remodel
Think about not only what you’re investing and what that return on investment looks like but also how sellable your home is based on your remodeling choices. Think about not only how you will use this home, but how your choices may transfer to someone buying your home down the road.
3. Develop a good plan for communicating with your remodeler
A good remodeler will typically have a tried and true process in place for how communication will play out during your remodel. Consistent communication is absolutely critical to the success of your project. Changes will no doubt arise throughout the process so staying in close communication is key to not holding things up or worse yet having to do things over.
4. Consider permit and zoning timeframes
When you’re thinking about timing for your project, be sure to include getting building permits in that equation. Building permits take notoriously long to get approved. Permits for large-scale renovations can take weeks and even months. A good remodeler will know best how to turn in drawings and documentation that ensure the most efficient and quickest turnaround but still expect this part of the process to potentially be lengthy.
5. Take safety and cleanliness seriously
A big remodel like a whole-house renovation is going to be messy and disruptive to your day-to-day life. Taking certain measures beforehand can help alleviate some of this though. De-cluttering, before the project begins, can make covering up all of your belongings a little bit more streamlined. Certainly be sure to remove any important or expensive keepsakes so that they don’t get damaged during the process. Think about areas of the home that you will need to get to during construction and develop a plan to safely be able to reach those areas.