Are you gearing up for a home remodeling project this year? Whether you are planning a bathroom remodel, a new kitchen design, or even a major, multi-space remodel, careful planning is essential to ensure your project is a success. Updating your home is equal parts exciting and daunting. As you embark on your journey to create the home living spaces you’ve always wanted, it helps to understand what you need to know before starting your remodel. From establishing your goals to setting a realistic budget and more, our latest blog is the best place to start your remodeling journey!
Step 1: Determine Your Goals and Priorities
Before beginning any project, you must first consider why you are remodeling. It helps to examine what you like and don’t like about your existing space. What are your main goals for updating your home? Make a list, look for inspiration on home design websites or social media profiles, and save your favorite ideas to help you create a vision for your design.
When examining your remodeling goals, you may be primarily focused on updating your home’s functionality by changing the layout, improving storage and workspaces, or enhancing lighting, plumbing fixtures, and more. Perhaps you need more room for your growing family and plan to add on to your home or knock down a wall to create an open floor plan. Maybe you are designing for aging in place, to create a safe space that allows you to remain comfortably in your home. Your key goals may include a style enhancement by updating materials, color scheme, and accessories.
Next, prioritize your key design goals by examining which ones are essential to your design and which are nice to have. This will help you finalize your design, especially if you need to make decisions about what to keep in order to stick to your budget. Make sure you also understand how your remodeling choices will affect your home and benefit your lifestyle over the next 5-10 years and beyond.
Step 2: Understand the Timeline and Stages of Your Project
A remodeling project takes time, especially if this is a more complex project. From planning your project to selecting and ordering materials, obtaining permits, demolition, construction, and the finishing touches, a successful remodel has many key stages that must be completed. Your project’s length will vary depending on the exact scope of the project, your existing space, the materials you select, and any potential issues that could arise, such as delays due to weather. In particular, if you are making any structural changes, revising the layout of your room, or moving appliances around, your project timeline will be longer.
Regular communication with your design team and project manager is essential during the planning stage and throughout the course of the project. This way, you stay informed and clearly understand what to expect and the full timeline for your project. Take note of what will happen at each stage of your project and what impact this will have on family life. Find out what hours your remodeling team will work onsite, where they plan to store tools and materials, and how they manage the mess.
Step 3: Set a Realistic Budget
Before embarking on your remodel, it is essential that you carefully examine and determine your budget. You need to know how much you are able and willing to spend on this project, as this will help guide your decisions around project scope, materials selection, and more. Try to be as realistic as possible when looking at your budget and make sure you understand the full costs that go into your remodel. This includes materials, labor, extra expenses involved in making structural changes, permits, and the finishing touches, like accessories or new furniture.
This helps you get a clear picture of what goes into a remodel. For example, cabinetry typically comprises a significant percentage of a kitchen remodeling project’s materials. If you decide to make changes like moving the sink and plumbing or changing the location of appliances, that will also increase the labor costs for your project. For a major, multi-space remodel, you may also have to factor in temporary storage for your home’s contents and housing if you need to move out for part of the project.
Your remodeling goals and priorities, combined with your budget, will help you finalize the scope of your project and aid in selecting design features and materials. It also helps to work with an experienced design and remodeling firm that can help you clearly understand the full set of costs, provide you with a realistic and transparent budget, and help you stay on budget during your project. Lang’s provides a Good-Better-Best 3-Column Pricing Analysis that outlines clear costs and three options to choose from for your project. Not only does this help your decision-making, but it also aids you in seeking financing for your project.
Step 4: Consider the Cost vs. Your Return on Investment
If you are looking at remodeling multiple spaces in your home, intend to sell your home in the next few years, or just want to understand how your remodel will impact your home’s value, it helps to look at the anticipated cost versus the return on investment (ROI). You could also investigate your local real estate market to see which spaces or design features are most popular and would attract more buyers. Of course, if you are remodeling for your own enjoyment and plan to stay in your home long term, then the most important indicator of value is how the remodel will improve your family’s home life and comfort.
Step 5: Look for the Right Remodeling Professional
For any project scope more than a simple style update, working with a remodeling professional is essential. An experienced designer can help you make the most of your space, find creative design solutions to meet your needs, and help you identify the perfect materials that fit your style, functional, and budgetary requirements. A remodeling team, including an experienced project manager, will make sure your design vision is brought to life exactly as you imagined it and that your project runs smoothly, on schedule, and within budget.
A full-service design-build firm like Lang’s Home Remodeling can manage any project you have in mind, including a complex home addition, multi-space remodel, or internal layout change. Our ability to manage every aspect of your project in house means you don’t have to drive around looking for products or worry about when the electrician will be on site. We will take care of it for you, including obtaining the necessary permits. With our extensive experience throughout Bucks County and beyond, we know exactly what it takes to successfully complete a home remodel in our area.
Make sure your remodeling team has worked on projects similar to your scope and style. You can check out their recent work by browsing their website gallery or social media pages. It also helps to ask for local referrals or check out your chosen design firm’s reviews. By working with an experienced team you can trust, your project will be completed on time and according to your budget, and you will avoid the stress while your team makes sure your project runs smoothly.
Step 6: Find the Perfect Materials for Your Remodel
Once you understand your design scope and budget, the next step is to select all the materials that will bring your design vision to life. This can be an overwhelming process since there are so many options available in a wide range of styles and price points. Your chosen products can also influence your project’s timeline, since materials need to be in place before work can commence.
With a full-service design firm that has an extensive showroom with product samples, this process is much simpler. Your designer can talk you through the options and show you samples and how they work together to create a cohesive style, letting you visualize the finished space. An experienced designer will also help you understand the differences in quality, durability, and long-term maintenance needs to help you find the products that best fit your requirements. Make sure you are not just happy with the look of your preferred materials, but also willing to keep up with any maintenance needs.
Step 7: Prepare Your Home and Family for Living During a Remodel
With your design in place, materials selected, and a trusted remodeling partner by your side, you are ready to kick off your project! First, make sure you understand exactly what will happen at each stage of your project and how this will impact your home life. Setting clear expectations for the entire household helps to make sure everyone can live comfortably and safely during the remodeling process.
Make sure you understand the impact of each stage, including noise levels, which parts of the home will be impacted, when water or electricity needs to be turned off, and how mess and dust will be managed. Then consider how best to manage everyone’s needs safely and comfortably, including children, pets, and anyone who works from home. Depending on the scope of your project and your personal preferences, you may decide to stay in your home throughout the remodel or to move out for all or part of it.
Make a plan for storing and protecting your home’s contents in areas where the work is taking place. Ask your contractor where they will store tools and materials during the project. Discuss with them the procedures for allowing access to your home for all individuals working on the project. If you will be away during any part of the project, you may want to invest in a lockbox so the key to your house can be accessible to your remodeling team.
Ready to Start Planning Your Home Remodel?
Do you want to make sure your home remodeling project is a complete success? A remodel is an investment in your home and lifestyle, so it pays to plan carefully to make sure you get the best value out of your remodel. Set clear goals, establish a budget, and take time to understand what factors influence your costs and the return on your investment. Partner with an experienced and professional team who can help you every step of the way and make sure your design vision becomes a reality and matches your expectations.
While this can be an overwhelming process, it is also highly rewarding. The end result is a home that better meets your family’s needs and enhances your home life. Ready to get started? Contact our team to learn more about our services and to start planning your home remodel!