A house is so much more than simply walls and rooms to live in for many of us. It’s a place filled with memories, special moments, and objects and is, well, a home. So when it faces the inevitable wear and tear of the years or even if it needs a drastic redesign, you can opt to remodel your whole home rather than find a new one. With a little bit of resourcefulness, creativity, and inspiration, you can change your home to ensure it fits you in every way possible, leaving you to enjoy the change for decades. When you do the math, most find that the cost to remodel is significantly lower than the cost of moving homes. Statistics show that the pandemic has ushered in a new era of whole home renovations, with people needing to make changes to suit their changing lifestyles and a new reality.
What to Consider When Remodeling Your Home
It’s all too easy to be armed with the best intentions to find that the result falls far short. What seemed like a great idea can be a disastrous afterthought. So to avoid muddling through the process, keep these points in mind before renovating your whole home.
A contemporary home makeover by Owings Brothers. See the Project Details.
The first thing you need to sort is a somewhat surprising one – your mindset. Home remodeling is an extensive project, so mentally prepare for a significant timeframe, effort, organization, budget, creativity, patience, and knowledge. See if the renovations will raise your home’s market value and if the remodeled space justifies the cost. In most cases, the answer is a firm yes. And when you see the results, you’ll be grateful you didn’t settle for a stop-gap solution or allow leaky taps, non-functional spaces, and a design that didn’t work for you anymore to continue as it were. The saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t necessarily apply to your home; even if something isn’t broken, a re-haul or fine-tuning might be precisely what your home needs to transition into the future with you.
A mid-century modern home renovated by Owings Brothers. See the Project Details.
The next step is to have a clear vision of how you want the finished product to look. Scour Pinterest, local shops, and magazines for inspiration for the color, décor, and the look and feel you want. Then see what kinds of materials you want to use. Finally, set a budget.
No one price fits all, as it varies depending on the location, size, structure, and amount of renovation your home requires. When planning your budget, it’s good to have an estimated cost range that includes three figures: A low range, a high range, and an estimated project payback. And irrespective of the final figure, do account for expenses that tend to crop up. It’s generally safe to add 20% to your figure. If you need tips on setting your budget, here’s a handy one. Take your home’s total worth and spend between 3 – 15% of this on each area. Kitchens and bathrooms offer the best yield if you’re planning to sell later, so if you account for 15% on your kitchen and about 3 – 7% on your bathrooms, you could justify the cost easily. You can do the remaining spaces and rooms similarly, but remember, whether you’re looking at a $15,000 or a $100,000 or a $250,000 renovation, it only depends on your individual needs, budget, and personal goals.
The third step is to evaluate your home. List down its pain points as well as its pros. Balancing these factors will better position you to have an honest conversation with your contractor to take things ahead. Some of the points to consider carefully are:
- Where are your rooms and bathrooms currently placed? Do you need these changed or rooms added? This is often one of the most popular reasons to remodel your home.
- Is the lighting in your home fine? Is it designed to make the most of any natural light you get?
- What areas have been giving you trouble?
- Is your stairway easy to access and navigate?
- Is entering your house as well as your gate easy?
- Is your water system done well? What about the septic system?
- Are your other utilities like your electric, plumbing, and heating systems fine? What needs changing?
- Does it make the most of the existing topography? If there are trees near your roof, are the branches damaging it?
- Are the floors and foundation solid? Is there a pest control problem to deal with? Structural issues often come up as a factor to contend with while remodeling.
The above are only some of the points to get you started; as you make your list, you will be able to gauge your unique needs, but in a nutshell, you need to know six crucial aspects thoroughly: Your location, your property, your house, your structure, your palette, and your lifestyle.
Contact Us Today
When it comes to remodeling, you want to make sure you have put in the thought, commitment, and investment that such an enormous project demands. Skipping this planning phase can lead to losses in many areas, including finances, time, and the character of your home. You need to vet your contractor thoroughly before signing them on and look carefully into their credentials and past projects. At Owings Brothers, we take care of all the details necessary to redesign a home that accommodates the needs of your entire family. Contact us today to learn how we can bring this project to life for you.
