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Getting out of bed in the morning on a cold winter’s day to make a cup of coffee can feel like a daunting task let alone thinking about remodeling your entire house. There are a lot of things to take care of and think about thoughtfully like the budget, where to start with the remodel, how to get contractors on board while doing your day-to-day tasks. It can get quite hectic at times. We will help you with your mission of whole home remodel where to start with your home remodel and how to approach this entire idea.
Whole home remodel: Where to start
There are a lot of things to do and think of when it comes to whole home remodel where to start can be one of the biggest problem solvers. Okay, so the best thing is to understand what will work for you.
Allocating tasks
If you’re a DIY enthusiast or know the things you can do, then try to separate those tasks. See what work you can do and what work needs to be outsourced to a contractor. This will help you give a layout of things that needs to be done. It’s a great way to get you to start thinking about remodeling your home.
Allocating budget
Once you have understood what work can be done by yourself and what work you need to hire a contractor for, simply start to budget for things. You might come across contractors giving a free evaluation of your home. This can be a great starting place as you’ll come to know what things need to be paid attention too like flooring, roofing, tiling, kitchen countertops, and more. It is also important to find out which contractor will get the work done efficiently. Efficient contractors might seem expensive at first, but in general, the amount of time they take to fix or remodel might be less than what other contractors would take. This can lead to savings in the thousands.
Decide the style of the house
As we mentioned before when it comes to whole home remodel where to start is as important as any other step. Once that is cleared and the budget set, think about how you want to have the remodeling done. Are you looking for a more traditional look or a modern sleek design? Rooms can add to creativity and levels of happiness and therefore it becomes highly important to use the right shapes, designs, and colors to boost productivity, calmness, and more.
Interior designers have an eye for designs and hiring one to implement your ideas with your personality can make a lot of difference when walking around your remodeled home. We do recommend hiring an interior designer however if the budget is tight it is always great to get a few suggestions from your friends and family instead.
Get permits
Of course, it goes without saying that there are permits needed if you’re looking to remodel your home. Whole home remodel where to start with finding out permits, can seem like a daunting task but it’s not that difficult. Start by calling your local city offices to find out what permits you require. You need to be as detailed with your description because not everything in home remodels requires a permit. Works like painting, flooring, and more can be carried out without getting a permit.
Project management
This is absolutely important, just as much as a whole home remodel where to start and allocating resources. Project management would require you to set deadlines for tasks. This will be used as a benchmark to ensure that this whole home remodel goes according to plan.
You can always show your plan and timeline to the hired contractor to get their opinion on board as well. This will help you come up with a realistic timeline that both of you can work on.
Get Started
Whole home remodel where to start can be important however taking the first step is the most crucial. Commencing with your whole home remodel will require commitment, time, and energy and therefore many would be afraid to take that first step. But do note that you’re not in this alone. Your contractor, friends, and family are there to see this project to the end hence starting with a relaxed mindset can have you doing wonders.
Tips on whole home remodel where to start and more
Whole home remodel where to start, allocating resources and more can sometimes take a toll on an individual as this is no simple task. We’ve got some tips for you that can improve the whole home remodel where to start, what to look out for, and more.
Allocate for extra time
You may have set a deadline to have works completed, but if you feel like pushing work to get it done within the deadline can affect the quality of work then extend your deadline by a few days. This will ensure that you get the work done without compromising on the quality. It is understandable that if this is your first home remodel, then taking things a bit slow to understand everything can help a lot. You can pick up skills, learn the dos and don’ts and go on to help others in the future. Don’t stress out too much if you’re not making it to the deadline but ensure whatever work done is of the highest quality.
Research
Yes, research is highly important. Contractors will give you figures on the high end as all businesses do however it will be your headache to negotiate and bring the rates down. For negotiation, you need to do your homework and find out what the market rates are for certain things, what other contractors are charging, and how lengthy the work is. The more research you do, the more it will help you in remodeling your home.
Never hire the first contractor that comes to your door. You will never know what others are charging and what expertise other contractors bring. Perhaps other contractors might be a bit more expensive but they would also be more efficient. Certain cheap contractors will end up delaying projects due to inefficiencies which can later affect the entire cost of the home remodel.
Do your budgeting right
This is the most important part. Budgeting can help you with decision making. Instead of going overboard with your budget when buying the new tiles, you can easily see how much you can afford on tiles with your budget in place. However, sometimes budgets can go above and beyond the set amount and that is perfectly fine. Hence, having realistic budgets with space for some movement can help you stay within the budget. The figure used by many accountants is 10% which means that the realistic budgets are overestimated by 10% to account for unexpected expenses.
Invest in a good kitchen
It is always great to invest in a room where most of the activity takes place and for us, that is the kitchen. Many would want to invest in modernizing their living room or spending too much on a luxurious bath in the bathroom. Everyone has their own preferences and committing to that can be a great DIY for this home remodel. You’d find yourself involved more in a particular room and keep a higher budget for that room when compared to other living spaces.
For us, the kitchen is the most used, and having a kitchen that caters to everything can be a huge sigh of relief for years to come. Having a new stove, sliding cabinets for space, double door fridge, seating arrangement for the family, and more can have you set for years. We find that the kitchen is the place where renovation is mostly needed. Look to your family requirements and renovate accordingly.
Whole home remodel where to start with costing
Costing is definitely an important aspect of buying or investing in something. In this case, it is necessary to do your costings to estimate your budget for a whole home remodel. The cost of remodeling can vary according to where you live and what your housing needs are. It will vary according to the type of modeling you’re willing to do.
If you’re looking to remodel your home to the bare minimum meaning getting the interior and exterior painting done, landscaping, flooring, and baseboards can set you back anywhere between $20,000 to $50,000.
If you’re looking to renovate certain rooms with a quality remodel work, countertops, cabinets, and accessories can cost you around $100,000. This can include remodeling your kitchen completely and also adding a bit of style to a washroom.
If you’re looking to renovate everything in the home from the plumbing to electricals, from the kitchen to the master bedroom, and from the flooring to the roofing, it will be a high-cost renovation and can cost up to $250,000 and even more depending on what you want in your home remodel.
Now that we have discussed the whole home remodel where to start, how to allocate resources, and more, let’s talk about whether or not this is a DIY project.
Whole home remodel: Is it a DIY project?
You may have seen tons of DIY home remodel projects where it’s a timelapse of a person with wood planks and tools. After 10 minutes, the house is all set up, interior decorations are done and you’re inspired to go to your nearest hardware store, pick up the tools, and get dirty. All of this might look nice, however, do note that these people who take on home remodel as a DIY project have a lot of experience and get help from people around them.
Home remodeling can be a DIY project for you too if you’ve got the time, energy, and commitment to see this project through. You would need to go through a couple of videos and jot down your entire remodeling plan and the things you may need to buy. Home remodel if done by oneself can save you thousands of dollars however it requires commitment and time. If you’ve got both on your hands, then yes a whole home remodel is a DIY project.
You can easily learn every aspect of home remodeling by watching videos. You’d be surprised how much DIY content in terms of home remodeling you will find on YouTube. You will find many getting scraps and materials from the local junkyard to save on costs. Since you’re considering doing this as a DIY, then we are assuming cost savings is something of a priority. Hence, getting scraps and materials for free from here and there (family friends, local junkyards, and more) can save you quite a bit of money.
Many also have concerns about whether or not it is cheaper to renovate your house or simply build a new one. Let’s look at this debate logically.
Renovation or building new: Which is cheaper?
The argument of which is cheaper, renovating, or completely building a new house depends on your house, location, and the level of renovation required. It all depends on the renovation you want to conduct.
Renovating a room or two can easily be done and instead of building a new home, simply renovating those rooms is a good option. However, if you’re looking to change the plumbing, electricals, and a couple of rooms then this can set you back a couple hundred thousand dollars. Add flooring and painting of the house with a few backyard works, then getting a new house doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
The price of houses depends on the location you live in or want to live in. If renovating your home is more expensive than the houses in your vicinity then consider buying a new home. But if the new home is way too expensive, then renovating can be your only option.
You can also consider renovating a few things at a time for example one month when you save some money, try to get the interior painting done. Break your tasks according to your wallet.
