How to Start a Home Renovation Project
“Where do I start my home renovation?” As a designer, I get that question a lot.
If you are new to home ownership or just ready to make some changes to your existing home, you may find yourself asking that very question. It can seem daunting to face a large renovation project, or even just a number of small projects, with out knowing where to begin.
But it does not have to be as daunting as you might expect. This post will give you the confidence to move forward with your project by helping you:
Define your project’s purpose.
Create a renovation master plan.
Get the correct professionals involved.
Execute the renovation master plan steps in the correct order.
Define Your Purpose
Why are you considering renovation? Taking time to define the “WHY” of your desire to renovate is the first step in understanding how to proceed. You will make design, construction and purchasing decisions differently based on your reason for wanting to renovate your home. Here are some examples of why you may be choosing to renovate:
Resale (now vs. in the future sometime)
Flip (flip and hold vs. flip and sell)
Creating a Luxury Vacation Property (like an Air B&B or VRBO) and Experiential Interiors / Hospitality
Required Maintenance or Disaster Recovery
Making it “your own”. This would include updates, improvements and additions for your own comfort and enjoyment over the time that you own the home.
Future Proofing & Aging In Place
Learn more about all the possibilities in our post “Crafting Extraordinary Living: Elevating Your Home with Customized Interiors”
Create a Renovation Master Plan
Now, I’m not talking about a full set of plans or contract documents here. At this stage, all you need is a general plan that lays out the “WHAT” and a few basic “HOW” details of your project. Before you can move forward with creating and executing a more detailed design plan for your renovation, you need to outline and prioritize your goals, budget and project scope.
If you are working with a design professional, getting more in-depth answers to these items is typically the first step in the process. It is likely that you already have some of this information in mind, but it helps to put it in writing and get agreement from everyone involved before any planning and construction begins.
We’ve put together a Where to Start Your Home Renovation Worksheet for recording your plan. You can download it for FREE at the end of this post.
Home Renovation Goals
Goals are more specific than your purpose. They are the “WHAT” you want to do for your renovation. For example, this could be things like “Update Kitchen in 2019” or “New Lighting in the Great Room before Thanksgiving”. Look to the future vision that you have for your home and come up with a list of high level projects that you think will help you make that dream a reality. Imagine how you want to feel in your space and how you want others to feel when they enjoy your space with you.
Need help with creating a vision for your home? Our post titled “3 Ways to Get Inspired When Dreaming Up Your Modern Home” is a great place to start!
Home Renovation Scope
“Scope” outlines the extent of your project. How big or how small will this renovation be? Which rooms will be renovated?
To start with, you probably have an general idea of how much work needs to be done. The age and state of your home along with the list of goals you have created, will all affect the project scope. Also, the scope of your renovation may be subject to change once you consult with the correct professionals.
Words you might use when defining your scope might include:
Surface remodel
Gut remodel
Just a Refresh
Designed to Completion (including window treatments, furniture, art and finishing touches)
See an examples of a designer led home renovations in our posts The Leo Horton Renovation & The Shire Project.
Home Renovation Budget
Budget is a big determining factor for many home owners. What you put into your home, dollar wise, has to make financial sense. You certainly want to make sure your improvements will give you a positive return on investment.
If you have lived in your home for a while, you may not have an accurate understanding of your home’s value in the current real estate market. I highly recommend bringing in a local real estate professional to discuss the market in your area. They can provide you with comps and the valuation they would give your home if it were to sell. They can also give you an idea of the demographics for buyers in your neighborhood and the types of improvements that attract those specific buyers. Knowing these numbers can help you make more informed decisions about how much to budget for improvements to your home.
My Home Renovation Investment tips:
Put down some broad, ball park figures next to each of your ‘goals’ for how much you THINK it will cost. Then, start to qualify your budget. This will help you determine the feasibility of what elements of your projects are dreams vs. reality. Bring both dreams and reality lists with you when you meet with professionals, however. They may have some tricks to help give you exactly what you want at a cost you can afford.
Getting some initial bids from contractors can help define more realistic budget numbers. This may also mean that things move from the dreams category to the reality category, or vise versa. When you are ready to make a final decision, be sure you have several quotes. The lowest cost may not be the best value.
Be sure to include a minimum 10% contingency fund. The more unknowns you have, the larger the contingency fund should be.
Remember to consider non-construction related factors in your budget as well. These might include renting a storage unit/pod or paying for other living accommodations if you can not stay in your home during parts of the renovation.
Prioritize Your Home Renovation Master Plan
Armed with the above information, you can begin to organize and prioritize your project list. You can do this by space, by cost, or by project type. Use whatever method makes sense for you. This should help you move forward with the next step in project planning - contacting professionals to get more information about their services for completing your projects!
For example, here are a few ways you can group projects:
Needs vs. Wants
All kitchen related tasks
All projects under $100
All lighting projects
DIY vs. Interior Designer & Contractor Involvement Needed
Once you have your prioritized general plan that includes your goals, scope and ballpark budget, then it’s time to consult with a professionals who can help you begin to form a more detailed plan!
“Remodeling your home is uniquely different from building a new one. With remodeling, your home becomes the worksite. You live side by side with the project from start to finish. Once construction begins, you’ll probably long for simple pleasures like a dust-free home or a fully functioning kitchen or bath. But the end result will be well worth these inconveniences.”
Quote Source: How to Live with Your Remodel Project
Get the right professionals involved from the beginning
Your home is one of your biggest investments. A renovation of any type is a contribution to that investment. Having the right professionals involved from the beginning of the project can help you save both time and money. Waiting until problems arise in your project can mean more headaches for everyone involved.
Professionals to involve in your renovation might include an architect, an interior designer, a structural engineer, a landscape designer, a home inspector, a real estate agent, a general contractor, and trade specific sub-contractors. These people are experts in their fields. They can help you make informed decisions based on your specific set of circumstances. They should be able to advise you based on education, experience and up-to-date knowledge of the building industry.
Here are a few resources to help you learn more about building industry professionals:
Case Study
I recently had a client come to me thinking they just needed to paint a room or two in their 1970’s ranch before they could put it on the market. We had to step back and define their “why”, which was adding value to their home in order to sell it for top dollar with the fewest days on the market. They wanted to move to be near their grown children and grandchildren.
To achieve this we couldn’t make renovation decisions based on assumptions of what might attract potential buyers. We consulted with a real estate professional to get a sense what the client needed to update to be competitive in their specific market. The real estate agent, showed the client local comps and provided them an idea of a reasonable dollar figure to spend on those updates. As it turned out, they needed to do a more extensive renovation, especially to the kitchen and master bathroom, to sell for top dollar in their market.
Once we had those parameters in place, we went back and started with more foundational elements than just painting a few rooms. First, the home owner had to ensure that the home was in good repair. This meant addressing some minor interior and exterior issues that were a result of delayed maintenance. Next, we added to and improved the lighting through out the whole house by replacing the original 1970’s lights with more energy efficient and modern style fixtures, as well as adding recessed can lights. Then, we moved to significant surface updates in the existing Master Bathroom and Kitchen, including a new double bathroom vanity and mirrors, new countertops, sinks, backsplash, faucets and hardware. Finally, the majority of the home’s interior received a fresh coat of a more neutral paint color.
By working their plan in the correct order, this client is going to make top dollar on their investment.
Photo Credit: Nicole Pittman
Before
Materials
After
Work your home renovation master plan in the right order.
Stephen Covey’s idea of ‘begin with the end in mind’ is good, but often I find that clients want to begin AT the end. They want help selecting paint colors and other surface finishes, but they have not dealt with the more critical elements of design for their space. We often have to take several steps backwards to address more fundamental design issues before we can move forward with the visual design elements. For example, it would be a travesty to put in all new finishes into a kitchen that is not functional in terms of layout and has old plumbing. See the problem here?
Once you have defined your purpose, and created a general plan, then you can create a more detailed plan to get work done in the right order. This may mean having a professional assessment done by a real estate agent, home inspector, architect, interior designer or a general contractor.
Here are some basic steps of how to order your modern home renovation projects:
Systems
Start with the systems of your home, such the exterior envelope or the HVAC system. Ensure that these are in proper working order before proceeding with other projects. Problems with these elements of your home often lead to bigger issues down the road, like mold or water damage. Also, when adding square footage for a modern home addition, these systems might need to be upgraded to handle the additional loads.
Structural Changes
Next consider if you will be moving, removing or replacing any windows, doors, or walls. Be sure to consult with an architect or structural engineer when dealing with load bearing walls.
Plumbing and Electrical Changes
After that, address the plumbing and electrical. These types of changes often come up with laundry room, bathroom and kitchen projects. Renovation often requires updating plumbing and electrical in a home to provide better efficiency and to meet current codes. Be sure to use qualified, professional trades people to address these changes.
Interior Finishes, Fixtures & Equipment/Appliances
The last thing to be installed are interior finishes, fixtures and equipment. It’s best to have a plan for all of these items in place at the beginning of your project to avoid costly change orders and delays. However, these are some of the last things to be installed and can get lost or damaged if brought onto the job site too early in the renovation process. Finally, don’t forget the functional details like cabinet hardware, door hardware, and bath hardware accessories (towel bars, toilet paper holders, etc).
Finishing Touches
A finished space isn’t usually empty, right? It is filled with all the things that turn a house into a home, like furniture, window treatments, art and decorative objects that represent the people who live there. Like with all the steps before, it’s best to have a plan for the final details from the very beginning of the job.
For example, artwork might be the last thing added to a space, but electrical for the picture lights and the blocking for heavy wall mounted pieces needs to be considered much earlier in the process. Also, it’s important to know the furniture layout when finalizing electrical locations or making sure during framing that the gorgeous leather sectional with motion recliners will be able to fit through the doors, around the corner and up the stairs! To begin with the end in mind, here are 5 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Furniture Design Project.
Not sure what projects will add value and give your home an updated modern look? Check our our post titled “How to Go Modern in Suburbia: 3 Steps to Modernize a Cookie Cutter Home” where you can download our Modern Renovation Checklist with over 50 project ideas.
Are you ready to start?
So now you have a starting point for your renovation! It can be overwhelming to think about big changes to your home, but learning more about the renovation process, starting to establish your budget expectations, prioritizing your action plan and getting the right professionals involved from the beginning can make for a successful and beautiful renovation.
Book a free 15 minute discovery call today and we can talk about how to take your project from ideas and overwhelm to a beautiful space you can enjoy for years to come!
To help you get your thoughts organized, fill out the form below to download our free “Where to Start Your Home Renovation Worksheet”!
