I love the whole process of remodeling. In my years as an Interior Designer working with contractors, I have learned some tips for remodeling that I use all of the time now. I find these tips work so well that even when running a remodeling project on my own home, I make sure to use them to ensure it is a success.
# 1. Have a budget, then add 10-20% for contingencies. This is two fold: knowing how much you can afford helps define how much you can remodel. You also need to be aware of what is happening in your neighborhood. Unless you are living out the rest of your days in your home, it’s good to know your neighboring property values. You don’t want to sink too much into your home, never to see a penny back when you go to sell.
The contingency is for the unexpected. When you tear into a wall and find plumbing, electrical, etc.…problems or your installation costs are higher than expected. I don’t think I have worked on a project yet that hasn’t had a little surprise for me. I’m always happy I have preplanned for the unexpected!
# 2. Have a plan. Once you know what your budget is, you can start the planning process. If your budget is low, this might lead you to repaint cabinets, and replace flooring with a moderately priced material. I’m not saying if you have unlimited budget and to scrap everything, though. If the bones of something work, just not in it’s original color, by all means paint/stain it for an update. I’m all about rehabbing when you can!
# 3. Research. This is an ongoing process. You might actually have to do a bit of this BEFORE you budget to see if the remodel is even worth starting. Say you know you want a new kitchen, but after pricing new cabinets, flooring, countertop, lighting and appliances it is not realistic. Maybe you need to scale back or plan it in stages?
When you are researching materials and pricing, make sure to ask for a large sample of your desired finishes. When ever you are looking at other materials, make sure to have those samples with you. This will help you see right away if something works together or not. Finally, look at your finishes in the space where they will be installed. Some times samples look extremely different in different types of lighting. By looking at your materials in the space, you are able to see what the actual color of the finishes.
# 4. Hire professionals if necessary. Just because you can research something online and figure out how to do it, doesn’t mean you should. Go ahead and get pricing from designers, contractors and subcontractors. You might be surprised what they charge. I have found at times, I am able to save money by hiring a General Contractor (GC). They get special pricing from their subs, because the subs know that they will get another call from the GC and want him to keep calling, thus the better pricing.
On this same topic. Hiring an Interior Designer can also save you money. With their expertise, they know what materials and colors work together in different applications. For example: I have seen people have to completely repaint a room, because the color didn’t represent itself well on the 2 inch paint swatch. That is a huge waste of paint, time and money. Most designers have access to large samples, which helps give clients a more accurate vision of how paint, flooring, fabrics work in your space.
# 5. Get multiple bids. This ties into #4. You may be able to hire someone to do the job less expensively than you can do it yourself. If you plan on hiring it out, getting multiple bids allows you to see a realistic price. Most of the bids will fall within the same range. If one bid is substantially lower, this should be a red flag. Their bid may not be complete, or they may not have enough experience.
# 6. Figure out a time line, then double it! It never fails, once I get a project lined up and scheduled, the (insert trades person here) fails to show up at the agreed upon time. These push backs end up delaying everyone. If you are DIYing, you may run into unforeseen problems that will delay you.
# 7. Keep all your plans, permits, bids, and invoices in one binder/location (preferably on the jobsite). You will need access to all of these. I find having a plan set that does not leave the site, helps me and trades communicate better. If I have a question or a clarification, I pull the plans out and we draw on them, or point out potential problems.
On that same note, I keep a binder with all of my samples onsite. So when a material comes in for installation, the subcontractors know to reference this binder to ensure that they are installing the correct product. Mistakes happen, stores ship the wrong item. Don’t let mistakes like this delay your project.
# 8. Don’t pay everything upfront. You need leverage with subcontractors/contractors. It would be a huge red flag for me if they required 100% up front. You have no leverage if you pay them 100%. If you pay in incremental amounts, this gives you the ability to hold further payments, until the job has progressed appropriately. Make sure to hold the final 10% until the punch list items have been completed. Having an agreed upon payment schedule ahead of time will be in your favor. Trust me on this one.
# 9. Make a punch list. This is a tool that we in the trade use to list all of the issues we see that still need to be resolved. Go through your project and make a written note of rooms/locations where there are issues that still need repair. A good technique is to use painters tape to mark the problems as you go along. The tape provides a clear visual reference for your tradesmen of what needs to be fixed.
# 10. Enjoy your space, but store some extra material. Sock away some extra paint, tile, carpet and whatever else you used. You will be happy you did when you to do paint touch ups, or replace a broken tile. It never fails, when you break a tile, it is either discontinued or enough of a color variance to be noticeable.
As we continue our current remodel, I have found all of these remodeling tips to be extremely helpful. For those of you who have redone areas in your home, are there tips for remodeling that have helped you greatly?
While I can assure you that I am not remodelling any time really soon, this is a fantastic list that I know that are speaking from experience. I would have to skip two and three since I honestly wouldn’t be remodelling myself!
Thanks Ruth! It’s always good to know when to bring in the professionals! 🙂
We are currently renovating our Art Deco home. As most New Zealand homes are wooden framed we have run into extra costs with this concrete construction. Your suggestion to have a budget and then add 10-20% is good advice!
We saved money on our new kitchen by choosing our granite worktop from mistakes the factory had made on larger orders. We were able to get the granite recut to our needs and SAVED HEAPS.
Great post! 🙂
We are working with concrete construction right now. Those unexpected costs really add up. Are you documenting your renovation process? It’s so much fun to look through all of those pictures when you are done. It really makes you appreciate all of the hard work! So great you were able to find the granite at such a great price!
One day I am going to need this list and I can tell you I am dreading that day,lol
Thank you for sharing, most of it you have in your head but if it comes to remodeling time, you forget about it and make mistakes,lol
Not to self: print it out…
Ha! Living through a remodel is never easy! Having your plan out on paper definitely helps keep up with all of the details during construction.
Thanks for the list. We thought about remodeling our guest bath and perhaps the kitchen. I think we’ve decided just to put it off because we want a larger home at some point. Still, I could use these tips should we decide to go ahead and change things up here.
It’s always a good thing to weigh your options. You could always do a “light” remodel that would allow you to enjoy and it would help sell your home when the time comes. 😉
I really appreciated your post. Very helpful for us if we ever plan to remodel. Many blessings to you!
Thanks Brian!
Great list! I would add to maybe even bump up your unexpected expenses budget by more than 20%. Also, on the time contingencies, if you have a general contractor, make sure to ask what type of time contingencies they have already built in.
And along the lines of getting multiple bids, make sure you get reviews or recommendations on the contractor (or tradesmen) that you hire.
Sarah, thanks for the additional thoughts!
I love all of these tips! We are looking to buy a fixer upper and I know a lot of this will come in handy.
Thanks!
Tiffany
Keep me updated on your potential fixer. I love that stuff!
I think the best part of this list is all the areas that you allow for flexibility. I think that is the greatest thing to remember, that you will go over budget a bit, so plan for it, that you will have issues and won’t finish on time, so plan for it. That is great advice- thanks!
You’re right…plan to expect the unexpected. Thanks!
We have never done any remodeling before, but I have to say, the idea of it scares me a little! It always seems to go over budget and take way longer than you planned (which I why I like that you included that in your list!). One day we would like to redo our kitchen a little bit..nothing major…and our bathroom, if possible. I’ll keep your list handy for whenever that day comes 🙂
I’m glad you found some good info! I always have hope when starting a project that it will be on budget & will complete on time, but have found that it’s sometimes best to prepare for the worst!
Nice! I bookmarked this. Lots of great information. I live in a 93 year old house. It’s only a matter of time before this information becomes relevant in my world.
I love old houses…they have so much character that you just don’t get in the new spec homes! Thanks for stopping by!
These are fabulous tips! I will bookmark this for next year when I hope to buy a new house!! I absolutely LOVE the framed art you put in your daughter’s room!!
Thanks Yolanda! I always try to find unique items for decoration. I came across the prints on etsy. Love that site!
You have really done your homework! This is a great resource for anyone about to begin on a remodel project. We did just finish our basement and I can relate to your advice to take color swatches to the place where you will use them. We took colors with us to the carpet store to match but when it was put in it wasn’t quite as close as I thought. We still love it but will be more careful next time! Thanks for your informative post! See you at BYOB 2014!
Thanks Sandra!
Great tips! i always remodel without a plan and it s always such a headache.
Thanks Martini!
Many of us dread remodeling because there is so much involved as you aptly describe in your wonderful tips. I especially like #6, “Figure out a timeline, then double it”. Most of us can relate to the unexpected popping up. It seems like it never fails. Thanks for the wonderful tips.
For those who may be overwhelmed, that is where hiring a general contractor or Interior Designer can be beneficial. 😉
These are great helps. We keep wanting to do something with the kitchen but cannot afford much. I think we will look at just painting the cabinets and putting on new handles to start. We do other things as we can afford them but I think a new cabinet color will make it look fresh and clean for now. Thank you for your suggestions.
Peggy, you would be amazed how much paint transforms cabinets! That will feel like a huge update. Keep an eye out at your local Habitat for Humanity Restore. Sometimes you can find great cabinets that you can make work in your space. Same for Craigslist. Good luck with your Reno!
I have never done any remodeling. But the tips about adding a percentage to the costs for emergencies and expecting that it could take a lot longer than you think and allowing for that. Then you have less disappointments.
Right, Norma! It’s always good to prepared for the worst & have a happy surprise if all the planets align & you don’t run into problems!
I love the timeline tip- few people would expect to double their expected timeline, but it is almost always necessary!
Especially if you are doing it yourself, ha ha!
I will definitely keep this in mind when I do my next re-model. Thank you for all the detail!
Thanks Lynnette!
I wish i had a budget period to do some remodelling… i am praying for paint to get my kitchen looking half decent… but ugh…
i love the list though… i just cant go past step one yet lol!!!
Just start with baby steps! You will have a chance soon enough to do some remodeling. Enjoy the fact you can do a great planning job. 😉
FYI, you may want to register with some paint companies. I have seen several companies offering free quarts of paint in the last couple of months. You may be able to do it in stages this way. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this list! It’s nice to have it to help me remember all the things that go into remodeling because I’m pretty good at only thinking about parts of it.
Glad you found it helpful, Britney!
What a great, comprehensive list. We are not fixer-uppers by any stretch of the imagination, so I can’t even imagine trying to do a remodel. We have done a few projects on our hope and these are excellent tips. In the light of getting multiple bids, also shop around. We are working on redoing our kitchen floor due to a refrigerator leak ruining the vinyl. We don’t have a lot of options around, but the store we were “set” on kept giving us higher prices. I asked for a “ballpark” figure and got one number, returned samples (that we tried out at home) and she gave me another higher “ballpark” figure, the final quote was the highest, and it included items I specifically told her we didn’t need. The next day I went to our other flooring store, and they were able to give me a lower quote on the same tile. Sigh!
You’re right, it pays to shop around.
You would also be surprised how much I, as a designer can save, which I pass onto my clients. Most people thing hiring an Interior Designer will cost too much, but sometimes we can pass on savings and also keep you from making other mistakes. ;-). In the long run it could potentially be a cost savings or at least a wash.
Good luck with your new flooring. Enjoy!
Great list. We have done several things to our house over the years. For some we hired help (hardwood floors throughout house and tile in the bathroom). For everything else my husband has proven pretty handy. I have underestimated his talents many times, but he always comes through. It is a good idea to know your limits though.
It’s great that you have a handy husband. That is a huge labor savings!
I dream of owning a home someday. And when I do, this list will be so helpful! Thanks for the great tips!
Make sure to keep an idea file. When you go to redo your own space, it will give you a sense of your style.
Well the problem is # 1 – the budget! LOL
Thanks for the post. We’ll keep these things in mind when we do remodel! They’re very practical yet useful tips! 🙂
Thanks!
OMG, I love your information. I watch this show on HGTV, Love It, List It. even though it is a little exaggerated, the homeowners always have some grandiose project they want the interior designer to do, then then get mad when she runs into problems and have to cut a portion of the project because they (the homeowners) do not have enough money to complete everything on the list. This is a lesson for everyone. Also I have seen a few stories from my local news of people who get liens on their property because the contractor (not the client) cannot pay for what they owe. It happened to my parents once, so research the contractor too.
Yes, contractors lack of ethics can bite homeowners in the rear. You are absolutely right. Ideally you get referrals from people who have used them in the past.
I have a love/hate relationship of the Love it or List it show. Yes, there are time when unexpected items can eat into your budget, but the lack of creativity to help the homeowners obtain as much as they can drives me nuts. You would be amazed how much a little paint can do…or even using a more affordable material, so one room doesn’t eat into the rest of the budget. I know it’s all for drama, but I think that show could potentially scare people from ever remodeling anything, for fear of what they might find.
Unfortunately, we’re not homeowners yet, but when we do buy a house we know we want to add some personal touches, so I will definitely use these tips!
Thanks Emilee!
This is a great list for me. I am starting to enter the redesign phase of our home and my husband and I want to make sure we get the quality of work we want at a fair price and its done correctly. We have done some minor work and have been happy but now that we are entering more of the major changes, your post could not have come at a better time.
Great! I’m glad to hear it might be of use to you.
The thought of remodeling anything makes me just want to sell our house and buy a new one LOL I would love to remodel our kitchen at some point, but I know it will be a huge undertaking… then I start thinking “maybe our kitchen isn’t so bad just the way it is.”
Jamie, I would live with it for as long as you are happy with it. When you are so tiered of your kitchen & ready to remodel, then it’s not so painful! Ha!
This list is great! We actually remodeled our kitchen a few months ago and I couldn’t agree more with #1. No matter what you budget, there always are things here and there that you don’t plan for that will need to be factored in. Also, our remodeling timeline was definitely stretched out…we were told a week for kitchen cabinets and then figured the entire kitchen would be done in a month. But it took 6 WHOLE MONTHS to complete the whole thing, after shopping around and finding vendors…such a painful process!!
Ana, I bet you are happy to be done! That was a huge extension!
Planning on eventually finish/remodel our basement and these were some very informative tips. I will keep this in mind. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks. Good luck with your future remodel!
Thanks for sharing! I want to remodel but it’s not within the budget at the present. However, we are tackling smaller projects until we tackle the larger ones.
Relaxed Thairapy
Just think, you will have all the little stuff done…a few less things to do during your bigger project! Good luck!
This is great info! My us and and I will be building our house in a few years! We are going to be our own GC! I will show this article to my hubby! Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
I hope your build goes well! How exciting. 🙂
Great tips for home owners. It’s important for them to understand the process and logistics of remodeling their home. I try to stay as transparent as possible about these kind of projects with my clients.
Whitney
Absolutely Whitney. The more they are prepared, the happier they are as clients. 😉
I hope I am able to find a place that doesn’t require remodeling. I was born in the generation of minimalism and pre-creation. I much prefer to have it perfect before I get there. 😉
It’s always good to know that you DON’T want to remodel! 😉