A Whole House Remodel Game Plan (That Might Just Save Your Sanity)

Buying a home is an exciting step that can transform your life! Finding the perfect home for you and your family can be challenging. Maybe you have found the ideal location, but the house doesn't meet your family's needs. Sometimes, it may make sense to remodel your existing home rather than move, or if you are considering selling, updating can attract the best possible offer. Whatever the reason, a whole house remodel can transform your home into the one you've been dreaming of!

A whole house remodel is a challenging and exciting process that can be intimidating. A remodel is a large project with many moving parts that require a qualified contractor and a solid game plan. The payoff for a remodel can be huge. Whatever the reason, the prep work is the same. You must take some necessary steps: budgeting, planning, and choosing the right contractor.

This post will lay out a whole house remodeling game plan that can get the job done and protect your sanity throughout the process.

Planning a Whole House Remodel

Planning a whole house remodeling project can be challenging, but taking the time before you begin can make the process run smoothly. The first step in the process is having a vision of the end result. Remodeling for resale differs slightly from remodeling to meet your family's unique needs.

Before you begin the process, it can help to talk to and get opinions from your family, designers, architects, contractors, real estate agents, and other remodeling professionals. You need to discuss the details with your family to ensure that the design meets your needs now and in the future. After all, you will spend significant money and time on the project.

Is your family growing, and do you need another bedroom? Do you need two home offices? Are you a gourmet cook who loves to entertain? The best design starts with closely examining your needs and wants before you set a realistic budget.

Setting A Budget and Funding Your Project

Once you have a general idea of the scope of your project, you can begin to develop a preliminary budget. This step becomes more refined as you go through the process and partner with a design-build firm or contractor. In the meantime, no matter you'll need to put funds together. Many homeowners may not have the liquid cash for a whole home remodel. The good news is that you have a range of potential funding resources that you can mix to find a funding solution. They include:

Cash – Cash is liquid, carries no interest cost, and doesn't need to be paid back.

Home Equity Line/Loan – A home equity loan or line of credit is a secured loan that uses your house as collateral for the loan. Borrowing against your equity has the advantage of a lower interest rate since it is a secured loan.

Credit Cards – Because credit cards often have a lower borrowing limit and high interest rates, they are a less than ideal funding source. But they can be used to buy specific materials like cabinets, fixtures, or lighting.

Home Improvement Program Loans – HIP loans are government-subsidized loans that can be used to help rehab structures or correct code violations. These loans can cover core projects like roofing and siding and can not be used for projects like a new deck, hot tub, or swimming pool.

The Next Step: Partnering With the Right Professional

For most projects, the best option is finding and partnering with a remodeling professional. If you have some basic home improvement skills, there are some projects you can do to help lower your project costs. However, choosing and hiring a remodeling professional is an important step.

A professional design-build firm can help you develop your floor plan, pull the necessary permits, determine if walls are structural or cosmetic and easy to remove, require, and re-plumb, and will have the resources and subcontractors to handle every aspect of a whole house remodel.

View Our Whole House Remodeling Projects

If you have some remodeling experience, there are some projects you can help with to potentially lower your costs, like demolition, clean-up, and painting. However, most projects will require an experienced professional.

As you can see, a professional is a must. One of the best ways to find a professional is through someone who recommends them based on personal experience. You can also search online, read reviews, speak with your real estate agent, and talk to your neighbors.

The contractor will handle all the logistics for your remodel, including finding and scheduling the necessary subcontractors, purchasing and arranging materials deliveries, permitting, meeting inspectors, and much more.

Your contractor is there to work for you. So it's best to find someone you can trust that communicates well. Have several ways to communicate, including phone, email, and text. They should be readily available if you have questions. When they have a question, make sure you can get back to them immediately.

Details Of The Home Remodeling Process

You've gathered ideas and have a general vision for your project, developed a preliminary budget and secured financing, and selected a design-build professional. At this point, the remodeling process begins. Once you've gone through the onboarding process, signing a contract and taking a pre-job walkthrough with your team, here are the next steps for your project:

• Your design-build team will meet with you and begin to develop a design, final budget, and timeline for your project. There's a lot more to this process. Learn about it here.

• You'll need to remove fragile items and clear out work areas. Your professional will block off any areas not being worked on, including installing zip walls and putting work areas under negative pressure by closing vents and installing a special fan to keep your home clean while under construction.

• Next comes demolition.

• Once the space is prepped, rough work (framing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical) begins.

• Your lead carpenter will ensure everything is done according to the plans. If you have any concerns about how your design is in real life, this is a great time to mention it, just in case it needs to be tweaked.

• Depending on your local building department, there will be a first inspection with local building inspectors.

• Insulation is installed. Walls are closed up, drywalled, taped, textured, and painted.

• Finishes are installed, including carpentry, trim, new doors, windows, cabinets, flooring, and lighting.

• Countertops are installed.

• The tile is installed.

• All trim and finish work is completed. Including electric, lighting, and plumbing fixtures.

• Usually, flooring is done last so it doesn't get damaged during remodeling.

• The lead carpenter will ensure that all quality control is taken care of. It's common for there to be touch-up painting, cleaning the job site, and removing any prep stuff.

• The contractor will do a post-job walkthrough with you. This is when you will be given manuals, warranties, and any instructions.

If there are no delays, a potential renovation timeline can take 8 to 12 weeks or more, from demolition to the final walkthrough. There are some reasons that this timeline can be delayed and may be outside your contractor's control. These include:

Scope of Work – The more you want to do, the longer it will take. A whole house remodel is a major project, and depending on the square footage, how much structural work needs to happen, and other factors, it can take much longer than 8-12 weeks.

Change Orders – This is one of the biggest causes of delays. If you want to change something after construction has begun, it can add significantly to the timeline. For example, your contractor may need to order materials that are not readily available.

Inspections – City inspectors are on their own schedule. While it typically happens quickly, if there are a lot of jobs, it may put a project on hold while they get to you. A good contractor will have relationships with many building inspectors and can help facilitate the inspection process.

Weather – If exterior work is involved, weather delays can happen. Your job may need to be put on hold until the weather improves.

Damages or Mistakes– Occasionally, materials can be damaged during shipping. It may take time to get replacement materials. This can lead to delays. While it doesn't happen often, mistakes happen, and these can also lead to delays.

Whatever your reason, a whole home remodeling is a transformative experience. Proper planning and partnering with a design-build firm like Degnan Design-Build-Remodel can help a potentially challenging experience run much more smoothly. If this is your family home, with a little planning, your contractor can deliver the home of your dreams.

Considering a whole house remodel project? We can help you with the entire process from design through completion.! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.