Everyone wants the home of their dreams! But not everyone can build a new home and have it customized. So, if we are lucky enough to be able to remodel our home, we do that. What a fun adventure to watch your vision come to life! But what a lot of people don’t tell you is the behind-the-scenes that you should know before you begin! Today I am going to share 5 things to consider before doing a home remodel.
My husband and I recently moved to Florida and bought a home. There are a lot of things that we knew needed to be changed ASAP! The home had mirrors everywhere you looked, big mirrors! The house also had an open concept going from the Primary Bedroom into the bathroom. I don’t know about you, but I like a little privacy! So, I wanted a door installed. I promise to show some before and after’s in future blog posts!
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The Budget for the Remodel
This might be the most important one! Whether you are doing a DYI project or hiring someone to do it for you. Expect the amount you budgeted to grow. It just will! Unforeseen things happen or you decide to upgrade something.
I highly recommend that you have a reserve for unforeseen expenses. The way our contractor did our renovation is we had a quote for labor which included the entire project and we needed to buy all the material for it. He went to the hardware store to buy it for us, but they can only give you what they “think” it will cost in material. So just don’t spread yourself too thin!
Consider the Timeline
Be realistic and flexible. I am a very organized and structured person. This entire process of moving and renovations has been an experience for me. I want it all done, now! What I have realized is that construction workers work on their schedules.
We also think that the project can’t be that “difficult”. Just take down this wall and repair that but things take longer than we think they do. Especially if we want it done correctly and the result to look good! You know the whole thing… patience is a virtue!
The Snowball Effect
Be prepared for the snowball effect to take place. Either promise yourself that you won’t fall victim to it or prepare yourself that you might! Lol! I speak from experience that during our remodel I fell, victim! The projects that we were having done were making the space look so good that the rest of the walls looked bad in comparison. So, it ended up snowballing into having more work done so that all the areas would look equally as good!
Dust
Some people may have a bigger problem with this than others. It is something that drove me a little crazy, to be honest. I like to keep a clean and decluttered house and during renovations, things can get dirty and dusty real quick! Between the workers walking around in their work boots to the dust from the sanding. There is almost no point in trying to keep up with the dust between the time they leave for the night and when they come back the next day. BTW… if you are looking for some home organizing tips I did a post on that a few months back, My Top 5 Home Organizing Tips. You can read that here.
The best-case scenario is to come to grips with the fact that you are going to have a layer of construction dust on most of your things for the duration of your renovations. If you cannot handle the thought of that you may want to skip the reno! I would also recommend covering up anything that you possibly can, it will cut down a little on the dust getting to it. Plastic tarps or sheets work great.
Do Your Research
Before you even begin the remodel, research everything and keep it organized so you can find it easily. Everything from what you think you want to have done to your house physically down to the décor. Hello Pinterest! I made a Pinterest board specifically for my home remodeling “ideas” so I could quickly find them. So, if I found home décor that I liked, I linked it there. Have you ever found something that you liked and went back to find it and it was lost forever?! I have and have spent many hours trying to find it again.
Make folders on your phone or your computer with pictures, prices of things, and anything that you think will help you to decide to go forward with your remodel. If you are anything like me you will think you can remember these things but trust me, you won’t!
Have you ever done a remodel or are you considering a home remodel in the future? How did your experience go? It can be stressful and a lot of fun. Please share your tips or experience below!
We remodeled our kitchen, master bathroom, and put in a half bath last year. We started in June and were not finished by December due to “Covid” delays (so they said.) I lived with a microwave and grill for months and vacuumed daily after the workmen left. Like you Julie, I am organized and visual. The daily disruption for months got to me so badly that I ended up in the hospital with what presented as a heart attack. I was there for a few days and went through a battery of tests. The results were that my heart was fine so they sent me home to the mess:-) I think we tackled too much at one time but I’m thrilled now that the house looks great and I don’t have to get up every morning for workmen!! I will keep your heart and patience in my prayers my sweet friend!!!
Oh my goodness Debbee! That is a lot and that took a long time for you! I just keep trying to remind myself of the end results! Thank you!
I feel your pain! Have you seen the price of a gallon of paint lately? Gone are the $20/gallon days and hello $50. Also, a 5 gallon bucket only has 4.8 gallons. The price of materials is unpredictable and high so I get what your saying about having a reserve budget. Good luck with your project!
Thank you! Great point about how things are getting “smaller”! 5-gallon bucket isn’t even 5 gallons anymore! Lol!