Making your home genuinely YOUR HOME is among the most thrilling things you can do in life. This article is intended for anyone who has been daydreaming about upgrading their home and may even have a seemingly endless list of goals and wants. You’ll need to reduce your wish list to a well-honed list of practical must-haves and action items in order to move forward with your home improvement project.
Step 1: Create a Budget
Establishing a precise price range for your home improvement is the first task you’ll need to complete. Observe how we mentioned a budget RANGE. You should begin this procedure with a budget that is LESS THAN what you will be able to spend on your remodeling after all is said and done. Whenever you start knocking down walls to rebuild a house, you’ll unavoidably find unforeseen situations and difficulties, therefore you’ll want to set aside some of your total budgets as a contingency. Your renovation scope will be developed with your bespoke builder around the lower end of your budget. Knowing that you have a small cushion to fall back on in case something comes up or you decide to splash out on a finish option that you weren’t expecting will make the entire process less stressful and difficult for you.
Step 2: Start with the essentials
Consider your entire wish list, then start categorizing the things into three categories: repairs needed, must-haves, and like-to-haves.
You may have been putting off maintenance tasks over the years, which will be included in the repairs needed section. Add these to your list of repairs that are necessary if you have a leaky window, an outdated roof, or issues with your HVAC system. It’s possible that there are still repairs that need to be made but you are unaware of them. A dependable builder and their knowledgeable team of subcontractors ought to be able to assist you in determining what additional work, if any, is required to bring your house up to code or make it a healthier environment for you and your family to live.
The must-have products are those that served as the initial impetus for this renovation adventure. For instance, it’s possible that your children have loved your home deeply and left the bathrooms in need of a lot of Maintenance. Maybe your family has evolved over the past several years, and your kitchen or living room no longer meets your needs. As your family grows, you could find that you need to add extra specialized or built-in storage. Whatever the situation, include everything on your Must-Have list that you think you’ll need to make this home restoration adventure “worth it” to you.
If it turns out that your budget won’t allow for the scope of remodeling that you had hoped for, the items in the “Like-To-Have” section may be the first to go. It’s customary to include some of those finer finishes that may or may not make your final selection on this list, however, each person’s list may change based on personal preferences. Examples of items on this list include replacing manual window coverings with mechanized shades, switching from wooden to steel windows, completely rebuilding the mantle and surround of the fireplace rather than simply refinishing it, and upgrading all kitchen appliances as opposed to just the ones that need to be replaced.
Step 3: Concentrate on the areas you use the most
Making your money truly count requires you to do this. Pay special attention to your kitchen and breakfast area, living room, master bedroom, and any other location that you use Regularly. Consider holding off on giving your teenagers’ rooms the “best of the best” renovations if they will be leaving the nest in a few years. Dining rooms, bonus/game rooms, and second bathrooms sometimes find themselves lower on the list of priorities, especially as kids get older. While most people experience greater benefits from improving their interior spaces on a daily basis, often improving the exterior of the home—beyond repairs—falls lower on the list.
Step 4: Meeting with a custom builder early
The best course of action now that your lists have been refined is to interview and choose a reputable custom builder. In order for you to discuss a wide range of alternatives and narrow down your list jointly, they will assist in developing a preliminary estimate based on current material and labor pricing. Also, your custom builder will put you in touch with an interior designer and architect who they believe would be a good fit for your requirements, taste, and spending plan. Your custom builder should keep updating their initial estimate as you proceed through the planning and pre-construction phases in order to ensure that by the time you’re prepared to start construction, your budget is complete and correct.
Visit our previous blog post here for additional information on conducting custom builder applicant interviews.
Building a trustworthy team of collaborators that put your interests and goals first is the most important thing to keep in mind as you refine your wish list and go on to the next stage of your home improvement project. An excellent custom home builder, architect, and interior designer may make a world of difference.
