Table of Contents
1.- What Is Complete Home Remodeling?
2.- When Should You Do A Complete Home Remodel?
a.- Different Tastes
b.- Extensive Damage
c.- Overdue Upgrade
3.- What To Consider Before You Begin
a.- Budget
b.- Permits and Zoning (Legal Matters)
i.- Title 24
ii.- Home Improvement Contracts
c.- Time and Accommodations
d.- Safety
4.- Planning Your Complete Home Remodel
a.- Consider Your Why
b.- Find Inspiration
c.- What Do You Want To Prioritize
d.- Organize a Timeline
e.- Create a Budget
f.- Find a Contractor
g.- Make Temporary Living Arrangements
h.- Check In On Remodeling Progress
i.- Communicate With Your Team
5.- FAQs
6.- Resources
What Is Complete Home Remodeling?
Complete home remodeling involves giving an extensive makeover, not just to your kitchen or bathroom, but to your entire home. It essentially means redesigning your home again, except you aren’t moving but implementing a significant change of scenery. Complete home remodeling isn’t limited to design but also encompasses structural changes such as piping, flooring, walls, painting, roofing, and many more.
Understandably, determining where to begin planning your complete home remodel can be stress-inducing and might make you hesitate to undertake such an endeavor. This guide will make that process less stressful and allow you to know where to begin.
When Should You Do A Complete Home Remodel?
Because complete home remodeling projects are such a high commitment, it is critical that you understand when a complete home remodel is necessary. The three most common reasons why you might do a comprehensive home remodel can range from significant changes in taste, extensive damage, or overdue upgrades to your home’s structural foundation.
Significant Change In Taste
Not unlike music and food, tastes in design are also subject to change over time. Sometimes these changes are minor, like preferring a different band from the same genre, or significant, such as finding yourself drawn to an entirely new music genre. The longer you reside in a home, the more likely your tastes will change with time. You might be gravitating toward a more modern look for your home after years in a traditional style. Do you want to see these changes in multiple parts of your home? Does the feeling of being “at home” need to be revitalized? A complete home remodel is worth considering if you answered yes to both of these questions.
Extensive Damage
Nature, like time, is a force outside of your control. Despite your best efforts, your home is still subject to potential damage from the fury of earthquakes, flooding, fires, and other natural disasters. Depending on the severity of the impact, your house might only need some repairs and restoration. In cases where damage is extensive throughout your home, it is vital to invest in a complete home remodel.
Overdue Upgrades
As design and infrastructure technology change, you might find yourself interested in implementing those changes into your home. Overdue upgrades can range from installing more energy-efficient materials and appliances to incorporating more sustainable materials or creating more space. If your desire for upgrades goes beyond a single appliance or fixture, then complete home remodeling will be the wisest choice.
What To Consider Before You Begin
If your situation matches any of the above home remodeling scenarios described above, you might be thinking that it’s time to get started. Before you start, however, there are important long-term considerations to review first. These considerations involve budgeting, obtaining necessary legal permits, thinking about time and temporary accommodations, and the overall safety of your project.
Budget
A comprehensive home remodeling project in the state of California can range anywhere from $20,000 to more than $300,000, depending on the square footage and extent of renovations. After you put together the estimated cost of your project, you will need to think about budgeting and funding. Consulting remodeling contractors for an estimate will provide a clear idea as to how much you need to save or whether you should consider additional funding routes such as loans or grants. You will learn about these funding options in greater detail when going through the whole planning process step-by-step.
Permits and Zoning
Before you get too excited about remodeling, check your local zoning policies to avoid any unwitting violations. It is also vital to research what permits you will need to obtain for your remodeling project. In California, you will need to make sure you obtain all the permits and applications necessary to complete your project, which can be found through the site of the Contractors State Licensing Board. In addition to permits and zoning, here is some background knowledge about Title 24 and home improvement contracts.
Title 24
Title 24 details the state’s green or environmentally friendly building standards. Also known as CALGreen, this legal code outlines the guidelines for sustainable construction for both commercial and residential purposes. Ensure that you comply with the parameters of Title 24, not only to avoid legal issues but also to reduce your carbon footprint.
Home Improvement Contracts
Home improvement contracts are required for all projects that amount to more than $500 in California. These contracts need to include:
- What products will be used
- How the work will be completed
- The amount of material provided
- A timeline of the work
- The cost of the project
- Change orders
- Mandatory notices
- Lien Warning
Despite how overwhelming these requirements may seem, their inclusion in your project contract will protect your needs as the homeowner.
Time and Accommodations
Where comprehensive home remodeling projects are concerned, be prepared for the amount of time it might take to complete. Depending on the time required for successful completion, think about temporary accommodations. After all, it might be challenging to make breakfast when your flooring is being replaced and your appliances upgraded. Sleeping surrounded by the pervasive smells of fresh, wet paint might also be problematic.
Safety
Remodeling involves working with dangerous tools and produces quite a bit of debris, so don’t forget to make safety a priority. If children or pets are in your home, make a plan to keep them from getting into parts of your home that are under construction. Try to make sure that any debris gets cleaned up after each work day too. Keeping your loved ones safe will make for a stress-free home remodeling project.
Consider Your Why
Before beginning any other part of the remodeling process, think about the reasons why you want to undertake this endeavor. The reasons described above are an excellent place to start thinking about your why. Additionally, a strongly defined reason for a comprehensive home remodel will keep you motivated to see the project through and provide a solid foundation for your ideas.
Find Inspiration
Did you ever envision a specific design in your head but struggle to describe it to others adequately? The internet can be your best friend in finding inspiration for your home remodel design. Sites like Pinterest, Instagram, HGTV, Architectural Digest, and so many more can serve as great sources of inspiration. You can even make it fun by creating a collage of your inspirations to show your contractor.
Prioritize
Some parts of your home will need more attention than others during the remodeling process, so make a plan to prioritize the order in which you want certain parts of your home remodeled. The kitchen is actually the most recommended starting point due to the high volume of dust and debris from most kitchen remodels. By starting with the kitchen first, you can avoid any debris getting on completed parts of your home later in the process. As for what comes after the kitchen, consider which parts of the house will take the most time to remodel and try working from the longest to the shortest amount of time.
Organize A Timeline
Speaking of time, use any insight into the estimated time each part of your home will take to remodel to create a timeline. Preparing a timeline will set realistic expectations for yourself and your contractor. It will also help construct approximate deadlines for each part of the project.
Create A Budget
You can create a budget for your complete home remodeling project by saving or through a combination of saving and utilizing other funding resources. Two of these means of funding are zero-interest home remodeling loans and home equity loans.
Find A Contractor
Your contractor can make or break your vision for your complete home remodel; finding the right contractor to remodel your home is critical. First, research contractors in your area. Once you have a good idea of who those contractors are, check out any reviews online or available samples of past work. Next, make time to reach out and ask them essential screening questions that will inform whether or not you want to hire this specific contractor.
Make Temporary Living Arrangements
The extent of your remodeling plans and the time required for their completion might require you to find temporary living arrangements for specific periods of the project. You can start by reaching out to any family and friends who live in your area about making temporary arrangements to stay with them. If that doesn’t work out, you can try to find out about renting an Airbnb or other temporary lodging service. Whatever temporary living arrangements you make, be sure that they are booked sooner rather than later.
Check In On Remodeling Progress
Periodically check in on the progress of your home remodeling project. Try to arrange a schedule with your contractor for when you can meet up and discuss progress so you can see what it looks like for yourself. That said, be considerate of the frequency of your check-ins. You don’t want your contractor or team to feel as though they’re being micromanaged. You want to find that check-in balance to show that you care about how it’s coming along without being too hovering.
Communicate With Your Team
Staying in communication with your remodeling team will allow for a less stressful and more satisfying remodeling experience. If you decide you want to change what material to use for re-flooring, inform your contractor sooner rather than later. You also want to keep your contractor in the loop about payments and anything else you want to change.
Having seen what the process of a complete home remodeling project looks like, you are now more confident about whether you want to commit to this process. However, you also still have some questions and need additional sources of information about a successful remodeling project. Take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about complete home remodeling. Hopefully, these answers will help you move forward in making your complete home remodel dream a reality.
FAQ’S
1. How long does a complete home remodeling project usually take to complete?
2. Does a complete home remodel impact the value of my home?
3. Is it better to remodel everything at once or do one part of the house at a time?
4. Can I DIY any parts of my complete home remodel?
Resources
The following resources are available to help you plan your complete home remodeling project. You should also take advantage of resources from local vendors, but these sites serve as a good launching pad.
- The Spruce Home Improvement
- National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
- HomeAdvisor – Find Local Home Repair & Improvement Services
- Better Homes & Gardens: Fresh Takes on Home, Garden & Food (bhg.com)
- CSLB-Home -CSLB (ca.gov)
- California Department of Housing and Community Development | California Department of Housing and Community Development