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Tips - Planning Your Renovation

1. Where to Start
2. Should We Remodel?
3. Financing Your Project
4. Evaluating Your Remodeling Needs...

Step 1 Evaluate Your Needs and Wants
Step 2 Organize Your Ideas
Step 3 Other considerations.

5. Choosing a Remodeling Professional
6. Additional Tips

Evaluating Your Remodeling Needs and Goals

Step 1 - Evaluate Your Needs and Wants

Once you decide that remodeling may make sense and you've evaluated your financial situation, now the fun begins! Now you need to develop a clear vision of your needs and wants for your renovation or addition.

Do you need more functional space or do you want a more attractive space?

Do you need more storage space?

Are things not working (leaking pipes, broken tile, leaking roof, etc.)?

Do you entertain frequently (or do you plan to entertain more once the remodel is completed)? If so, what changes would need to be made in order to make entertaining more enjoyable?

If you have children, what space requirements do you need to accommodate them? For example, a mudroom, a first or second floor laundry, a family room addition or renovation, an additional bathroom, or additional storage space are common remodeling requests from families with young children. It also helps to project into the future and visualize your life as your children grow older. Will your children need separate bedrooms? Will they need an area such as a remodeled basement for games and hosting friends?

List each room you plan to remodel and a list of your needs and wants for that area. For example:

Room

Needs

Kitchen

New cabinets and more storage
A breakfast area or breakfast bar for informal meals
Durable flooring to withstand traffic
More counter space for food preparation
Updated appliances

Wants

Fireplace
Built in entertainment system with surround sound

If you are considering a home addition, it's helpful to write down the rooms you are thinking about adding and your needs and wants for each room.

Room Addition

Needs

Family Room
and Mudroom

Comfortable space to watch TV
Cubbies for sports equipment
Storage for boots

Wants

Extra sink for food preparation
Commercial quality appliances
Granite countertops

Step 2 - Organize Your Ideas

If you haven't already, begin to gather ideas of designs and materials you like. Start a binder or system of files where you store pictures of homes and rooms you like, appliances, fixtures, window styles and window treatments, cabinetry, flooring and any other home detail that you think is interesting. It's also a good time to start gathering swatches of fabric and paint that you like.

Once you have gathered these ideas, go through your file or binder to look for the things you are consistently attracted to so you can start to zero-in on what you really like and can imagine living with day in and day out.

Step 3 - Other considerations.

Do you plan to tackle the entire remodeling project now, or remodel in stages?
Sometimes due to cost or other constraints, you may decide to remodel in stages. It is vital to make this decision early in the process and communicate it to your design professional because one stage of your remodeling project may impact future phases. For example, you may decide to build a family room addition now with the intention of adding a second floor bedroom on top of the family room at a later date. Communicating this intention to your design professional at the start of the design process will allow you to create a design and master plan for your project that will save you money, time and potentially a lot of aggravation.

Summarize it all on paper
By now, you've put a lot of time and thought into your project. Summarize your thoughts, ideas and goals on paper, set up a meeting with a remodeling professional, and get set to tackle the design and construction of your new project!

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