4 Questions to Ask before Starting That Custom Home Remodel

Enjoy a Smoother Custom Home Remodel by Answering These 4 Questions

Busting down walls. Picking out tile patterns. Even signing with a design and build team. Before you start any of these steps in your custom home remodel, make sure you know the answers to these four important questions. 

Before Starting Your Home Remodel, Ask Yourself These 4 Questions

When thinking about a remodel project, it’s tempting to jump into the details of lighting, countertop options, and finishing touches.

Before any of that, make sure you can confidently answer these questions.

1. What are our goals with this custom home remodeling project?

Think about what you’re actually trying to accomplish with this remodel.

• Is it an aesthetic update?
• Are you trying to increase the functionality of the space? If so, what specifically don’t you like about the existing room? (Do you need more storage? Better flow? Increased natural light?)
• Is the remodel intended to be some combination of the two? 

It’s easy to say you just don’t like your existing space. However, you’re much more likely to get a remodel you love if you think specifically about the issues you’re trying to solve with the update.

Don’t forget to think about the end goal as well.

Is this your forever home? In that case, every design choice, color selection, and layout decision should be made to suit your exact tastes, preferences, and lifestyle.

Are you looking to relocate in a few years? In that case, think about your remodel through the lens of resale value. What will be universally appealing—to you and to new potential buyers.

Depending on your specific goals, the same project (whether it’s a custom kitchen remodel, a bathroom update, or something else) could end up looking very different. It’s worth thinking through this exercise fully and discussing with any potential design and build firm.

2. What is our budget for this project?

There’s no use getting excited about double ovens or that handmade vanity or the possibility of tearing down that wall if it’s just going to be out of budget. That’s a recipe for disappointment.

Before you start thinking about remodel specifics, know what number you’re able and willing to invest in the project.

Then take that number and subtract at least 10 percent.

This will give you a cushion in case there are any unpleasant financial surprises throughout the build. This can range from changing your mind and having to reorder new material to opening up a wall and discovering dry rot or an electrical issue. 

Even in the smoothest of home remodels, there are usually at least a few unexpected expenses. Factoring in that cushion from the beginning helps ensure you don’t have to compromise on your remodel plans mid-build.

If you don’t end up needing that cushion, you can save the cash or put it toward a remodel upgrade you’d really adore. (Love to cook? Take that extra money, and invest in the commercial-grade oven you’ve been eyeing since the remodel started.)

Not sure how you’re going to finance the remodel? Here are seven options for how to pay for home improvements. 

3. What’s our timeline on this remodel?

It’s important to know how long you want this remodel to take. Some events are, obviously, outside your control. Anything from a permitting delay to a backordered shower door can knock your schedule off track.

Generally speaking, though, define your ideal start and stop time for this project.

Think about whether you have a special event you need this remodel completed by. Maybe you’re hosting a wedding reception, and your bathroom remodel needs to be done, cleaned, and functional by that time. Perhaps you have a family reunion, and the basement needs to be pristine before that happens.

Whatever the case, if you have a hard-and-fast stop date, tailor your remodel plans to be realistically aligned with that deadline.

If you’re not sure what’s feasible in a given timeframe, talk it through with a potential design and build firm. Make sure your schedule works with their current workload and their expert opinion about how long your specific remodel will take.

4. What can we expect in terms of life disruption?

How long will the space be out of commission and how much dust can we expect?

How noisy will it be and for how long?

Especially with so many people working from home now, remodeling projects are more disruptive than they’ve ever been.

This is where working with a reputable, experienced design and build team can help.

That company can walk you through the exact process and how best to navigate it. With excellent communication and planning, you know what to expect.

When you go in with reasonable expectations, you have every opportunity to plan accordingly. Maybe that’s arranging a family trip when it’s going to be the loudest, dustiest, and least livable. Maybe it’s planning on working at the local library on those jackhammer days.

Whatever the case, proactive communication from your remodelers can help you make plans that smooth an otherwise-difficult situation.

Thinking about Remodeling Your Northern Virginia Home?

Have your eye on a kitchen upgrade? A basement makeover? A bathroom redesign?

Whatever improvements you’re thinking about making to your Northern Virginia home, contact us today with any questions.

We’re Slate Design and Remodel, a team of friendly, knowledgeable design and remodel experts. We’ve served Northern Virginia for over a decade, and we’re happy to walk you through how to achieve a stunning, successful, on-budget remodel.