Home remodeling on Long Island, in Queens or in Westchester may seem like a challenge. Our tips will help you get started with your remodeling project.
Every homeowner wants a beautiful home that they can feel confident about. It’s why we spend so much energy decorating and cleaning.
But what about those areas of the home that are dated and due for an upgrade? How do you go about increasing the overall look and feel of, say, an out of style living room?
While achieving perfection is never as simple as home and garden television makes it seem, it’s not impossible. The most popular way to increase overall curb appeal is through appropriate home remodeling.
It is no surprise that homes with higher curb appeal command higher prices on the real estate market. But even if you are not planning on selling your house anytime soon, investing in your home can help you feel comfortable and at ease. The process isn’t easy, but it also does not need to be unnecessarily stressful.
Keep reading to learn our tips for making your Long Island home remodeling project run smoothly and to identify which home remodeling companies you should consider.
Why Remodel?
Before you call a contractor or start drawing up blueprints, try to identify the reason for your home improvement project. Ask yourself: What is it that you are hoping to accomplish?
There are a number of different reasons you may be preparing to renovate. Maybe your plumbing needs an update, or you are looking to create more usable space through a basement remodeling. Perhaps you are simply ready for a change!
Regardless of the reason, understanding your goals before beginning a home improvement project is always a good idea. Not only will it affect who you call in for help, but it will help you manage your budget and prioritize tasks throughout the process.
As a refresher, the five primary reasons homeowners usually remodel are:
- Maintenance
○ Whether you are planning a kitchen remodeling or a bathroom remodeling, standard maintenance is a perfectly suitable reason for home renovation.
- Improving Efficiency
○ As the world continues to look for new ways to reduce our energy consumption, many homeowners are installing solar panels, insulated walls or smart thermostats to decrease their utility bills.
- Updating Rooms
○ Let’s face it: Home decor styles come and go just like fashion trends. While nobody has the patience or budget to remodel every season, it is not uncommon to remodel solely to bring your home in line with current aesthetics.
- Getting Ready to Sell
○ When the time comes to sell a home, the goal is always to maximize the return on your investment. Prepping your house for the market by making a few minor repairs can help ensure you get the most value. So, there’s no need to install, say, a state-of-the-art kitchen.
Getting Started
Identifying why you are remodeling is the first step to any home improvement project. However, once you have zeroed in on your priorities, there are few more steps to consider before you can go ahead and get started.
Budgeting Home Remodeling
First and foremost, it’s important to determine your budget. In fact, before beginning any home improvement project, you should establish both an ideal budget (the amount of money you would like to spend) and a maximum budget (the absolute most you can afford to spend). Usually, your ideal budget will not accomplish as much as you hope it will. According to Houzz’s 2018 U.S. renovation report, 46 percent of homeowners who started a remodeling project with a budget ultimately spent more than they planned to. This is why it’s critical that you also define a maximum budget. That way, even if you spend more than you hoped to, you can keep yourself from spending beyond your means.
Finding Help
The next step to getting started on a home remodeling project is to determine who’s going to help. Of course, adding in the cost of labor will affect your budget. However, unless you have experience with contracting or construction, it’s probably best to call a professional.
Sure, doing things yourself can be rewarding and affordable, but it also demands a lot of skill and industry knowledge. Most towns require permits for electrical or plumbing work, and those permits often require oversight from a licensed professional. So, keep your level of expertise in mind when preparing to remodel. Our advice is to leave any project that could potentially harm your house to a professional.
When searching for Long Island home remodeling contractors, or professional companies that specialize in home remodeling in Queens, or home remodeling in Westchester, we highly recommend leaning into your lack of expertise so you can talk to the experts who are qualified. Any qualified company will have a customer service team that can walk you through the process from start to finish. Even if you don’t know drywall from concrete, they should be able to help you to understand even the most technical details. At Total Home Construction, we offer home remodeling in Nassau, home remodeling in Suffolk, Queens, and Westchester.
How to Manage Home Remodeling?
Finally, once you have determined the goals of your remodeling project and hired the necessary professionals, it is time to get started. Planning is the hard part, so that’s in the past. However, project management is also an essential piece of the puzzle.
Below are a few additional tips to help you achieve your desired results.
- Write Lists
○ When it comes to project management, making lists is a great tool for organizing your thoughts and prevent details from being forgotten.
- Stand by For Decisions
○ When completing a house remodeling project or an exterior home remodel, your builder will always present some questions that you couldn’t have anticipated. While you don’t want to rush anything, it is important to be quick and decisive in order to prevent expensive project delays.
- Expect the Unexpected
○ Even if you have done an excellent job planning your home improvement project, issues that couldn’t have been predicted will inevitably arise. In these situations, it’s important to remain calm. Just accept that these things happen and determine your options.
Preparing for a Westchester, Queens or Long Island home remodeling project? These tips will help get you started. Check out what remodeling services we offer here.
