So, you love the house you live in but you wish your bedroom had a master bath. Or, it’s time to add another bedroom before your next little one comes along. Maybe you love where you live, but overall your house has left you wanting more. You know it’s time for a remodel, but you’re not quite sure where to start.

At Buena Vista Builders, we are here to help you and answer any questions that you may have but here are a few starting steps to consider as you move towards your custom remodel:

Visualize and Make a Plan – You may realize that you would like to make a change, but not be quite sure what you would like to do. To help your vision begin to take shape, start by walking through your house and make a list of things you like and dislike about your space. Not only will you find areas on which to focus from your list of dislikes, your list of likes can help you visualize what results you would like to achieve in the rest of your house. Even if your remodel will focus on one room, noting those things that you like and dislike throughout the rest of your house will give you an idea of what you’d like to achieve and avoid in your room of focus. If you value the natural light in a particular part of your house, you may be inspired in your remodel to focus on elements that will achieve a similar effect. Visualize how these elements will work in the new space. What limitations might you encounter? Do you live in a townhome or apartment? Did you clear your remodels and renovations with your HOA or fellow neighbors? Some townhomes and complexes require you to preapprove any changes or additions made to your building so make sure you’ve done your due diligence and contacted the right people.

Know Your Budget – Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do it’s time to look at how much you’d like to budget for your remodel. How much work will fit within your budget? Try to consider costs that may not immediately spring to mind. Visualize the completed space, what little details had you not considered in setting your price. Sometimes it helps to mentally allocate percentages to different areas of the job in an effort to prioritize and get the most for your money (50% to materials, 20% to man hours, 10% of appliances, etc). If the appliances you had your eye on are taking up a large percentage of your budget and you are struggling to provide enough to create a strong foundation it may be time to reevaluate.

Knowing what your budget allows can help a remodel move along swiftly.

Even the best-planned budgets can be busted by unpredictable elements. There may be damage that has gone unseen before work begins. Faulty wiring, water damage, and structural damage are unfortunate circumstances that could demand a portion of your budget that you had planned to use elsewhere or require extra funds to complete. It’s a smart move to be prepared for this by planning for a certain amount to serve as a contingency fund rather than be put in a situation which would necessitate your making sacrifices in other areas of your remodel.

Have a Time Frame – It’s best to have in mind how long you expect the remodel to take. It’s very important to communicate these expectations to us when we first meet so that a realistic time frame can be agreed upon. The establishment of such a mutual goal will help avoid frustrating situations that may occur when other plans overlap with the final phases of your remodel. Additionally, whether you plan to continue living in your house during the remodel or are planning to make accommodations elsewhere, it can be stressful to have no reliable end date in sight that will allow you the full use of your house again. These inconveniences can typically be avoided with open communication of expectations.

Do you need your remodel done in a week? Two months?

Be Prepared and Be Flexible – When undertaking any project it’s inevitable that bumps and blocks will crop up here and there throughout the process. When these hiccups do occur it’s best to be prepared to be flexible. Limitations in the environment, time and budget may affect what is possible in a project. As well, situations beyond anyone’s control may unexpectedly become a factor in the remodel and require changes in plans. Maintaining a flexible mindset will allow you to make decisions and take the necessary actions to get those plans back on track in a timely manner, not to mention save you from a lot of stress in the process.

Whether you’re already in contact with us, or are just beginning to put ideas together for a remodel, these few starting steps should help you form your expectations for your house. Of course, we can offer insight and advice on what your home could become, but ultimately this space is yours and we’ll do everything we can to make your vision come to fruition.

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