When it comes to home renovation, scale matters. The size of the project impacts who does the work, how much it costs, how long the house will be in disarray, and more. A home remodeling project can be a one-room short-term job or a major house renovation. You must know up front what it will take to do the job so that you are properly prepared.
The scope of the home renovation project
For your remodeling project, assess the following aspects:
- Will the changes you envision be only cosmetic improvements, such as fresh paint, new flooring, new trim boards, counter and cabinet replacements with new drawer handles, and maybe new light fixtures?
- Will the project involve structural changes, such as adding a room, which entails adding to the foundation and roof structure, knocking out walls, and expanding or adding doors and windows?
- Will the work require local government permits and inspections?
- Will there be work that should be done by a licensed professional, such as an electrician, roofing contractor, or plumber?
- Can you do any of the work yourself? Do you have the skills and any needed licenses?
The answers to these questions determine whether your project is a simple remodel or a major rehabilitation and, thus, who can do the work.
If the changes are mostly cosmetic and you have the skills, then your project is probably a small-to-medium remodeling job.
If the work requires finer skills, professional licensure, changes to the home’s structure, permitting, and inspection, it is a job for professionals, unless you have those skills and licenses.
Financial considerations
The size of the project affects the size of the budget. If you can do some of the job yourself, you can save some money through your sweat equity. But if the job requires licensed pros, permitting, and inspection, count on higher costs.
If your project is a house flip, where you’ve purchased a home and intend to fix it up and resell it, the cost of the house purchase plus the total construction cost should be around 70% of what you think you can sell for when the remodel is done.
Hassle factor
Finally, consider how the project will disrupt daily life at home. If your kitchen will be torn up for a while, can you manage a workaround for cooking meals, or would you eat out for the duration? If your master bath is being gutted, can your whole household share one bathroom for a while?
Plan ahead for these inconveniences to make the project go more smoothly.
Related – Keep Calm and Remodel On!
