So, you’ve decided to gut your home and reinvent the space. This isn’t uncommon, and if the house is in bad enough disrepair, or is significantly enough out of date, it may just be a necessity to gut the entire structure and redo it. But, this is an expensive, work-intensive commitment that, once started, can’t really be backpedaled.

This isn’t something we point out to discourage you – far from it, in fact. But, before you start this process, we want you to consider some very important things. When making a major decision about your house like this, you should always look before leaping, and have a solid, well-worked-out plan ahead of time.

If you don’t, your project can run over time, over budget, and result in something very far from what you had in mind. You’ve seen this happen to other people, and you don’t want to be in that situation yourself. So, today, we’re going to look over some important things to consider before you actually take a hammer to any walls or pull up any carpet. If you follow these points closely, and use your head, your project will go smoothly, and you’ll wind up with the newly-remodeled home you envisioned.

Space is Important

Remember, you’re not likely adding space to the total area of your house, when you gut it. Unless you’re doing additions, you’ve got the space you have, and if you plan on moving walls or otherwise changing the floor plan, you need to consider space allocation for different things.

Make sure that you’ve provided sufficient space for bathrooms, bedrooms, the kitchen and so on. Shrinking any of these rooms is going to diminish your home’s value in most cases, so measure, remeasure and triple check all of your intended changes here. If you’re sacrificing space in one of the rooms, make sure it’s a room that doesn’t matter as much.

Inspect, Inspect, Inspect!

Be aware of any structural and foundational problems with your home. Because, once you start knocking down walls and changing your floor plan, these problems can result in disaster if not addressed, fixed, or in the very least, accounted for.

Structural weaknesses can cause houses to collapse, foundations to crumble, and much more. Fix these problems, and be aware of them. Ignore this at your peril!

Shop Around, Let Professionals Help

You might consider yourself handy, but a project of this scope and importance needs professional help. You want contractors and carpenters who know their trade like they know the back of their hand. Don’t settle for the first contractor that sugarcoats their projections and estimations.

Shop around, get lots of quotes, and compare.

Know Your Area

What do people look for in a house in your area? Know the local culture, what people want in a home. Apply this to your renovation, because even if you plan on living in this remodeled home, and not selling, your house is an investment. You never want investments to depreciate in value. Go look at open houses, see what people like, and implement your own take on it.

To learn more about renovation, and how to plan it wisely, fill out our contact form or call us today!