For instance, if your goal is to create more space for your growing family, remodeling your living room or bedrooms may be the best place to start. On the other hand, if you'd like to increase your home's value, you might want to consider updating your kitchen or bathroom first.
The most important room to improve is the worst room in the house. If your kitchen and bathrooms are reasonable, but you have a seriously run down master bedroom, I personally would do the bedroom first.
Generally, from top down. Ceiling first, then windows (to keep out stuff), then walls then floor. Be sure and PAINT before you put down a new floor.
Wiring, plumbing, plastering and woodwork, roof and windows should be first. The last is decorating and carpet.
First, you should outline the work that needs to be done. This includes stating the end goal for your renovation and providing design inspiration for contractors. You should also note which rooms you want to renovate in your old home and which ones you plan to leave as-is.
Bathrooms and kitchens will be the most intense renovation projects in your home because they involve a lot of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work that often needs to be done at the same time. So, get the more intense projects out of the way first.
The kitchen tends to have the biggest impact on resale value when remodeled. It's often considered the heart of the home and a key selling point for potential buyers. Hope that helps you plan your remodeling project!
Planning and Design
This step includes laying out your budget, working with your designer and builder to communicate your vision, securing permits for the build, and any other pre-planning steps. It's essential to establish a clear financial plan to ensure that your remodel stays on track and within your means.
Build up the kitchen and bathroom. Then floors last. If you're doing floors in the kitchen/bathroom consider doing that before cabinetry...then you just have to worry about protecting them while everything else is going on. That's why floors last is easiest.
Demolition, rough work (framing changes, electrical and plumbing rough-in), drywall, paint the drywall. And then on to the finishes: flooring, cabinets, trim molding, appliances, electrical fixtures.
The Demolition Phase: Clearing the Old
The first tangible step in the remodeling process is tearing out the old elements of your kitchen.
Kitchens and Bathrooms Sell Homes
The kitchen is the hub of the home, a place for family dinners and weekend entertaining. The master bath might not see as much attention from visitors, but it's a prime spot for rest and relaxation. Second, kitchens and baths are the most difficult rooms to renovate.
Start by decluttering your room so you're left only with things you truly need or love. Then, change the look of your walls, rearrange your furniture, update your favorite items with new finishes, or even replace a few pieces. Finish by adding accessories like a rug, artwork, and potted plants.
This likely comes as no surprise, but kitchens are by far one of the most expensive rooms to remodel in a home. Not only is plumbing and electrical work quite a doozy, but installing, painting or building new cabinets or kitchen islands is incredibly labor intensive and expensive.
The first step is to develop an idea of what you want to do with your home remodel. Write a prioritized list of your needs and wants. There are many sources to find design ideas for your home remodeling project. Look at magazines and websites and collect pictures of homes or remodeling projects you like.
A room makeover can take anywhere from a weekend to several weeks, depending on the scope. Simple projects like painting, rearranging furniture, or adding new decor may take a few days, while more extensive makeovers involving new flooring, lighting, or built-in features could take two to four weeks.
Finished basement (ADU): ~14-18 weeks. One-room addition with crossover work (incorporating it with the rest of the home): ~16-24 weeks. Whole-home renovation: ~6-12 months. New construction: ~12-24 months.
The most expensive projects in home renovations primarily involve upgrades to the kitchen and bathroom, along with exterior improvements such as roof replacement and intricate landscaping.
Primary Suite Addition
Adding a primary suite that includes a large primary bathroom and walk-in closet is not only a functional and smart choice for day-to-day living, it's a good investment. This type of addition brings, on average, a 63% return.
Estimate home renovation costs
As a general rule of thumb, you should spend no more on each room than the value of that room as a percentage of your overall house value. (Get an approximate value of your home to start with.)