Starting a remodeling project can be a lot of fun! You start with great intent and a vision of how the house will look when the remodel is over. Maybe you don’t have any experience remodeling a house and you soon find out that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew! Just like on TV shows about remodeling, there are a lot of unexpected things you can run into that will greatly increase the difficulty and cost of your remodel.
Phase 1: Vision, Planning, and Budgeting – Remodeling Home in Indianapolis, IN
Vision: It all started with the Vision you have. Maybe you’re looking to update your kitchen or turn a bedroom into a cozy reading den. The inspiration might have come from watching a remodeling show on TV, seeing a picture in a magazine, or maybe your inlaws made some snide comments about how outdated your home is. Whatever the reason, you’re excited and looking forward to carrying out your vision! You know exactly how the space will look, feel, sound, and smell when you’re done.
Planning: The first step in making this all come together is the Planning stage. This is where you take measurements of the space, get a list of the materials you’ll need and how much you’ll need, and how long the project will take. You might also begin to weigh whether this is a DIY project that you can handle, or if you’re going to need to hire contractors to complete the work. Whatever you decide, it’s important to have a plan and a solid understanding of the project at hand.
Budgeting: MAKE SURE YOU PLAN FOR UNEXPECTED EXPENSES! In almost every project there are unexpected expenses. So, once you figure out how much your materials or contractors are going to cost, expect to spend more. If you’re remodeling a simple bedroom, the chances of going significantly over budget are a lot less likely. Unless of course, you’re looking to put some exotic wood wainscoting floor to ceiling that needs to be flown in from Zimbabwe. Those types of upgrades to bedrooms can significantly increase the cost. If you’re doing a bathroom or kitchen remodel, things can get complicated and expensive. You might need to replace plumbing, flooring, water-damaged studs, joists, and underlayment, etc. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, so expect the unexpected when planning your budget. This is where many people get themselves into trouble.
Phase 2: Gutting/Demolition Of Room(s) Being Remodeled
Making It Worse: This is the phase where you “make it worse.” Demolition can be a lot of fun! Be careful while you’re demolishing so that you don’t damage anything in the process. You don’t want to hit your sweated copper water supply lines with a sledgehammer. That could set you back hours and hundreds of dollars while leaving you without running water, depending on where the nearest shutoff is. This is also the phase where you might uncover the unexpected! Pests (carpenter ants, termites, cockroaches, mice, rats, etc), wood rot, shotty electrical work (I recently found a bare wire tucked behind a wall with no wire caps on it!), faulty plumbing, and more!
The Turning Point In Remodeling my gutted house- Making things nicer
In every project, there is a point where you get to start “making it better.” It’s such a good feeling when you make it to this point because it’s a big milestone signaling that you’re well on your way to fulfilling your vision. Although it feels good to be at the turning point, there is still a lot of work ahead of you. Take a second to celebrate what you’ve done up to this point and carry on.
Phase 3: Construction – Installing new materials
The construction portion typically has fewer surprises, unless you didn’t anticipate some findings in the demolition process. At this point, you’ve already repaired any issues you’ve found while doing demolition and you’re ready to start installing your new materials. Working with new materials is a lot of fun and typically goes smooth, depending on how well you prepped in the demolition phase. Make sure you take the time to make sure everything is square, level, and plumb!
Phase 4: Finishing Touches
Finally, we’re down to trim, molding, paint, and caulk!! These finishing touches will put the cherry on top of your remodel project. Taking the time to ensure everything looks flawless will pay off in the apparent quality of your remodel. After all, this is what everyone will see when they look at the remodeling job. They won’t see the new wires that were perfectly installed behind the drywall or the properly vented plumbing for your island sink. This phase is where you wow yourself and others, so take the time to make sure everything looks perfect!
Sell my house easily with unfinished remodel – Indianapolis, IN
If you bit off more than you can chew with a remodeling project, you could always sell the house in its current condition. Listing with a realtor could be problematic depending on the phase you left the remodel in. Maybe homebuyers are looking for a turn-key, ready-to-move-in, home. Fortunately, there are options to sell an unfinished remodel in Indianapolis, IN. Heritage Capital can help you sell your unfinished remodel the easy way! Give us a call today (317) 751-7011.