Your Building Blog for the Rochester Area

Before jumping into a home remodeling project many homeowners want to know the value of what they’re getting. That’s smart thinking, but it’s a little bit tricky because you really have to consider value from two points of view. 

On the one hand, you have to evaluate how much enjoyment and comfort you’ll get out of the project. This isn’t just an investment we’re talking about—it’s your home, and you shouldn’t underestimate the value of feeling comfortable, secure and happy in the place where you spend a lot of your time.

On the other hand, your home is probably your single largest investment. If you decide to sell your home in the future, you want to be able to get the most out of it that you can—and that means making improvements that will increase resale value. Here are a few remodeling projects that generate the best return on the money you’ll spend to complete them.

Remodel Your Kitchen. Because the kitchen is the heart and hub of the home, it’s the room that potential buyers pay most attention to. Some reports show that homeowners can recover between 70 to 80 percent of the money they spend remodeling the kitchen. But guess what? You’ll be spending a lot of time in your newly remodeled kitchen as well and you’ll get to enjoy it. So even if the financial payback isn’t quite what the reports project, it will be worth it!

Add Some Living Space. Generally speaking, when you add functional living space to your home, you increase the value. People may have differing tastes when it comes to style, but space is something everyone values. Projects that add useable space hold their value better. If you turn your unfinished basement into an entertainment room or convert your attic into a spare bedroom you may be able to recoup about 75 percent of your cost. Again, think about the benefit you’ll get from this project. What is that worth to you?

Build Out Your Bathroom. Bathroom remodels remain the second most popular remodeling project, partly because these rooms are used frequently! A full remodel of an existing bathroom can pay back approximately 65 percent of the cost. And if you’ve got a growing family, having a fully functional bathroom for the kids (instead of having them share yours) is priceless!

Do a Deck. Many homeowners are surprised at how much value a well-done deck adds to their home. And yet, homeowners who add decks generally recover as much as 85 percent of their investment. One of the nice things about putting on a deck is that it doesn’t disrupt your normal routine as much during the construction process. It’s fairly quick and painless to do. And it’s like adding another “room” to your house at a greatly reduced cost.

So what’s the value of a home renovation project? First and foremost you need to decide what it’s worth to you. How much enjoyment will you derive from it? Will it improve your quality of life? Will it relieve stress? Then consider which projects are most likely to retain the value and appeal to someone who might want to buy your house later. 

It’s easy to accumulate “stuff” over time. We all do it. We keep things that have sentimental value. We have items that we only use on special occasions (like holiday decorations).  Some of us have tools or hobby items that don’t get used regularly, but need a place to live.

When building a new home, it’s easy to underestimate how much storage room you’ll really need—or to forget about it entirely. But it’s a great thing to think about early in the planning stages because the additional cost to add storage space is minimal if you let your builder know about it up front. And what’s great about building storage in from the beginning is that your builder can often be creative about finding what otherwise might be unused space and converting it to storage. That’s really nice because it doesn’t take living space away.

You may be able to have storage space built into the side of a stairway. Or, if you’ve got walk-in attic space that’s easily accessible, that’s another option. Your builder may be able to build storage capabilities in between studs in your garage—or in the space above the garage. And don’t forget to ask you builder about taking advantage of space in the basement. 

Your builder may have ideas you’ve never thought about. But the important thing is to think through how much space you’ll need ahead of time and talk to your builder first. Don’t give up precious living space to store stuff you only use occasionally.

Many of us are “hands-on” kind of people. It’s hard for us to sit idly by as other people work. And when there is something as important as the remodeling of our home going on—we want to be right in the middle of things, helping out. After all, we reason, it’s our house!

Here’s the thing: You remodeling professional actually does want your help! There are a number of things you can do that will greatly improve your (and his!) home remodeling experience. It’s just that none of them involve picking up a hammer or saw!

Your remodeling professional may be doing the physical work, but as the homeowner, there are things you can do to make things go more smoothly—for your contractor and yourself.

Here are five ways you can do to improve your home remodeling experience:

1. Make yourself available. After you and your builder have agreed upon the right plan for your remodeling project there will still be a lot of small decisions to make as you get into construction, and your remodeler will want your input.  Sometimes delays on small decisions can result in long delays. Make sure your remodeler can reach you if he needs a decision—even on short notice—so he can stay on schedule. You’ll be happier in the end—and so will he.

2. Get the space ready. Your remodeler needs space to work. You don’t want to pay him to move things around—you want to pay him to remodel your home. So remove any furniture, pictures, decorations, drapes—or anything else that doesn’t need to be in the area before your contractor shows up to work. If there are things you can’t move, make sure you cover them completely because there WILL be dust! Your contractor will be able to work better in a cleared out space and you’ll protect your items from damage.

3. Select products/materials ahead of time. A big cause of delays is when the materials being used in the remodeling process aren’t there when the builder needs them. You really don’t want to wait until construction has started before you pick out lighting, flooring, cabinets, and appliances. Making these decisions (and purchasing them) ahead of time will help you avoid frustrating delays later.

4. Don’t wait for the “right time” to discuss concerns with your builder. Sometimes homeowners are a little hesitant to bring an issue up with the remodeler. But it’s much easier (and less expensive) to make a correction or an adjustment early in the process. So if you think something is off track, don’t be bashful! Bring it up as soon as possible.

5. Expect the unexpected. Maybe it’s impossible to expect the unexpected, but it’s good to know that unpredictable things will happen. Your cabinets may be out-of-stock. Inclement weather may cause delays. Occasionally your contractor will uncover am existing problem that he didn’t create. These things happen and sometimes they are simply out of your contractor’s control. Remember, he wants to finish on time as much as you do. Roll with the punches and try to enjoy the process!