Thinking about renovating your home: excitement, joy, anticipation!
How the typical homeowner feels actually doing it: overwhelm, stress, confusion. No thank you.
Fear not! For you deserve a low-stress home remodeling process. With a little preparation, planning, and a clear roadmap, transforming your space into the home of your dreams can be a journey you take confidently. This step-by-step guide will walk you through each stage of the home renovation process, helping you navigate potential challenges and make informed decisions along the way.
1. Define Your Home Renovation Goals
Separate Your Needs vs. Wants
The first step in any successful home renovation is outlining exactly what you want to accomplish. Consider both functional and aesthetic improvements, think about what’s currently working for you and what’s not. Make an actual list!
- Tip: Browsing galleries of completed projects by companies will ensure your style inspiration is actually possible.
Understand Materials & HOA Requirements
Obviously, you’ll want to hire specialized experts who know what they’re doing. However, understanding the available materials will help you confidently discuss your project with the experts and help you make the best choices for your home. Be sure to note the cost, durability, and maintenance requirements for each one.
- Note: If you’re a part of an HOA, this is a good time to re-familiarize yourself with their rules around renovation projects.
Prioritize What Matters Most
It can be helpful to prioritize all your needs and wants before getting too far into your project. This can be a grounding reference for when budget constraints force you to ask, “is this worth it?” You’ll be able to allocate your budget more effectively and ensure that you’re not distracted from what matters most to you.
Our Expert Insight:
“Many people get stuck when they fixate on a specific preconceived notion of what their project should look like at the end. Focus on what matters most: how your daily life is transformed when it’s complete.”
-Michael Musuraca, Regional Operations Manager at Great Day Improvements
2. Research Your Hiring & Financial Options
Understanding your project budget and hiring the right professional are steps that go hand-in-hand. While online calculators or general estimates can give you a ballpark idea of how much your project will cost, they can’t assess the specifics of your home and project that could cause the amount to go up or down.
What Home Improvement Company Should You Work With?
Get Multiple Quotes For Your Project
- It’s not ideal to go with the first company or quote you get for your project. Get at least three different quotes to compare against each other. Note: You might not be able to compare quotes directly—some may not include the same features or benefits.
- Quotes should always be a free in-home consultation with a renovation professional who can meet when you can—including evenings and weekends.
- During these in-home visits, they should assess your specific needs, discuss the products available, and any customization options that align with your renovation goals. After taking precise measurements, they’ll provide you with a comprehensive quote and potential installation timeline.
Evaluate the Company’s Reputation
Online reviews can be helpful, but they aren’t everything. Be thoughtful in how you use them to evaluate a company. Look for repeated patterns rather than one-off complaints or exaggerated praise. Many things can go wrong in renovations—pay attention to how the company handles it. Take note of how the job was done and how the homeowner was treated.
Consider the Entire Value Over Just the Cost
Resist the allure of purely price-based decisions. Instead, balance costs with the quality of their products, reputation of their customer service, accountability of their warranties, and the experience and expertise the company provides.
Check For Good & Bad Signs of a Home Improvement Company
Green flags:
- Established companies with years of experience
- Specialized experts in your type of project
- Strong online presence with multiple ways to contact (e.g. email, phone)
- Timely and professional responses
- Provides proof of licensing and insurance without hesitation
- Clear processes for addressing concerns
- Has recent examples of similar work
- Good warranty coverage
- Transparent contracts
Red flags:
- Not easily found online
- Slow or unprofessionally casual communication
- Consistent negative or suspicious reviews
- Excessively low bids
- Vague contracts
- Cagey about sharing credentials or past work examples
- Pushy to get you to sign a contract before you’re ready
- No accountability for long-term maintenance or repairs
How Much Are You Going to Spend?
Understand Your Home Renovation Budget
Your budget often determines the potential scope of your renovation. Think about your budget in two numbers, or a range:
- Your ideal budget
This is the number you’re more comfortable with—it doesn’t leave your palms sweating. - Your stretch budget
This is the absolute ceiling of what you’re willing to spend. You’re sweating, but it’s not unmanageable.
Add a Budget Contingency Plan
No matter how experienced your home renovation company is, it’s always possible for unexpected costs to come up during a project. Older homes often reveal hidden problems once work begins, such as outdated wiring, plumbing issues, or structural concerns. However, a newer home that’s been poorly constructed or flipped could have just as many issues. Consider adding a 5-10% buffer to any quote you get to prepare for the unexpected and still stay within your budget.
Start Thinking About Financing
There are many ways that homeowners can finance their home improvement projects. Take the time to understand each option and what the pros/cons are for you and your financial situation.
- Pay cash from your savings
- Use a credit card
- Take out a personal or a home equity loan
- Get a home equity line of credit (HELOC)
- Cash out your current mortgage and refinance
Be sure to check with the companies you’re getting quotes from. Most established companies have attractive financing options through partnerships. This could help you narrow down which home improvement company you want to work with.
Our Expert Insight:
“Dollars aren’t the only thing of value in an improvement project. Whether you’re staying after it’s complete or selling, houses are an investment and it’s important to make sure you’re getting the most out of it.”
-William Shannon, Regional Manager at Great Day Improvements
3. Make Your Hiring Selection
Verify Their Credentials & Insurance
If you haven’t done so yet, verify that all professionals have proper insurance coverage and required licensing for your jurisdiction. This verification protects you from potential liability issues during the renovation.
Review Your Contract THOROUGHLY
At this point you may be ready to just get things started, but this is the key moment to take your time. Be sure every detail is reflected in your contract and that you understand it completely before signing it. Verbal mentions and promises are NOT binding. Confirm your contract includes:
- Scope of work
- Project timeline
- Payment schedule
- Licensing and insurance information
- Warranty terms
- Who will take care of permits and approvals (this can vary)
Advocate For Yourself as a Homeowner
- If something is missing from your contract, insist that it gets added in. A company that’s not willing to put a verbal promise in writing is not a company you want to work with.
- Ask questions. Even if it feels like you should know it by now or it was previously explained. If you still don’t understand something, make sure you do before you sign.
- Set clear expectations for your communication needs. Tell them how often you would like to be updated and in what way and confirm who your main point of contact is.
- Request copies of all documents. It’s essential you have your own records to reference whenever you need to.
Our Expert Insight:
“A good company will have processes that build your confidence, comfort level, and communication and style. That’s going to reduce your anxiety levels and make the project more enjoyable.”
-Michael Musuraca, Regional Operations Manager at Great Day Improvements
4. Prepare for Your Home Installation
If you haven’t been having fun yet, this is when it all starts to come together!
Schedule a Final Measuring Appointment
A specialized professional will need to survey the project site more thoroughly and take precise measurements to ensure components are ordered and made specifically to fit your project.
Obtain Required Permits
The responsibility for obtaining necessary permits should already be outlined in your contract. It’s an essential legal requirement that, while sometimes time-consuming, ensures your renovation meets building codes and safety standards.
Finalize Designs, Plans, & Materials
Your renovation team will consult with you to develop conceptual designs, technical drawings, and material selections that specify the exact details of how the project will be completed. This may require a lot of consideration and negotiation based on what’s possible in your space, your budget, and your style preferences.
Schedule Installation Day(s)
Once plans are finalized, manufacturing begins for any custom elements required for your project. This period typically involves some waiting time as materials are ordered and fabricated to your specifications. However, once it’s ordered, your renovation team should have a clear idea of when they can begin the installation phase and will schedule that with you.
Prepare Your Home for Installation
Most home improvement projects will allow you to remain in your home during the installation. However, you can choose to temporarily relocate based on the scope of work, the areas being renovated, and your tolerance for disruption. Regardless, it’s key to:
- Have an authoritative adult present during the entirety of your installation. This may seem inconvenient, but it’s essential to prevent delays and oversee the work being done.
- Clear a substantial path for your renovation team to bring tools and materials to the project area. You could cause delays if there’s furniture or other personal items blocking or near to the project site. Your renovation team can’t move those objects for you, as it would be a liability issue that’s not outlined in your contract.
- Secure or relocate any pets from your home. Animals can be a physical liability to your renovation team (think: tripping under feet), could cause delays (slowing the team down), could easily get out of the house (with open doors/people coming and going), and might be an allergy or a fear that would keep your team from working at all.
Our Expert Insight:
“Being available during your project is essential to making sure that you know exactly what you bought and that what’s under contract all got installed to a quality satisfaction.”
-William Shannon, Regional Manager at Great Day Improvements
5. What to Expect During & After Renovation
During Construction & Installation
While the physical work is underway, here are key things to keep in mind:
Engage in Regular Communication
Your renovation team should keep you regularly updated on progress, delays, or unexpected issues. Don’t hesitate to remind them of your communication preferences and to ask questions if what’s going on is unclear.
Practice Patience
Understand that something (perhaps more than one!) may not go as planned, like delayed materials or hidden structural issues being uncovered. Reputable professionals will work to address these with honesty, integrity, and proactivity.
Maintain Your Oversight
Familiarize yourself with the work schedule and inspect progress with your team at major milestones. This is still your house and work that you’re paying for—you’re always going to be your best advocate.
Post Installation
Once the construction is complete, walk through the completed project with the lead installer or supervisor. This should take anywhere from 5-20 minutes depending on the scale.
- Carefully inspect the work for everything listed in your contract.
- Point out any issues, adjustments, or unfinished tasks to be rectified. Reputable professionals will typically have already identified these and will have a clear plan for wrapping these up within a set timeframe.
- Have the team demonstrate how to properly use and maintain any special features in your renovation (e.g., locking mechanisms, cleaning tips).
After all the final tasks have been addressed to your satisfaction, collect all warranty documentation for both products and labor. Proper organization and storage of these documents is important for future reference should any warranty claims become necessary.
Once the dust settles and every detail is in place, it’s time to enjoy your newly renovated space. Thoughtful planning, smart choices, and skilled work will always pay off—you’ll create a home that looks great, functions better, and adds value for years to come. Renovation doesn’t have to be stressful. With a solid plan and the right support, it can be smooth and even (admittedly) a little fun.
Ready to transform your space? The expert team at Great Day Improvements is here to help. Contact us today and take the next step toward your dream home with a free consultation.
