There are 3 ways to go; 1- You act as the general contractor where you select then hire and manage each contractor. 2- You hire a GC with designer included 3- You hire a GC and a designer separately. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

I'd start by making and prioritizing a detailed list. After living in the house for a spell, you will find the list has changed. This takes a while. At least a few months.

During that time, research contractors in your area. If you can find one that will handle the whole job, that is a good way to go as there is only one person to blame.

Which route you go depends largely on budget, then on the amount of control / input you desire. Acting as your own GC is the least expensive, but takes much more of your time. The design part can easily be separated off from the actual work, as the design part is largely finished before the first tool is touched. There are times during the construction process where installers will have design related questions.

Start with your budget. It had better be substantial. http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2015/ Then start with the projects that your budget will realistically cover.Develop the design, complete with all specifications clearly spelled out.

Disclaimer that I am in the early planning stages of my kitchen/bath project, so I'm just sharing my experience to date and thought process. Very interested to hear others' experiences on this topic.

I met with some design-build firms, they were extraordinarily professional with a clear process (one-stop shop) but big $$$ (e.g. $100K kitchen) that I can't justify spending.

I ended up hiring a KD who drew up an awesome kitchen/bath that I'm taking to GCs to get bids. This cost less upfront than the design-build firm deposit, and I believe costs will be lower by hiring the design and construction separately.

Cons: KDs don't seem to know actual construction costs, so you don't know until after you pay for the design and bid it whether you can afford the design (they say they know, but have underestimated compared to GC bids). In the extreme cases, I read about people spending tens of thousands for plans for whole-house remodels, then find that the design costs 3x their budget to build, so the design $ is wasted. For design-build, the firm would have visibility to construction costs and be able to help you make design trade-offs to fit the budget.

I've found the GCs outside the design-build firms are more flexible on me sourcing materials, using less expensive materials (design-build insisted on all-plywood cabinets for example), and me hiring out parts of the job separately (i.e. Ikea installers for cabinets and countertops). This is cheaper, but riskier since it blurs the line on responsibility for the project.

I think the only reason not to do design-build is the cost. Hiring GC and designer separately will likely be cheaper (in my case, by a lot!), but it does make the process more complicated.

I'd like to ask why are you buying a home that needs all these renovations? The renovations you are speaking of are a lot of $$$$. You may not get your investment back.

If the home isn't a 'deal' - I'd look for an existing home that is more to your liking.

I understand why you might want to buy and then renovate a house. I've done it with several. Many of us like to have our houses the way we want them, no matter what condition when we purchase. Sometimes you can get a relative bargain by buying a house that needs remodeling.

Now that these forums have moved to houzz, it seems like most of the replies are from pros. They have their own spin. My experience is that you can luck out or be sorely disappointed, no matter which way you go. With each renovation project, I've learned more caveats, but the "pros" always find new ways to surprise me. Current contract specifies 55 work days. Oops, forgot to define "day" and whether any week will have a full 5 work days. Into 80-something days now, they way normal people would define it, and no end in sight. Today's day started at around 1:30 pm. Yesterday's started at 9:30 am and lasted until about 1 pm. Every single day has been like this.

But that's not why you came here. I've had my best luck with a KD who sold cabinets. So, yes, they have a vested interest in selling you cabinets, but ours carried several lines at different price points and was very thoughtful about design and things to consider that I hadn't thought of. He did not pressure me at all. If you start with this type of KD, he/she might be able to recommend contractors. Ours used to include installation and remodeling, but he got too much aggravation from being in the middle and decided to extract himself. He did recommend someone, who also did his showroom and work at his house, and was willing to work directly with the contractor when warranted.

Even if you go with a GC, don't expect that person to carry out all your wishes. You still have to monitor the job. You read all the time that acting as your own GC means you have to coordinate all the subs, implying that hiring a GC will make all that run smoothly. Then the GC says the painter's not available, the plumber had an emergency, the electrician's truck broke down.... I don't know of any other profession that gets away with this. Imagine that you show up at the hospital for surgery and they tell you the anesthesiologist's car broke down, so maybe tomorrow. Or your accountant didn't get your taxes done on time because it snowed. There I go again. Sorry to be so discouraging, but ask lots of questions, get as much as possible in writing, and while you're getting referrals, ask for a good lawyer.

Full disclosure: Our company is a residential design/build firm. We do both remodeling as well as new construction and we have a licensed architect on staff. In our 32 years, we've worked from plans produced by independent architects, designers, draftsmen, and our own staff architect (13 years on staff.)

The design/build project delivery method should reduce the "surprises" and overall costs of your remodel. Plus, you won't find yourself in the middle of a designer and remodeler pointing fingers at each other. In our area, architect fees for remodeling projects run around 10% to 12% of total project cost. Design is incidental to our construction work and averages less than 4% of total project cost. Since we'll be executing the plans we produce, our production supervisors take time in the field during design-- to evaluate existing conditions. With their involvement we're able to identify the majority of potential problems and address them in the design stage--not in construction. This is advantageous to us and to our clients. It helps to keep projects on track, on budget and reduce the stress involved in any construction project.

If you decide hiring an independent architect better suits your needs, I recommend also selecting your remodeling company at the same time and getting their input in the design phase. Do take the time to perform due diligence on anybody you hire.

Best wishes for a successful project.

We were in the exact same boat. Just bought a house with plans for a total remodel. We thought hiring a designer first, to do our floor plan and finishes was the best option. But when it came time to find the contractor to carry out the work, the best contractor (after meeting several, going on tours etc) was one that had a full design-build team. Their ideas didn't coincide with designers so we ended up parting ways with designer and pretty much wasted the time and money spent. This was our choice of course.

However, working with the DB new team ( it is only the early stages tho), it's been much easier... one stop shop! Best decision we feel we've made so far.

@ Sophie

I just looked at your resource and for my area that thing is so ridiculously overpriced it is crazy. I am in one of the lowest skilled labor markets in the country and a high end basement remodel, that is significantly nicer than than what they are quoting came back 1/2 of the price. No one in my area is doing a kitchen remodel anything near what that is quoting. I can't readily find the stats they used to determine it but they have some problem with their math.

I assure you that no one outcheaps MS in the cheap labor market. We're usually 50 out of 50 in most any list. We don't have basements down here for me to comment on the validity of those quoted costs. We do have kitchens and baths and bedroom additions, and those costs quoted are valid for complete gut projects done 100% by professionals with permits, licenses and insurance for all involved. The numbers do not cover DIY involvement, unlicensed labor, or less than full projects. Sure, plenty of projects are done with lesser expense, but plenty are also done with greater expense.

An associate just did a kitchen remodel in the city that I looked up. It gave the average high end remodel as $105,000. He tore the kitchen down to the studs, had a level 5 finish applied for drywall, new electric, had gas ran, spent $35,000 in appliances alone and still came out well under $100,000 in 600 square foot kitchen.

Your study quotes basement remodels at $100 per square foot for medium level I could not find one for high end. I have a quote from the president of the local Home Builders Association and someone who has been featured in Fine Homebuilding and Custom Builder on multiple occasions. The quote includes an English pub with bar, a half bath (already plumbed), stacked stone wall 9' x 24', solid wood wainscoting on three walls, coffered ceiling in pub, home theater with two raised levels of seating, and with walnut and cloth wall panels. The whole thing including wiring and soundproofing with isolation clips and double floor massed drywall is $80 per square foot. The average basement remodel here for mid level is $25- $40 per square. I have talked to three custom builders that support those averages.

I am not saying everything the study says is wrong for everyone. And I believe the spending to value looks about right but I am just not so sure it is a great budgeting tool. I would tell people to call real pros in the area and check it out.

The majority of our company's remodeling projects are kitchen and bath remodels and additions. We've found the cost data reported in Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value report for our market to represent reasonable budget estimates for typical projects. This may not hold true for all projects or all markets.

Project costs listed in the report are inferred using estimating software and are provided by a third party. You can find more information about the methodology via the link below.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2014/methodology

As always, it's best to consult professionals in your area regarding local project costs.