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Whole Home Remodel: Where to Start??

last month

last modified: last month

We would love some help on where to start a large total home remodel. My husband and I plan to remodel our 20+ year old home, pretty much from top to bottom. It is approximately 3800 square feet, 5 BR, 2 1/2 bath, in the upstate/Capital District area of NY. The home has many redeeming qualities (gorgeous views and natural light), however we are ready to remodel into a more livable home for us ... additional bathrooms, pantry, rearrange rooms (eg, relocate the primary BR to first floor), add a mudroom, expand the laundry space, reconsider the exterior so it feels more integrated with our surrounding land. Also want to add an additional detached garage in addition to the attached three car garage we currently have. We have two young elementary school children and want to enjoy our home while they're young and growing .. and want the home to transition as we age (we're in our 50s) also. We have a house plan that we love as a conceptual starting point - we are also totally open to ideas. Our current timeline is to move out and start the remodel in early 2026 (de/construction). We plan to move out until the house is done.

Can I get advice on where and when to start with deciding/hiring an architect (I assume that's the best direction to go?), budget planning, timelines ... basically everything? We want to start off on the right foot, with enough time to not feel rushed. Can I also get advice on questions to ask when we start talking with architects? How does the interior design process work ... such as deciding on flooring, kitchen design, cabinetry, etc?

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Comments (4)

Seabornman
last month
I'd start with budget, if only to establish what the maximum amount of money you'd want to put in to the house. Then try to find an architect, one experienced in residential addition/renovations. Are there houses in your area receiving the same work? Stop by and chat with the owners. Most people are happy to talk about their house project. Get some names. Houzz has pros that advertise.

Work with an architect up through schematic design, then talk to some builders about budget and see if you're in the ball park.
kenmargirl thanked Seabornman
Cathy Power
last month
This sounds really exciting!

Please do thorough research on the professionals that you intend to hire - especially the contractor.

Before you engage contractors, try to determine the style and materials you want. Since it is a really large project, you may want to hire a designer. I always start with an inspiration board, so I have pictures of the things that I really like. Be confident of your plan before you start. Change orders can get really expensive.

Interview them to make sure that you are compatible. Get Multiple Estimates, Hire Local, Licensed Contractors Whenever Possible, Check Their Past Work, Take Your Time Making a Sound Decision, Check Their Insurance and Bonding, Get Everything in Writing, Understand Your Right to Cancel, Don’t Pay Upfront , Anticipate Delays, Keep a Job File. Many contractors will ask your budget and tell you what they can do for that budget. It's not always accurate and can end up in unanticipated costs. Best to tell them what you want and ask how much.
kenmargirl thanked Cathy Power
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I would suggest going thru each project thoroughly going down to each little detail and price it all out. I have a feeling along with others that your budget will get eaten up with one or two of those items. If it was me id prefer to do everything at once. Unless your okay with having work constantly being done. Reworking all your plumbing is going to be a large chunk. Reshingle the roof is 10k+ easy. Depending on type of flooring can easily be 15k+ for whole house. That right there is essentially you entire budget. You might be able to fit in the AC and water heater but you havent even touched the bathroom or your kitchen yet. And id be cautious of who you hire too. Lots of hacks out there that either do a poor job or can run up the bill fast. Its good to see you doing some homework before you dive in Also dontforget to figure in the price of the designer.
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Get your general involved early. In most cases, a good general can either assist with the design or has a good designer you can with with that they also are comfortable with (usually, if you like the general, they tend to work with similar people, so chances are, you will like their people as well). Must generals will also either have the ability to generate plans for the roof section and an engineer to review and stamp if necessary, and/or an architect/pan designer to assist in that process. Without plans on the roof section, proposals you receive will be estimates based on final design which means a bit of a moving target and more difficult to compare apples to apples between various GC. IMO, get proposals on the clearly defined work (most generals will give budgets for unspecified items based on their interviewing of you) and make a selection you feel most comfortable with based on the more concrete projects. Of course let them know you intend to do the roof section. If you need a roof number, just ask that section specifically be broken out from the total project.
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Actually I booked a virtual reality game room for my birthday party and they rescheduled me to mid-may without charging a cancellation fee! I think that's pretty good service :) Husband had something a little more serious than a virus it seems, but is recovering well, but has a follow up appointment with the hospital to do more investigation. Fingers crossed it was just a one-off complication from the virus.
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we want to expand house 15 feet, and our wish list includes: new kitchen- big island, double ovens; over looking family room, fireplace, mudroom, two remodeled bathrooms, master bedroom with ensuite bathroom, mud room, and raised basement with easy outside accessbility.
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HU-910663146
last month
Are you sure you don't want to sell and buy a new house?
Katie B.
last month
100% set a budget that includes 15% for a designer and a healthy contingency. These projects require So.Many.Decisions. Having just gone through this process I can tell you having a designer was invaluable. Designers often have other professionals they work with and trust as well (architects, contractors, materials/sources at a discount). She took care of all of the steps, scheduling, ordering. I was very involved but only on the things that brought me joy. Invaluable I tell you.
kenmargirl thanked Katie B.

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