Expert Whole Home Remodel for the Best in New Living Spaces
What is a Whole Home Remodel?
A whole home remodel is a home improvement industry term that refers to the updating or removal & replacement of more than one room of a house.
Most often it is associated with a substantial change of an existing house that requires construction drawings and possibly engineering solutions differing from what is traditionally expected from home improvement remodeling.
There are multiple types of whole house renovations with various levels of complexity that we will examine, though a full house remodel of any degree requires careful evaluation of the owners needs fitting with the existing shelters strengths and weaknesses.
In addition to evaluating the property for full home remodeling, the owners need to consider other factors such as schools, location, the “after finish value” of the full house renovations.
There are many reasons and justifications for conducting a whole home remodel on an aging house that has a sound structure but has lost its aesthetic luster and functionality in its ability to support a modern quality life style.
For there are many alternatives to select from when considering a full home remodeling. They generally are associated with the location and or preservation of a house that the owners have an emotional tie to. More about this further on.
The whole house renovation is normally a complex process of moving load bearing walls and changing the space layout to accommodate a larger open living areas or the combining of rooms. This is principally due to older homes having architectural smaller room spaces.
In order to facilitate these types of whole sale changes the owners find it wise to hire experience renovation contractors and remodel designer to advise them early in the process.
The selection process for hiring these professionals is a time consuming but important step in developing a working team through the design process.
We will discuss these items and offer some insights for understanding the cost of home renovation.
What are the Different Types of Full Home Remodeling?
There are different levels of full home remodeling that are available for consideration when evaluating a house. No one project is identical to the next, but every project can be placed into various categories of complexity for identifying.
1. Cosmetic House Remodeling – These types of full house remodeling are the most common and involve complete project painting and or replacing the flooring for the entire property. A project cost of this type might have a cost range of $30/sf – $80/sf. These are still substantial expenditure projects, but can be completed in weeks instead of months.
2. Pull & Replace Full House Remodeling – Are more involved than cosmetic remodeling, but may also include cosmetic replacement items. They typically include complete replacement of items such as kitchen cabinets, bathroom wall & floor tiles and fixtures.
These types of projects may also include full or partial removal of drywall and updating electric outlet locations. The cost range of projects like these are $80/sf – $150/sf and they may take between 4-6 months depending on the size of the house.
3. Full Scale (Gut) House Remodeling – Are normally much more complex, often involving structural engineering for modifications to the foundation and the structural wall and roof framing.
This degree of renovation is common to remove / replace exterior cladding, modify the roof structure and expand the envelop through a home addition.
These full gut house remodeling projects are usually characterized by complete removal of interior finishes and the replacement of the mechanical system, electrical system upgrades and replacement of plumbing supply lines.
The magnitude of the scope of work can vary dramatically, making these full gut remodels unique in their design needs and the cost associated with them. Depending on the magnitude of changes, the cost can range from $200/sf – $400/sf and take anywhere from 6/mo. – 18/mo. to complete.
The project cost should be carefully compiled, analyzed and compared to new construction or moving to a new residence as alternatives.
In most cases the owner has a very good non-financial reason for executing a full gut house remodeling project. These include the existing school districts, their current locations and nearby family or friend.
Financially speaking, more commonly the cost of purchasing a new home or building a new house is considerably more expensive than conducting a whole home remodel.
What are the Pros & Cons of a Whole Home Remodel?
As we have pointed out there are many reasons for taking on a full home remodeling project. In Houston, many of them have to do with the location of the property.
There is a shortage of available lots in the metro Houston area for new home construction. This fact and the common knowledge that new home building can take anywhere from 12 to 24 months to complete make purchasing an older home to gut and remodel an attractive alternative.
Pros for Full House Renovations Con’s for Full House Renovations
1. Great Alternative to New Build 1. Relocation Necessary & Interruptions
2. Substantial Value Increases 2. Expensive Option to Cosmetic Update
3. Improved Energy Efficiency 3. Long Time Line for Improvements
4. Home Tailored to Lifestyle 4. Potential Design Limitations
5. Reducing Future Maintance Cost 5. Potential for Hidden Defects
6. Improved Functionality & Design 6. Large Upfront Investment
There are also additional benefits for undertaking a remodel whole house project for the betterment of the property. Gutting a house allows the owner to replace outdated plumbing and electrical wiring that would otherwise be difficult and more costly to replace during a partial remodel.
It also provides the opportunity to inspect the foundation and frame structure for pest damages or areas compromised by environmental conditions.
It offers a great opportunity to increase the energy efficiency of the house by sealing windows and increasing a better insulation for reducing air infiltration and provide years of utility cost savings.
The greatest benefit may be that the owner can incorporate past due home maintenance into the home renovation plan. This allows the owner to avoid the future home maintance cost as well as the inconvenience of future workman in your house.
Because of the nature of these high-cost projects, developing construction documents, developing a scope of work and soliciting bids is normally required if the owner is planning on financing their project.
Preparing and Planning for a Whole Home Remodel
Preparing and planning a complete house renovation is an important step in the full house remodeling process.
This process begins with understanding your needs based upon your lifestyle. Do you entertain or do the kids have an area that fits their school and social needs?
In addition, why are you motivated to conduct remodeling a whole house project? Should you also weigh in on your assessment of the future family member usage needs of the house?
This is often more than counting how many bathrooms and bedrooms your family will need. It involves looking into the future and understanding how the family can grow into the home.
It requires some research of collecting photo images of spaces and products that you are interested in to communicate your wants and needs to the remodeling designer.
Preparing a wish list is also an effective tool to have composed prior to meeting with your designer. With your wants and needs list and inspiration photos in hand it’s time to begin the home renovation design.
Most owners don’t realize that the actual design process can take many months without the need to do any redesign work. The whole house renovation architectural process involves 3 phases including the concept phase, working drawing stage and final plans and engineering.
As owners you should stay engaged during the design phase. It not only helps the process moving forward, but it also allows you the time to carefully review and assess the many factors in analyzing your shelters improvement design.
Once the construction documents are complete, the owner can begin to solicit bids. If the owner has hired a remodeler during the design phase as an adviser, the owner can have them price the changes much sooner.
How do you Select and Hire a Full Home Remodel Company?
Finding remodeling companies near me starts with a search for a few accredited remodelers that work stands out and speaks to you. In some case’s this requires getting a recommendation from family and friends or searching the internet and examining their websites.
Once the owner has created a list of remodel companies, it’s time to interview them to determine if they might be a good fit to work with. This generally involves interviewing a list of 3-5 contractors using a prepared set of questions that are important to you.
This step in the selection process allows the owner the ability to effectively create a short list of 2-3 remodelers that you have an interest in soliciting a detailed bid proposal.
There are many different types of home remodel companies to choose from with a variety of skills and services.
This choice usually comes down to the design and construction project delivery method that the owners are interested in pursuing.
There are 2 generally accepted approaches for project delivery. The first is the traditional method often referred to as the design to bid method. This is when the owner hires an architect to develop the architectural plans.
The second approach is called the design to build method. This approach is when the owner hires a remodeling design build contractor that offers both design and construction services.
The recognized value of the design to build approach is that the remodeler is responsible for both design and construction and this process is typically a shorter timeframe overall than the traditional method.
What Construction Documents Do You Need for Procuring Bids & Permits?
- Complete Construction Drawings
- Develop a Detailed Scope of Work
- Identify the Selection Finish Materials & Products
- Solicit 2-3 Qualified Full Home Remodel Company
- Detailed Pricing and Draw Schedule
- Sign Contract with Remodeler and Secure Insurance Certificate
What are the Full Home Remodel Process Steps?
- Planning and Design & Engineering
- Demolition & Shoring Load Bearing Members
- Structural Framing & Interior Framing & Roofing
- Windows / Ext Doors
- Ext Brick, Stone, Siding
- Rough-in Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical
- Insulation / Drywall
- Trim / Int Doors / Cabinets
- Painting
- Flooring
- Appliances
What is the Cost of a Whole Home Remodel?
To most owners, the most important aspect of recreating a new gutted home space is the cost of a full house renovation. They may love the new design plans but if the cost of whole home remodel is not within their financial resources the exercise becomes frustrated.
The complete home renovation cost is primarily driven by the selection of décor product finishes chosen by the owner. Items like cabinetry, hard wood floors and windows and doors can collectively amount to as much as 40% of the total hard cost.
Structural modifications to the foundation and frame structure can account for as much as 15%-20% of the total improvement cost.
The more plumbing and electrical lines that are replaced will also have a significant impact on the total full house renovation cost.
Kitchens are the most expensive rooms of the house to remodel with the bathroom a close second. Bedrooms are the least expensive of rooms to remodel.
According to the 2024 U.S. Houzz & Home Study, the overall cost of total home renovations has increased more than 60% since 2021.
What are the Factors Affecting Whole Home Remodel Cost?
There are many factors that contribute to the cost of full home renovations other than the direct house component improvements we have already discussed. Two of the important factors are the actual size of the house and the age of the dwelling.
You will notice that the majority of owners of all size homes engage in some degree of major whole home remodel after the home is 20 years or greater of age.
Financial Feasibility for a Whole Home Remodel
It is very important to determine if your full house renovations are financially feasible. The most effective method is following the processes we have outlined on this page. It may cost you some up front cost to design and prepare detailed bid proposal, but its well worth it to determine if your home improvement project is financially feasible for you.
What is the 30% Spending Rule?
The 30% spending rule for full house renovations is a reasonable quick test to determine if the project is likely to yield a return on your investment. As a rule of thumb, you should initially target a budget no more than 30% of the value of the property in the planning process.
This is not a hard fast rule, but just a guide for mitigating financial risk of planning and preparing of your project.
Although a whole home remodel is a demanding financial requirement, it is normally a lesser total financial commitment than building ground up new construction.
The most accurate method to determine the cost of a whole house renovation is to complete the construction documents and have a remodeling contractor prepare a detailed bid proposal.
If the bid proposals are outside of your financial restraints, your full home remodel company can work with you to value engineer the scope of work and plan design to a renovation cost that fits your requirements.
In addition, evaluating bid proposals are extremely helpful for accessing the various methods of comparing and making cosmetic remodel v full house renovation decisions.
If you have the interest in tackling a whole home remodel in Houston, please feel free to contact Marwood Construction.
The most accurate method to determine the cost of a whole house renovation is to complete the construction documents and have a remodeling contractor prepare a detailed proposal.
