Home Remodeling: Creating Your Dream Remodel

Stepping into a whole-house remodel is just like buying a brand new model home complete with all of your specific custom designs.

It can transform an outdated or poorly maintained home into a dream remodel that’s made to fit your lifestyle in every way.

However, the whole-house remodel steps can be quite a complicated process and not all homeowners arrive at the conclusion to do a complete remodel from the start.

“[Our remodel] started really small. We were going to do the master bathroom remodel but we kind of realized that when you started touching one part of the house, you kind of flowed into the next…so we kept going with it,” says John Howard.

The Howard’s remodel turned into a complete whole-house remodel that transformed their outdated seventies-style home into a gorgeous, updated, and spacious home.

The old formal living room was remodeled into the dining room. The living room was opened up to flow right into the kitchen which doubled in size and gave the Howard’s a walk-in kitchen pantry.

Custom cabinets, personalized area lighting, luxurious multi-shower heads, wine cellars, and smart technology throughout the home are just some of the amenities in a whole-house remodel that can make an ordinary home a dream home.

Whole-House Remodel Steps

Once you decide you want a whole-house remodel where do you begin?

A major home renovation requires diligent planning and attention to detail from the start. It also requires a remodeling team that walks you through the steps in advance to avoid confusion and then guides you through the process so that you’re not overwhelmed as walls are torn down and floors ripped up.

Here are a few things to explore before you begin your whole-house remodel.

• Think long-term: find the right contractor that will help you think outside of the box and design a plan for your whole-house remodel that will be a home you’ll not only appreciate in a few years but also will be useful and accommodating as you age. Perhaps wider entryways or lower countertops might be helpful and can easily be included as part of a Universal Design that won’t make the home look odd. You might also want a room addition that could be used as a granny flat for an elderly parent. Maybe you’re planning to get an electric car. A whole-house remodel is the time to create the space you’ll need to install an electric charging station. And, it may be time to rewire the house and ground your outlets as well as update your electrical panel to accommodate new devices.

  A good design-build contractor will help you imagine how you’ll use your home in the future so that you can remodel it to fit your needs now and throughout the decades.
• Keep it quiet: while insulation isn’t the first thing that comes to mind for most homeowners, a whole-house remodel is the perfect time to look at better ways to deaden the sound to keep noises confined to specific areas like the bathroom. Today, you can use resilient channels in ceilings to stop noise from traveling from one room or floor level to another. Sound insulation in media rooms will help eliminate unwanted noise from traveling so that what the kids are watching on TV in another room doesn’t have to drive you crazy while you’re working in your office. This also is a good time to change old outdated plumbing lines to new copper pipes that are more durable and transport water more quietly than cast iron or plastic pipes. The new copper plumbing will stop that “waterfall” sound you hear in the walls of some older homes when a toilet is flushed.
• Roofs, windows, doors, siding, and more: there are a lot of choices to make during your whole-house remodel. You’ll want to carefully consider how new windows or siding will impact an exterior of the home that might remain as-is. If a majority of the exterior will be new, it might be better to replace everything to match. It’s also important for your contractor to help you understand structural requirements.
• Factors that affect price: remodeling is not a one-size-fits-all service or price because there are so many custom details and considerations that impact the remodeling cost like the age of the home and its location, specific renovations, necessary building permits, desired finishes and features. If you get the right contractor working for you, a whole-house remodel can be like living in the home you always wanted to design and build–it has your touch throughout the entire home. Marrokal Design & Remodeling has been in the remodeling industry since 1981 and has earned numerous awards. However, what we value most are the testimonials from happy homeowners whose homes have been transformed by our design plans and remodeling work.