You have envisioned what you want your dream home to look like, now the question is how will you bring it to life? Will you go for a full home remodel or opt for room-by-room upgrades? There are definitely advantages and challenges with either approach, so it’s about what appeals to you more and other factors like cost, timeline, and more. After reading this post, you’ll be better equipped to make that decision. We’ll explore the pros and cons of full remodels vs room by room remodels, cost factors to keep in mind, how to choose the right approach and more.
What Is a Full Home Remodel?
A whole house remodel is when you renovate multiple rooms at once. It often involves making several structural changes to the house. When you go for this option, you get a more cohesive look to your house since everything is done at once.
There are a few basic steps that are involved in the full home renovation planning process. First, you’ll need to hire a professional remodeler. Make a list of potential contractors and do your research on each company. Then narrow it down to the one you feel most confident will execute the plan within a budget and timeline that works for you. Your contractor will help you come up with floor plans, obtain necessary permits, and draft an estimated schedule. Finally, the work can begin.
When construction is complete, your contractor will arrange for inspections and conduct a walk-through to ensure that everything is up to your standard.
What Are Room-by-Room Upgrades?
Room-by-room upgrades are phased home renovations that take on one room at a time. This option works well if you only have a specific room you’d like to upgrade like an outdated bathroom or a kitchen that’s not cohesive with the rest of the home. Room-by-room renovations have the advantage of being flexible. You can tweak aspects of the overall design plan as you see results and plan for changes without having to redo as much. However, you need to keep in mind that it can be harder to achieve overall style consistency when you renovate one room at a time. This is especially true if you use different contractors for each room.
Cost Comparison: Full Remodel vs. Room-by-Room Renovations
Comparing home renovation costs is vital in reaching a decision between full home remodeling vs renovating room by room. Whole house renovations tend to cost less in the long run. This is because contractors are more inclined to offer discounts on larger projects. So yes, the upfront cost might be higher, but broken down long-term, you get more for your money than you would with room-by-room renovations. Additionally, you also have to factor in increased labour and material costs as you wait in between projects. Despite these advantages and long-term savings, going for a large remodeling project may not always be financially feasible for everyone.
Timeline & Disruption Considerations
When you’re thinking about possible timelines, you’re inconvenienced for a shorter time overall with full home remodels than when you add the individual timelines for room-by-room upgrades. That being said, it is quite disruptive because you have to consider alternate accommodation for a long stretch of time as the work is going on. On the upside, you only have to go through that disruption once. Simply put, a full home renovation involves a more intense disruption to your home life in a shorter span of time, but you get it over and done with at once.
With room-by-room renovations, the advantage is that you can usually remain in your home and have some semblance of normalcy in your routine. This type of renovation involves less disruption but over a longer period of time. You’ll experience lots of inconveniences over months, or even years, depending on your project timeline and budget.
Which Option Adds More Home Value?
Choosing between a full home remodel or room-by-room upgrades also depends on which option increases the value of your home more. In general, full home remodels are the better choice for this reason. This is especially true if you’re updating the kitchen, bathroom, and living room at once. If your renovation includes exterior upgrades, that also bumps up the curb appeal of your home.
Related article: Home Renovations That Do Not Add Value
How to Choose the Right Renovation Approach for Your Home
There is no single best way to renovate a house. There are many factors to consider when determining which is the right option for you. First, you’ll need to figure out whether your budget accommodates a full home remodel or if it’s better to go for the room-by-room route. Another consideration is if you need to make structural or layout changes that affect multiple rooms. If so, the whole house renovation route might be better for you. You also need to consider whether the timeline and the disruption to your home life and routine works for you. For example, if you have young children or pets, you’ll need to think about what makes more sense for accommodating their needs. A room-by-room approach might be the better option in that case.
If you do choose the room-by-room approach, then you need to figure out which room to start with. In general, we advise that you begin with rooms that have structural issues or outdated systems such as plumbing or electrical systems. This is to prevent running into costly repairs down the line. If your structures and systems are intact, then you could decide which room to start with by determining which one impacts your daily routine the most. Typically, this would be the kitchen or bathroom. Another advantage of doing either of these rooms first is that they have a better return on investment than other rooms.
Talk to a Professional Before You Decide
This post covered the basics of what to expect for both full remodels and room-by-room upgrades. However, it’s best to talk to a professional before you come to a final decision. Our experts here at Greenview Renovation are more than happy to walk you through everything that goes into how to plan a home renovation.
Contact us today to get started on planning your home remodel in Palm Beach.
