Establishing Your Home Remodeling Priorities

First

Before you start serious planning for a home remodeling project – and before you start talking to remodeling contractors – it’s useful to define your remodeling priorities. We hope you find tips helpful in getting the most from your home remodeling project. Also, see our tips on How to Select a Remodeling Contractor.

Unless otherwise instructed in a question, establish your priorities assuming you can afford to do the project and use the remodeler(s) you want. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. Instead, these questions will help you clarify what matters most to you and to see your priorities in ways you may not otherwise consider. Share your priorities with the remodeler you select.

Things To Consider

• In what ways is my home not working for me? (For example, not enough room to entertain or for overnight guests, the kids need a place to play, I have no place for myself, I need more storage space, the house looks old and depressing, kitchen and bathrooms are terribly outdated.)
• What is it about my home that I want to change? (For example: make more space, improve appearance, increase functionality, modernize it, fix it up for resale, etc.)
• What must I absolutely have in my remodeling project?
• What more would I like to have done to my home if I can afford it?
• What would be nice to have – but that I could do without if it added too much cost?
• What do I want to invest in this project?
• What am I willing and able to invest in this project to have it the way I want it?
• How do these things rank in my priority when selecting a remodeler?
  Quality of design
  Quality of construction
  Quality of service
  Smooth running project
  Energy efficiency
  Other
• What is more important to me when considering the following?
  Getting the absolute best quality and service I can afford
  Getting the best quality and service within what I would like to spend
  Getting best value (value = your ideal balance of quality/service desired and price)
  Getting lowest cost (what you pay the contractor for the project and not future maintenance or replacement costs)
  Other