Renovating House- Advice

nolacola ↓

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 11:44 am

- Make a budget and work within it as much as possible. It will always cost more than anticipated.
- Make a list of priorities. Remember some things can be added later quite easily such as nice light fixtures and custom closet shelving, but adding a bathroom or more kitchen space is not.
- The contractor doesn't always know best or have the best options.

↑ Hey123 ↓

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 12:35 pm

I'm finding it hard to stick to a budget. My contractor gave me a quote but it's not gonna be 100% accurate.
Also, I have to pay for a bunch of things (Door handles, Bathtub, Vanities....)
Any advice?

↑ nolacola

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 1:09 pm

Hey123 wrote:

Make a list/spreadsheet of what you need to buy out of pocket and find approximate pricing online and that will give you an idea of how much it will cost total and then you can look for better pricing on certain items.

We liked the following websites.

Amazon - kitchen cabinet pulls, waterproof Tile Ready Shower Niche

vanities, light fixtures
https://www.costco.com/

for bathtub, shower/sink fixtures, toilets and other miscellaneous items
https://www.build.com/

For tile in-store or online: - keep in mind that the type of tile or type of lay will influence the price. Herringbone layout or glass tile will cost you more on labor.
https://www.flooranddecor.com/.....aw.ds

Window shades
https://www.blinds.com/

There are so many items that go into it, but this is what I could think of off the top of my head..

↑ Hey123 ↓

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 1:11 pm

nolacola wrote:

You are so sweet!!!
Such good advice!
I appreciate you taking the time to put this together for me!
Will definitely look into this!

Amarante ↓

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 1:35 pm

Hire a good designer as they can help you get the best design and help you work within your budget by advising where to spend and where to economize.

I did a gut remodel and my designer was absolutely essential. She drew up the plans which were used to get bids from contractors and also helped supervise the actual work. Obviously she helped me on the aesthetics as well as the functionality.

A good GC is obviously necessary but they aren’t designers and are really more like technicians who are executing a plan.

↑ Amarante ↓

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 2:00 pm

zaq wrote:

Put in more electrical outlets and closets than you think you'll ever need. Because eventually you will.

And add some at higher levels where they are convenient to use especially when plugging in vacuums or appliances. These can blend in with switches.

And use Lutron or other smart lighting systems. Incredibly functional as you can set schedules for lighting. Not to mention mot having to get out of bed because you forgot to turn off a light.

Mine is Lutron and has performed flawlessly.

thankyou1

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 3:29 pm

Based on experience, if working with a designer (they can get expensive) you need to get a designer
*that will work with your budget and understand your needs*
I know alot of people that switch midway as they don't really get along with their designer, see if she is "pushy" or you just don't feel comfortable when you first meet her.
I'll think of more later

mommy2b1 ↓

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 10:12 pm

This may seem obvious but always try to be one step ahead of the game. Don’t wait for your contractor to call you and ask “where do you want outlets”. The last thing you need is for your project to get held up because of decisions you need to make.

If you don’t have the headspace to make these decisions, you can hire an interior designer to do it. Even a newish interior designer can take care of a lot of these questions.

- lighting types and location (spots,fixtures, exterior lighting)
- outlet and switch locations ( do you need any 2 way switches)
- paint colors for all rooms, trim color
- trim style
- kitchen and bathroom tiles, fixtures- these things can take a while to come in!
- floor finishes- which tile, laminate, carpet, shade of wood
- which doors need locks and what type of locks
- are you doing built in closets- definitely much cheaper to have the contractor frame it out

And then to ease the move in process look into cleaning crew, movers. Decide what mew furniture you will be getting vs bringing from your old house. Who is getting new beds?

Good luck!! Should go with hatzlacha!

↑ Hey123 ↓

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 10:16 pm

mommy2b1 wrote:

Thank you!! So smart. Will definitely keep that in mind.

How do I know where to put outlets?

↑ mommy2b1

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 10:31 pm

Hey123 wrote:

Thank you!! So smart. Will definitely keep that in mind.

How do I know where to put outlets?

You kinda want to salt and pepper the entire house. Think between beds,

Also, you mentioned that you are gutted the entire house. If you will need permits, get an architect already. They can take care of outlets, switches, lighting etc.

tweety1

Mon, Sep 30 2024, 11:00 pm

Hey123 wrote:

Thank you!! So smart. Will definitely keep that in mind.

How do I know where to put outlets?

Get an interior designer. I didn't get one because I didn't want to spend and to this day regret it. A good designer knows which areas are great to have outlets. Tiny exp, we didn't put one into the master bathroom. We have one in the vanity adjacent but in the bathroom we didn't have one. It was so dumb. We had an electrician this week finally do it.

↑ Amarante ↓

Tue, Oct 01 2024, 12:28 pm

As others have said, find a good designer NOW. A good designer doesn't just make aesthetic choices but knows placement of things like switches, outlets, overhead canned lights, toilet paper rolls etc.

I did a gut remodel and there are a zillion stressful choices you have to make. On the one hand it is exciting to configure something exactly to your needs and aesthetics but on the other hand having someone ask you exactly how you want to configure kitchen cabinets.

I was SO grateful that my designer didn't bother me with stuff like where the switches were because there are industry standards. A few things I did specifically request like having a few plugs higher up.

As I said I had enough decisions regarding finishes and I was so grateful that the toilet paper holder was at the right spot without needing my input.