Full Home Renovations
Creating a home should be a joy, not an inconvenience.
Full home renovations are great ways to take an existing structure, and truly make it your own. They are often quite extensive and can be pretty involved, but in the end, you are left with a home that’s essentially good as new, which can mean less maintenance and more energy efficient.
Often times, people will find older homes with a ton of character, but they lack the comfort and efficiency of a newer home. Whole-house renovations are common when people are attracted to a specific neighborhood or location, and see the potential in bringing a home back to life.
Aspects to Consider
Functionality – When you’re approaching the whole house and are not confined to a specific area, it allows you to reconsider the layout. This will often involve getting an architect involved, but it’s a great opportunity to take down a wall, add a room, or increase storage space.
Phasing the Project- Planning on doing the whole house but don’t want the commotion of doing it all at once? Doing the project in phases allows you to tackle each portion in stages. This is a great idea for when you still need to live in the home during the renovations.
Energy Efficiency – Opening up the walls is a great opportunity to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Especially in older houses, pay attention to air sealing and insulation. These will ultimately increase the comfort and the decrease in utility bills will be a nice surprise as well. Replacing the windows and doors are other great ways to see a return on your investment dollars.
Theme & Design – When designing a whole house renovation, it’s a smart idea to consider a cohesive look that is in line with the history and style of the home. The more natural a design feels, the less likely you or the next homeowner will have the urge to redo anything. Built-in cabinetry and millwork is a nice touch for making a house feel like it was meant to be there.
Salvageable Items – As long as the home is not damaged, it can add a unique touch to incorporate items or materials from the previous structure like old timbers, trim and moldings. When working on homes with history, incorporating items from the past can be a nice way to pay respect the home’s heritage.
Materials – Since full home remodels often involve gutting the space down to the studs, it’s a wise investment to choose high quality, long lasting materials to incorporate. Analyze the old home and see which materials held up and which areas saw a lot of wear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Are we able to stay in the home during renovations?
Answer: This mostly depends on the scope of the job and the existing conditions.
When structural changes are needed or updates to the major systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), it requires a lengthy amount of time, which can take a toll on your normal routine.
Often, people are able to phase the project if it's absolutely necessary to stay in the home during construction. If you are renovating a home before moving into it, we suggest seeking alternate accommodations such as extended-stay hotels.
Question: What homes are good candidates for a full home renovation?
Answer: Having looked at many homes around the Hudson Valley in particular, it’s easy to say that almost every home as “potential,” but the cost to fully renovate can sometimes be more expensive than building from scratch.
The biggest considerations to take into account your wants and needs as the homeowner and the overall budget. Other things to look out for are historical significance or “charm”, as well as the home’s structural integrity.
The main reasons we’ve seen homeowners choose to remodel as opposed to buying new is they like their current neighbors or neighborhood, they have an easy commute, good schools, and they have established roots in their home they want to continue to grow.
Question: Do we have to do the interior and the exterior at the same time?
Answer: Not particularly, but it also depends on the specifics of your project. Some homes may require structural modifications that need to be addressed from the inside and the outside.
Most often, both the inside and outside need improvements so they can be addressed in conjunction with one another, ensuring the home is sealed from the elements.
Question: Should we hire an architect first?
Answer: It’s up to you! If you have a preference on an architect for your project, we would love to collaborate with them early on, as a team-focused approach makes for a more successful project.
If you do not have an architect, we will pair you up with one that fits your needs and one that is well-suited for your specific project.
Ready to get started?
We would love to hear about your future project.