Overview

As a general contractor, Abrams-Builders Inc knows the value of setting priorities early. Some homeowners begin with a clear vision. Others know their home needs significant changes but aren’t yet sure which improvements deserve the spotlight. There’s a big difference between knowing what you want to change and knowing what should take priority. This blog post will help you untangle that distinction. Below, we explore how to establish a useful focus for your project with a comprehensive list of key considerations, examples, and professional advice.

Introduction

Do you have rooms that you’ve outgrown? Are you considering major changes to improve your home’s energy efficiency? Are there parts of the house you want to preserve as you update the rest?

These concerns can point to very different remodeling priorities, and every home comes with its own set of them. Some decisions will be obvious, while others will be discovered with professional input. Exploring them early can help you think critically about what should come first and what doesn’t deserve as large a place in the project scope as you initially thought.

What Is a Home Remodeling Scope?

Your remodeling consultation (and subsequent conversations) create a project scope, which details what you and your remodeler intend to accomplish. A clear definition to refer to is valuable for everyone involved, and the meetings that you’ll have as milestones are reached. The initial consultation is just a starting point and doesn’t necessarily account for every decision, though.

The scope can define areas such as:

Project boundaries: Defines which parts of the home are included in the remodel and where the work begins and ends
Planned work: Establishes the types of renovations and construction that are expected to be completed within those boundaries
Contractor responsibilities: Clarifies what the contractor will handle and what may fall to other professionals or the homeowner
Project expectations: Provides a shared understanding of the intended outcome and what falls outside the agreed-upon work

How Do Home Remodelers Plan a Project?

Home remodelers plan each project around the priorities of the homeowner and the needs of the property. In that sense, what you value helps determine where the work should lead. There’s no single right set of priorities, but there are practical ways to decide which ones should carry the most weight.

The following considerations can help you establish what’s best for your project.

Set a Realistic Remodeling Budget

There can be an extraordinary range in remodeling budgets, even among projects of similar size. Some homeowners are comfortable spending more to achieve a particular result, while others would rather reserve that money for another part of the project. No matter where your budget falls, deciding where that investment matters most is an important part of setting priorities.

To arrive at a realistic number, you can ask your remodeler what the proposed work is likely to cost in your home. Compare that figure with what you’re prepared to spend, then leave some room for conditions or decisions that may arise once work begins. If the two numbers don’t align, it’s best to revisit the scope early rather than counting on costs to work themselves out later.

Identify Your Most Important Home Renovation Goals

A remodeling goal is a specific outcome that gives your decisions a point of reference. You can turn a broad idea for your home into a clear statement of what you want the renovation to accomplish, then apply that goal when deciding which changes deserve priority.

Here are some examples:

Create a larger kitchen for cooking and entertaining
Add a first-floor bedroom for long-term accessibility
Reconfigure closed-off rooms into a more functional layout
Reduce heating and cooling costs through efficiency upgrades
Add living space without increasing the home’s footprint

Evaluate Structural Home Repair Needs

A remodel can change how your home looks and functions, but the existing structure still has to support those plans. In fact, major remodeling is often an opportunity to address structural concerns that have become apparent as you consider changing the building.

Some homes may need foundation repairs where movement has affected the structure, for example. Water intrusion can also leave deterioration behind walls or beneath floors that need to be corrected before new construction covers those areas again. Damaged framing may require attention before walls can be moved or new loads introduced, too.

Your remodeler can evaluate these conditions and determine how they affect the work you have planned. Then, you can incorporate the necessary repairs in the project scope.

Improve Your Home Energy Efficiency

Home energy efficiency is a broad term, but the basic goal is to reduce the energy your home needs to keep you comfortable. That goal becomes more specific once you understand where your home is losing energy and which improvements make sense within the remodel. If meaningful efficiency gains are possible, they can be a worthwhile priority to include in the project.

Depending on your home, you might consider:

Adding insulation to exterior walls or the attic
Replacing older windows with energy-efficient models
Sealing gaps that allow unwanted air leakage
Upgrading heating and cooling equipment
Adding solar panels to offset household electricity use

Plan for Better Home Layout and Functionality

A space can become frustrating to use because of a home layout that no longer suits the people living there. You may have enough square footage, but find yourself walking through one room to reach another, struggling to use awkward spaces, or crowding into the same areas every day. Remodeling gives you a chance to reconsider how those spaces relate to each other.

Start by paying attention to where the current layout creates friction in your daily routine. Your remodeler can give their input here, too. From there, discuss how changing the size, location, or connection between rooms could solve those problems. A larger change to the floor plan may be justified if smaller adjustments would leave the same underlying problems.

Choose Remodeling Materials for Long-Term Durability

Durability is one of the practical considerations behind the materials you choose for a remodel. What would you really save by choosing a less expensive material if heavy use means replacing it again in just a few years? You expect your renovation to serve your home for many, many years.

Your remodeler can help you judge durability in the context of where and how a material will be used. A surface that sees daily wear has different demands from one that rarely gets touched, and exposure to moisture or changing temperatures can narrow the options further. Comparing materials under the conditions they’ll face gives you a better basis for deciding where a longer-lasting choice is worth it.

Consider Your Home’s Future Needs

This priority is essentially a continuation of the durability point above, since both ask you to look beyond the immediate results of a remodel. Future needs go much broader, though. The question becomes how well the choices you make today will continue to suit your household as life changes.

You have needs now, and you’ll likely have different ones later. The immediate concerns naturally get the most attention, but it’s worth thinking several years ahead. To consider how you might use the same space five or 10 years from now, try imagining what could make it difficult to use. A staircase may become less convenient, or a home office may need to serve another purpose, for example.

Does a Historic Home Change Remodeling Priorities?

The priorities discussed here can still guide a remodel if you live in a historic home, but there’s an additional layer of consideration and nuance. You’re working with an older structure that may have been built under different standards and altered several times over its life. Some features may be worth preserving, while others may limit the changes you want to make.

You might call this an improvement rather than preservation. Original woodwork can influence how you reconfigure a room, where you’ll have to decide how much of that feature you’re willing to alter. Age may also give the home a unique character, which you’ll want to retain, even with major work happening around the edges and in the background. These decisions can be difficult to make, which is why it’s important to work with a remodeler who understands older construction.

When Should a Home Remodel Repurpose an Existing Space?

Remodeling is already a form of repurposing, but sometimes an existing space can take on an entirely different role. When that change makes better use of the space you already have, it may be worth prioritizing over building something entirely new.

More specifically, it may be worth it if you:

Have space that serves little practical purpose
Can meet your needs within the home’s existing footprint
Want to avoid the added scope of an addition
Have rooms that no longer suit your household
Can adapt the space without compromising other priorities

Turn Your Renovation Priorities Into a Clear Plan Today

Abrams-Builders Inc offers an initial assessment with a remodeler whose experience has taken them from architecture and hands-on construction to energy-focused building work. Bring your renovation priorities to the table, and start determining how they can take shape in your home.

Call (413) 535-8245 now and tell us what matters most.