I Want to Remodel My Space. Where Should I Start?
A simple 8 step guide to starting a remodel construction project.
GETTING STARTEDPLANNING YOUR PROJECT
9/21/20268 min read
You’ve decided you want to remodel your space. Maybe you want to renovate your home, add more space, update a kitchen or bathroom, finish a basement, remodel a business, or completely transform an existing building. But where do you begin?
Starting a remodeling or renovation project can feel overwhelming. There are so many things to think about: budget, design, materials, permits, construction, and all the decisions that come along the way. The good news is that you don’t need to figure out everything all at once.
Before you start drawing plans or choosing finishes, there are a few important things you can do to organize your thoughts and give your project a strong foundation.
1. Start With “Why?”
The first, and most important, question to ask yourself is:
Why do I want to do this project?
Take some time to think about what is really driving the project.
Maybe your family has outgrown your home. Maybe you want a better kitchen for cooking and entertaining. Maybe your business needs more space. Maybe you want to turn an unfinished basement into living space. Maybe you want to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to earn rental income. Or maybe you simply want your space to work better for the way you live or work today.
Whatever your reason, write it down. Try to write it in a way that is brief and simple.
If there are multiple investors or decision-makers involved in the project, make sure the “why” is written down and that everyone is in agreement about why this project is worth the investment.
Once you know why you want to do the project, you can begin to decide what it's worth to you. Having a value in mind for what your “why” is worth can help keep the project on budget.
If challenges arise during the design or construction process, reminding yourself why you’re doing the project can help you stay determined to finish it.
It can also help you maintain your excitement for the vision that caused you to start the project in the first place.
2. Determine Your Budget
Determine how much you are willing and able to invest in the project. Even if you have a flexible budget, try to put a dollar amount to your project.
It's helpful to have a range in mind. Decide on your preferred investment amount as well as the maximum overall amount you're willing to invest.
Your maximum investment should consider more than just construction.
Depending on your project, your overall budget may need to include:
Architectural design
Engineering and other consultants
Permits and application fees
Insurance
Construction
Materials and finishes
Contingencies for unexpected conditions
Other professional services
If you are planning new construction, you should also consider the cost of purchasing the property.
Having a realistic remodeling budget early on can make the design process much easier. It gives you and your architect a financial framework target before too much time is spent developing a design that may not fit your investment goals.
3. Make a List of Your Needs
Now it's time to think about what you need from the new design.
Make a list of all the things you need in the project.
Start with the spaces themselves. Make a list of the rooms or uses you need.
For example:
Kitchen
Dining area
Living room
Primary bedroom
Children’s bedrooms
Home office
Laundry room
Storage
Garage
Bathroom
Guest space
Then think about the features you need.
How many people need to use the space? How will they use it? What activities need to happen there? What storage do you need? Do you need accessibility features? Do you need space for equipment, hobbies, entertaining, or working from home?
Also think about how much space you actually need to achieve your goals.
If you have a square footage target, write that next to the space. Also include an overall square foot target for the project. These spatial objectives help outline your desired area requirements. But the goal is to create a space that works well for you, which may need to be more, or less, space than you anticipated.
If you don't know how much space you want or need, that is ok. A good architect can help you determine how much space you actually need to accomplish your goals.
4. Create a Wish List
Once you know what you need, it's time to think about what you want.
Make a list of all the things you wish could be incorporated into the design. Start by writing down everything you can think of. Don’t worry about whether every idea will fit into the budget yet. This is your opportunity to dream.
Maybe you want:
A large kitchen island
A walk-in pantry
A fireplace
A home office
A large primary bathroom
A soaking tub
A covered outdoor space
A pool
A large garage
Built-in storage
Large windows
A special entertainment space
Once you have your wish list, try to put the items in order of priority. If the design can contain everything on your wish list, that’s wonderful!
But depending on your budget, some wish list items may not be able to be incorporated into the final design.
Determining your priorities early can make decisions much easier if the budget cannot support everything on your wish list. This can save time and money during the design phase.
Instead of trying to decide what to remove after a design has already been developed, you and your architect will already have a better understanding of what is most important to you.
5. Think About Relationships Between Spaces
Think about how the spaces should relate to each other.
This is sometimes called space planning or adjacency planning.
Ask yourself:
What spaces or features do I want next to each other?
For example, do you want the kitchen to have direct access to the backyard for grilling and pool parties?
Do you want the children’s bedrooms close to the primary suite, or would you prefer them to be separate?
Should the home office be near the front entrance or tucked away in a quieter part of the house?
For a business, should office cubicles be near the front of the office or in the rear?
In a restaurant kitchen, which equipment and appliances should be adjacent to each other?
These decisions can have a major impact on how well a space works. Sometimes the answers are obvious. Other times, it can be difficult to determine the best arrangement.
If figuring out the best adjacencies becomes difficult, don't worry. Your architect can help you analyze your design goals and provide guidance.
This is one of the areas where an architect can bring significant value to a remodeling or renovation project. An architect can look at the entire project and help organize the spaces so they work together instead of simply placing rooms wherever they happen to fit.
6. Get Inspired
You’ve been working hard to get to this point.
Now it’s time to start the fun!
Start saving images of things you like.
Look at images of similar spaces that you plan to build. Such as home exteriors, kitchens, bathrooms, office lobbies, restaurant dining areas, outdoor spaces, materials, lighting, furniture, and anything else that inspires you.
Even if an image only contains one aspect you like, save it. Then make a note of what you like about the image.
Maybe you like the shape of the windows. Maybe you like the color. Maybe you like the way the kitchen connects to the living room. Maybe you like the ceiling height, the lighting, the materials, or simply the feeling of the space.
You can use Pinterest boards to save photos and keep them in one place. You can even create different boards for different types of inspiration.
For example, you could create separate boards for:
Exterior
Kitchen
Bathroom
Flooring
Lighting
Interior finishes
Landscaping
Furniture
Outdoor spaces
Your collection of inspiration can become a valuable tool during the design process.
It gives your architect a better understanding of what you like, even when you don’t know the architectural terms to describe it.
7. Start Thinking About Design
Think about how you want the project to look, feel, and function.
Do you have some design ideas? Jot them down.
Do you like to draw? Make some sketches of what has inspired you. A simple sketch on a piece of paper can be helpful to keep the inspirational juices flowing. You don't need to be a designer or an artist to express your ideas.
If this step is not your strong point, don't worry.
That's where an architect can help.
8. Bring in an Architect Early
An architect can take your inspiration and develop it into a buildable design.
Collaborating early with an architect can create the most value.
An architect can assess zoning requirements, building codes, local requirements, existing conditions, and other project limitations while also considering your design goals and budget. This early coordination can help identify potential problems before they become expensive complications during construction.
Your architect can also help guide you through the design and construction process and help answer questions along the way.
A good architect can help reduce risk, improve outcomes, lower owner anxiety, and may often help save money in construction costs by making thoughtful decisions before construction begins.
The architect’s role is not simply to draw plans.
The architect helps bring together your needs, wants, budget, inspiration, site, building requirements, design goals, and code requirements and turns them into a coordinated plan for your unique project.
You're Ready to Begin!
At this point, you should have a much clearer picture of your project.
You know why you are starting the project.
You know what you are willing to invest.
You've determined what you need.
You've created a wish list of the things you would love to have.
You've thought about the relationships between spaces.
And your inspiration has given your project momentum.
Now you can begin the design process with a much better understanding of what you want to accomplish.
Your architect will help you enjoy the design process and bring your inspiration to life.
You don’t need to have all the answers before you meet with an architect. You just need to start with an idea of what you want, why it matters to you, and what you are willing to invest. The rest can be developed together.
Your project starts with your vision.
The design process turns that vision into something you can build.
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