How Much Does a Renovation and Redesign Really Cost?

1. What are my likes and dislikes about the space?

2. How much time and money do I want to spend on this project?

3. What is my overall plan?

Having discussed the first question a few weeks ago, below are my thoughts on question #2.

Aside from helping clients find their personal style preferences, my other goal is to help manage the budget. “How much?” is typically asked within the first 10 minutes of any consultation either by my client or myself because it is a very important topic of conversation. Typically people prefer a nice round number, or estimate in the least, as to how much money AND time it will take to make their dreams come true. This of course is a loaded question, one that I will likely toss like a hot potato back into your lap.

The answer is for you to decide;

how much would you like to invest in your space?

Money

Financially speaking the sky’s the limit, but most of us live down here on earth. Depending on the square footage of a space it is easy to make major changes with around $10,000, but if you have less, minor yet impactful changes are still possible. If you don’t have top dollar to spend this should not discourage you from beginning to transform your space, in fact sometimes it is best to take things one step at a time.

Making changes in small batches can help you appreciate elements in your space that you hadn’t noticed or acknowledged before. For example, you may be ready to renovate the fireplace in the Living Room until you simply change the wall color and realize that the new paint brings out a certain something in the tile surround that you appreciate after all. Further, moving the furniture around in a room costs zero dollars and could make a huge impact on the way your space is used.

Time

Investment in terms of the time you are willing to devote, is also important to consider. Don’t get me wrong this is certainly where I come in to take things off of your plate and help you process all the things. However it is your space, and your input is greatly valued as well as vital for the success of the project. Depending on the extent of the renovation or redesign you may also be living with spaces in your home that are a bit turned upside down, albeit temporary there is no way around it.

From the Initial Consultation to the Final Stage and photoshoot each space takes on average 6-10 weeks; this includes concept creation, furniture and decor decisions and delivery times, and painting and other minor contractor work. However, I find this stage of the project most exciting as it is when you are seeing your vision come to life.

Time is Money

Your time is valuable and you conserving your money is a priority. No one wants to waste a drop of either one. Often it is sensible to combine projects around the house to expedite the time and money it takes to complete the job(s). For example, if you are wanting to renovate the Powder Room it may be best to also obtain estimates for other areas of your house you’d like to polish up.

Contractors will typically not charge as much per square foot if projects are larger and take up more time, this way they can keep their crews busy and it is less of a scheduling hassle for them. This also compacts the time it takes for the renovations to take place for you, but the downside is that you are living in your home with more than one area under construction. This is when you pack up and take the family on a road trip!

Investing in your space is investing in your life style, the way in which you move about and interact with your family. Regardless of the amount of time or money you have, everyone deserves to be happy in their space.

Need advice? Tell us about your project!