Home Remodeling Guide

Many homeowners who think of home renovation often have no idea where to begin. They start panicking and keep postponing their dream home project implementation for months and even years. However, over time, the moment when you have to consider a home remodel project and provide a full home improvement will come inevitably.

We have prepared this review to help you keep calm and go through the whole home renovation process smoothly, quickly, and easily. If you seek a plan of step-by-step actions and wonder how you can finish the project without unexpected costs, hopefully, our tips will help you. Also, we will provide you with some house renovation trends that are popular for the 2021/2022 season.

Our aim is to show you that the completion of your home remodeling project can be easy, and there are ways to save money and time after all. Keep reading to discover what your plan must be and what you should and should not do during your house remodeling process.

Reasons to Begin Your Project ASAP

You may hesitate and have many doubts about your home remodeling, trying to find the reasons why you should do it right now. Before we start with the guide, let us explain to you what advantages a good-quality home renovation has.

• Give your home a fresh start

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 made us all stay home more often than we used to. That is why many homeowners have started thinking of remodeling during the disease's outbreak. They have begun to feel uncomfortable in their homes and need something new.

Remodeling your home will increase the level of your happiness, especially if you have changed your habits due to coronavirus and start working from home.

• Broaden your living space

Your house might have some hidden territories that you have no idea about. A smartly made remodeling project may help you make your living space wider and change some rooms' functions and look. And if you have a basement or an attic that you have never used, believe us, you may be surprised with what you can have there when your renovation is over.

• Add value to your house

At some point in your life, you may think of moving to another city, country, or at least a bigger home because yours is way too small for your growing family. Probably, you will need to sell your existing house to complete a deal for your new house quickly.

Chances to sell your existing home will increase if you remodel your house fully. Many buyers prefer purchasing houses after renovation because they will not need to spend additional money on their own remodeling. Here is a quick tip: if you think that there is a possibility of you moving out and selling the house, try to use neutral colors and use the designer's advice when you remodel your home — this will speed up the selling procedure.

• Update your plumbing, heating, and electricity systems

Changing rusty pipes and cables that have been there for decades is another solid reason to complete your house`s reconstruction. Professional contractors know that it is important to work not only outside (paint walls, make flooring and ceiling improvements, and install furniture) but also inside (going through these walls and flooring and checking if there are any leaks or lines that need to be changed immediately).

Working on these elements will ensure your future safety and allow you not to bother about any possible floods or fires. This is why hiring professional plumbers and electricians for your project is essential.

• Prepare for massive changes in your life

Planning to have a baby soon? Thinking of taking a pet in your family? Considering asking your parents to move in with you and caring about them? All these significant changes in your life require the same (massive) changes in your house: a bigger family room, a rearrangement of a master bedroom, a kitchen renovation, and other structural changes.

You will need to adapt your living space for updates and think about every room and its functionality. Most likely, you cannot avoid remodeling in any of these cases. And probably, to remodel a couple of rooms separately is not enough, and you will need the whole home renovation.

Now that you know there are several reasons for your house renovation, let us begin our guide that will help you decide about the essentials of your project.

How to Get Inspired for Your Remodeling Project?

Thanks to the internet, this question is an easy one. There are many websites and videos that will help you navigate and understand what design ideas you do and do not like.

Among the online sources you can use, there are two giants: Pinterest and YouTube. The first one will give you plenty of design ideas of all rooms, beautiful interiors, different colors and materials combinations, and so on. This is probably the best inspiration source because pictures there simply never end.

And YouTube with its expert videos can be used to get helpful tips regarding your future renovation and project. Many designers use the platform to upload numerous videos so that people discover them and their work and hire them. Designers get some advertising minutes, and viewers (including you) obtain great recommendations on the topic.

Besides these two, you can always search for online magazines and sites dedicated to design and architecture topics only. For instance, check out the sites of Architectural Digest magazine or The Spruce brand.

If you like exploration in an old-fashioned way, try visiting stores where magazines are sold. In 2022, you can still find various magazines in paper format that will have a set of clever recommendations for you, all dedicated to house renovation.

Another way to get new remodeling ideas is to watch numerous TV shows about design and renovation. Some of them describe various projects, and each episode is fully dedicated to a new project. Others are a contest where talented designs compete for different awards. Even people who do not have plans to complete their home renovation watch these shows with interest because they are quite enlightening.

All these sources will help you gather ideas and understand what you would like to see after your remodeling is done and what should definitely not be a part of your dream house. When you select things that you love, it will be time to communicate with a professional designer who will take into account everything you say and show and then develop a unique plan for you.

While some homeowners prefer to remodel their home without checking out the current trends and rely only on their own taste, others consider it important to see what's in fashion and what the trends right now look like. If you feel like you are from a second group, proceed to the following section where we have listed a couple of things that have just come to fashion in home renovation and designs.

Trends for the 2021/2022 Season

It might seem that some of the trends listed below have already happened in the world of renovation. However, history often repeats itself, and the remodeling sphere is not an exception. In our case, this conclusion is proven by the interesting fact: all trends you will see below can be easily imagined in the years 2020, 2030, 2040, and even further. Of course, if we keep living the same way in general.

So, here are the five most notable trends for your remodeling project in the current season that will probably stay with us for a long time.

Bright and Dark Colors Prevail

Apparently, people have gotten bored of dull and dim colors that are neutral, of course, but have no mood and cannot give them any daily inspiration and happiness. That is why in 2022, more and more customers prefer to paint walls with bright colors and use colorful furniture and decor elements. Pink, orange, and blue tones mostly prevail.

Another trend that designers note in 2022 is the selection of dark shades instead of white color, which used to be extremely popular and common but now is inferior to others.

Remember that if you want to play with bright or dark colors in your house, it is crucial to ask a designer for help. This way, you will avoid mistakes that will lead to your space's reduction (in terms of visual perception) or getting headaches because of crazy color combinations.

More Light and Natural Materials

People tend to let in their houses more natural light and select natural stone, hardwood, granite, and other materials for their remodeling projects. In 2022, this thing became especially noticeable.

If you want to join the trend and get more light inside your house, consider widening your windows or replacing them with doors. This will work wonderfully if you have a nice garden outside your house that you can easily access through new additional doors. Another reuniting with nature, right?

Another feature of this trend is having a set of plants in beautiful pots in some place of your house. If you are interested in gathering various plants and giving your house a more natural look, ensure that you will have a corner full of light where you will organize a beautiful plant spot after your renovation.

Home Office Room or Corner

This is quite an obvious trend that has been lasting since 2020. Back then, people had to work from home but far from all employees had their houses prepared for that. However, governments were inexorable, and plenty of workers had to come up with something that would help them work from home with comfort.

Getting a small room that will serve as a home office or at least organizing a tiny corner of your kitchen or living room and setting a desk there is a fantastic remodeling idea and a well-established trend of the last few years.

After all, everything you need is a desk with a couple of sockets, some lights (natural light combined with recessed lights or small desk lamps), a comfy chair, and a stable wi-fi connection. If you have noisy kids or other family members that have a habit of distracting you with small talk, consider moving your office spot to a quiet place in your house. By the way, your basement may fit perfectly!

Being Eco-Friendly

The importance of saving our environment and being eco-friendly is a common thing that hits many people's minds each and every day. More and more residents of different countries pay a lot of attention to recycling, reducing their purchasing activity, and having other eco-friendly habits (like ignoring plastic bags usage and so on).

There are many different ways to add sustainable project elements to your house. For instance, you can consider an installation of solar-powered constructions and lights (if you have enough sun in your region, of course). Another idea many people adore is to turn your existing old furniture into something amazing that will suit your new home after renovation.

Vintage Decor

In addition to different colors and connections with nature, homeowners prefer to purchase more and more vintage elements and add them to their interior. Try getting some inspiration on flea markets where you can find various gems: furniture, accessories, and other pieces. Check out vintage-style curtains, bed linen, and tableware to give your home a sophisticated and trendy look.

Using Advanced Technologies

Technologies keep developing all the time. And we can benefit from it because they allow us to make our lives simpler: for one, this includes Smart Home systems and devices widely used all over the world.

These systems and devices let you have smart lights and sockets, launch your home appliances remotely with your smartphone, use an audio device that will tell you what the weather is like outside, and so on. Some experts consider it a trend of 2022 and further years because people who remodel their houses more often prefer to install various smart features.

So, if you want to keep up with the times, consider using some of the above-mentioned features in your custom home remodeling project. However, always remember that some trends may go away after a couple of years, and it would be best if you create your design and plan in accordance with your taste, style, and preferences in the first place.

After you have received some inspiration and found out the current trends, it is time to proceed to remodel planning.

Your House Remodeling Project Plan

We have promised you that we will provide you with a guide that explains all your actions step by step when you decide to begin your house remodeling. So, here it comes: our detailed plan that describes what you should do and in which order.

Define what exactly you want to do

Your project begins with a general understanding of what your home improvement should consist of. Every remodeling process is unique and you have to create your own project; but before you develop it together with designers, you should get an idea of improvements that you would like to add to your place.

Consider every room that you have, separately. Think of materials, furniture, and style you want to add to each spot. Remember about the inspiration sources we have described above.

While you are thinking about your project, it might turn out that you need a massive change in one room and an insignificant change in another. Before you think about your project thoroughly and develop this understanding, it does not make much sense to go further.

Another useful tip: unfortunately, your expectations regarding home remodeling, budget, labor costs, timeline, and materials can be ruined. This is why we recommend you develop backup plans for every room just in case: this will help you in case something goes wrong. A plan B is always a good idea, especially when it comes to home improvement when you can face some unexpected costs and factors.

Lastly, the important thing you should think of when you determine your needs for the future custom home of your dreams is… your own future. With all its costs and complications, house remodeling projects are a thing that you cannot do every year. It is exhausting, expensive, and senseless.

That is why you should carefully think about your plans and expectations for the next few years. For example, if you live alone now and plan to enlarge your family and household in any way, it is crucial to understand who lives where and what everything should look like when the whole family is here. Every element of your design, furniture, home appliances, alongside the whole living space organization, should be convenient for all family members.

After you have realized what you want to see in every corner of your house, have developed several plans with different scenarios (in terms of budget, materials, and other factors), and have made them suitable for your future plans, it is time to move to the following step.

Count the possible budget

The second step is essential: here, you will understand how much money you are ready to spend on your home renovation needs and what you can or cannot afford.

Check your bank accounts, savings, and cash and define how much you are willing to spend. Always remember that remodeling projects at any property are a complex process that may go beyond your expected budget and timeline. The further your work progresses, the more precise calculations you will get.

Sometimes your wish to complete your home remodeling is solid, but you objectively understand that the budget you have is not enough, and the cost of your project will be way too high. If you are in this position, do not worry; there is a solution: there are numerous loans available to homeowners on the market right now.

Consider applying for a home equity loan that will save your situation. One of this loan's features is low-interest rates together with flexibility in payments. And, of course, if you do not feel like taking one of these loans, you can always use some extra money from your credit cards. However, remember about bigger interest rates in this case. Besides loans given in banks and other credit organizations, you can always try asking your friends and family for a short-term loan on more attractive conditions.

Find a general contractor

When you have finally found out what you really want to see in your dream home and have counted all the budget you are ready to spend, you can start looking for a general contractor that will be responsible for the whole home remodeling process: from the very beginning and the project`s start date until the very end.

Finding a decent contractor that will have a team of professionals that can provide all kinds of services is essential. This will ensure your project`s success and give you a guarantee that your home renovation will be finished on time and you will receive the work of the highest quality, with top-notch materials and supplies.

While home remodeling projects usually have costs that are extremely high, still, it is vital to sign an agreement with a reliable contractor, even though it will cost you more than hiring amateurs. Below, in the following section of our review, we will explain in detail how you can find a smart general contractor that will not let you down. There are a couple of simple steps that you will need to accomplish but believe us; it would be best for your home if you hire professionals.

When you apply to be a general contractor, you get a manager who represents the company and arranges a meeting with you to understand your needs. The company's employees then will estimate your situation and count a preliminary budget for you. Many companies offer a free estimate for homeowners who plan to remodel their houses so they can understand if they can or cannot afford this whole home improvement thing in the first place.

A prepared general contractor offers homeowners a team that consists of professional designers, architects, plumbers, electricians, and other workers who can provide you with a full-scale home remodeling operation. If you are thinking of completing some works on your own, below, we will also explain to you why it may not be the best idea.

However, some people still decide to trust only partial works to contractors and follow the DIY ("do it yourself") approach for the rest. Even though it sounds like a thing that helps to reduce the project's cost, unfortunately, DIY remodeling sometimes leads to making critical mistakes that grow the cost significantly after all.

Sign an agreement with your contractor

When you have settled all the questions regarding the money and budget of your project, timeline, deadline, the scale of works, and other conditions, do not forget to sign the agreement where you will have all these things listed. The signed contract will mark the start date of your home improvement project and make everything serious. Besides, it shows that you and the team are on the same page.

Having a signed agreement with your contractor is important not only because there you have all your arrangements revealed but also because it guarantees that you will get the job done in certain terms. If something goes wrong and your contractor fails to complete the job due to any circumstances, this document you sign before the start date of your project is a legal document you can use in court to start a trial. Hopefully, you will never need to, but you should know that there is a way to invoke responsibility if your contractor cannot manage to finish everything on the agreed time or other problems occur.

The ADU Builders California company is a reliable contractor in Sacramento that is always willing to help you with home renovation projects of any difficulty. If you plan to remodel your house or build a new one from scratch, we are here for you. Choose us today to get the best pricing for services and the best crew that will work on your project!

Think your design through with a professional designer

As you already know, a general contractor will help you with the designs of all premises of your house. However, you still may have your own specialist who you trust and who has proven that they can make a project that suits your taste and preferences. In this case, the business you are working with will take your designer's project and implement it.

A professional designer has enough expertise to help you develop your ideas and thoughts into a full-fledged project. They will consult you on materials, colors, walls, doors, windows, flooring, ceiling, lighting, and furniture. You will work on your project together and touch on all the topics: from massive things like materials that you will use for flooring in all the premises or tile that you will buy to decorate your bathroom to smaller elements like kitchen countertops or window frames.

Being flexible is one of the important advantages of a good designer. If they demonstrate their project and you feel doubts about anything, they can remake the plan over and over again until you finally like it. Do not move forward with your home renovation until you are 100% sure that you see something that fully satisfies you. Always remember that you will not be able to remodel your home again and start such a huge project soon and, most likely, you will live in this interior for several years (or even decades). All your decisions should be thought through several times before you achieve every step.

Here is another tip: even if some of the designer's ideas do not coincide with your point of view, try to heed all their thoughts. Unfortunately, some homeowners sometimes create projects that do not look nice. They finish with a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen where one cannot feel comfortable after renovation. Do not make the same mistakes and listen to your designer carefully.

After you finish planning your home's inner design, remember that there is another important aspect: your home's exterior look. This is going to be your next step in a home renovation project because it is inseparable from your interior design and home remodeling as a whole.

Think of your house's exterior look

Exterior elements of your house (walls, foundation, roofing, land plot) also require more and more attention over time because they are made of materials that eventually will become outdated. That is why you may have to remodel your house's exterior parts during your remodeling project.

Here is a list of what you should look at when you think of your exterior design:

• Foundation

Your remodeling team will ensure that everything is solid and there is no need to strengthen it before the works begin. But if there is, the team will fix it.

• Walls

Over time, walls can get icky and look like they need an urgent renovation. Do not hesitate to include these words in your plan. Painting or siding will help, depending upon the materials used from the start.

• Roofing

Checking your roof is even more important because your remodel plan should include its renovation if there is even a tiny problem. If your roof is not fixed and has a leak, any further rain will bring floods and destruction to your brand new house. Maybe it will be the perfect moment to replace your roof`s tiles and ensure that it has no holes.

• Deck siding

Here we have the same thing as with the roof and walls: check your deck to see if it needs an update. If it has been there for a while, then probably it does. Imagine how beautiful your sunroom will be after you renew it!

• Landscaping

Yet another aspect that deserves special attention. Your house will not look perfect if your landscape design is a mess (or there is no design at all). So, our additional recommendation for you is to work on your land plot together with a designer who specializes in the topic. While you can hire this specialist as an independent contractor, plenty of remodeling companies offer consultations and landscape planning as a part of the renovation process. Using their services will reduce the cost and save you money.

However, if you feel that your budget will burst soon because of all the costs you have to bear, and there is no way you can spend time and funds on landscape design, do not worry: it is not necessary to achieve this goal at the same time as your home is going through renovation. You can skip this step right now and postpone it to the future when you are able to pay additional money and have a budget for other things than home renovations.

Now that you have checked all locations of your house with professional designers and developed a vision of what your home should look like after you remodel it, you and the contractor's team should become more concrete. The time has come to discuss your home renovation planning together.

Discuss your ADU building plan

Discussing your plan will require several meetings on-site, developing a reasonable schedule, and listing all things that should be done in their consequent order.

The first thing a contractor's employees will do is arrive at your house and make a full and thorough inspection of all defects and problems. This will let them make a list of things that should be done in terms of your home's vital systems (electricity, plumbing, heating). If any of these will require breakage of your walls or flooring or ceiling, this will be the start.

Then, generally, your home improvement will move step by step from the top to the bottom: from the roof and ceiling with their renovation to painting walls and then to flooring. When you plan your remodeling process with a contractor, try to add as many details as you can to each point so all the works are precise and made exactly how you want them to be made. It is also a smart idea to formulate the plan on paper and include it in your agreement with the contractor.

Wait for the project to finish. But participate

After this, your project begins. Finally and fully. All you have to do now is to oversee, but smoothly. Also, your participation will be required when the team needs materials to renovate everything.

Not everyone knows but a professional contractor helps each and every client to save budget on materials, offering various discounts available only to building and remodeling companies. So, this is another way to save money and enjoy your contractor's services.

Of course, during your remodeling project, you may have many questions: for example, a question "what is happening?" is the one you will probably want to ask every day. However, a good business that has everything under control will share all info with you and warn you if something interrupts the plan you have agreed on together. So, the best thing you can do is to sit down and wait patiently, visiting your house from time to time to see the progress.

Take out all the rubbish

Cleaning the mess after a full-scale renovation is an extremely hard thing to do. However, professional contractors offer these services, too. Normally, every customer can relax and just wait for the last day when workers will clean out everything and spruce up their brand new house.

However, if you remodel your home on your own or you have agreed on partial works with your contractor, there is always a way to hire another business that will help you with cleaning, specifically. You can easily find these entities online and call them to arrange the date for the last step of your renovation.

Enjoy your dream home

This is the last and the most pleasant step of the whole renovation project. Imagine that relief you feel when you enter your brand new and shiny house with all the fantastic designs and beautiful furniture, solid and firm walls and flooring and an amazing vibe! This experience is really worth all the waiting, and people become very happy when it is all over. So, believe us, hiring a careful contractor and working with it leads to the best consequences.

Finding a Good Contractor for Your Project

While your project begins with counting available funds and finding inspirational design plans, the most interesting part will start when you select your perfect contractor and sign an agreement with the team. There are so many contractors available on the market today that sometimes it is really hard to decide which one you should choose to create your custom home.

So, here are a couple of tips that will help you navigate and seek your contractor properly.

Ask for advice from your family members, friends, or colleagues

Word of mouth has always been a powerful thing, and when you look for a business that will provide you with remodeling works, asking for a recommendation from those who have recently experienced their house renovation is a must.

Someone you know and trust probably has no interest in lying to you about this or that company`s features. If you know that some of your friends, relatives, or colleagues in your area are in the middle of their house renovation or have completed one just now, try to get the company's name and find out its weak and strong points.

On the one hand, it may help you pick your perfect contractor right away. On the other hand, you may get precious information about some companies' problems and disadvantages and decide not to sign a contract with a particular team.

Use the internet to make a choice

Let's suppose that you have no one in your environment who has recently updated their house or apartment. This makes your case a bit harder but the internet still has your back. You can simply search for contractors in your area and find plenty of pages that have ratings and comments about this or that business.

Even though sometimes these ratings and comments are fake, still, you can find negative reviews and see what problems you may face if you select a certain general contractor. This will let you narrow down your search and choose someone eventually.

Look at the company's portfolio

This is a vital step in the whole contractor choosing procedure. When you understand that you have a couple of options that attract you, try checking these companies' portfolios. Normally, they are available on their websites.

A gallery of complete works will allow you to determine whether you should or should not apply to this specific company. Every person on Earth has their individual tastes and preferences, and your vision regarding design or materials may not coincide with the selected contractor`s intentions.

Ensure that the company has all the needed licenses, permits, and certificates

Professional contractors never skip the time when they should renew their license and prove their ability to keep working on the market. In some areas, laws are strict, and your project may be at risk if inspectors find out that your contractor does not have the demanded documents.

So, before you begin working with a certain entity and your agreement is signed, do not forget to ensure that your contractor owns all the needed permits and forms and works lawfully.

If you are dealing with renovation planning in the Sacramento area and looking for a local contractor that will provide you with services of outstanding quality, consider hiring the ADU Builders California company. Our team consists of professionals who are in love with what they are doing and are willing to help you move into the house of your dreams. We also have the required permits to work in the area. Do not hesitate to contact us and begin implementing your renovation plan with us!

What If You Want to Do Everything on Your Own

Many homeowners are quite self-assured about their ability to remodel their homes fully by themselves, without the participation and help from any contractors. They think that the whole process will become cheaper and they will be able to reduce their budget. However, we consider that it is not the best idea you can come up with.

Unfortunately, home renovations are complex operations that require full attention and certain skills. If you are not a pro builder, highly likely, you will face plenty of problems and make weird and unnecessary mistakes. These mistakes, in turn, will lead to growing costs and an increased timeline. When you have a limited budget, grown costs may ruin the whole idea to remodel your home.

So, we strongly recommend you save your budget and time and hire a team of pros that will help you fit the schedule and create the custom home of your dream.

Here are some relevant questions that may appear after you have read our review. We hope that you will find all the answers.

Frequently Asked Questions — FAQ