The traditional image of household renovations involves something isolated to a particular room, especially the kitchen or bathroom. However, it may be worth your time to do a whole-home remodel rather than coming at renovations piecemeal. If you're not sure whether whole-house remodeling is the way to go, here are four questions you can ask to figure it out.
Does the House Need Structural Work?
Many types of structural remodeling projects end up affecting every room of a house anyhow. For example, you might need to raise part of the foundation because the building has settled. This can lead to a cascade of issues, such as windows and tiles no longer lining up. If you're going to get involved with structural work, it might be wise to remodel the entire house since you're probably going to do some work in each room anyways.
Is Stylistic Consistency Important?
Tackling remodeling needs one room at a time can lead to something of a stylistic drift in the appearances of the various spaces. If the master bedroom was remodeled in the 1990s and the bathroom was remodeled in the 2010s, for example, there will be differences. Some of this comes from the tastes of the times, and some of it comes from the basic materials that were available at the time.
One advantage of a whole-home remodel is that you can select a single visual theme and apply it to every room. The net effect will be a significantly more cohesive style throughout the house.
Are There Potential Savings?
Generally, whole-house remodeling offers some savings compared to taking the various jobs one-by-one. Most contractors are happy to tackle work at a single site for a while because it reduces the need to move people and equipment around. As with any business, remodelers are also frequently willing to provide discounts for doing more. It's a good idea to calculate what the costs would be to renovate each room. You can then compare this to the projected cost of a whole-home remodel.
Will Renovating Fit Your Schedule?
A project encompassing the entirety of a home is by definition big. If you have plans that fit such a project, such as a month-long vacation, there's an argument for letting the remodelers have the run of the place while you're gone. You'll avoid the mess, and there will be a beautifully renovated house waiting when you come back.
