Renovating can be incredibly rewarding, but with rising costs and often lengthy permitting processes, it’s important to plan carefully, budget properly, and have realistic expectations about how long a remodel may take to finish. Whether you are updating a classic Spanish Colonial Revival or a midcentury ranch home, here are my top tips to ensure that your project stays on track.
Assemble a Professional Team
Don’t automatically hire the lowest bidder. Depending on the scale of the project, you’ll likely need an architect, designer, and builder who thoroughly understand local and national codes as well as Architectural Board of Review (ABR) guidelines. Ask for recommendations of teams who have successfully collaborated before. When your professionals have a proven, positive track record together, they communicate efficiently and solve problems faster.
Build in Budget Contingencies
Make sure you are prepared for “worst-case scenarios” because, inevitably, they’ll happen. You’ve probably heard it’s a good idea to add a 10 percent to 20 percent contingency to your budget, but you should also add the same amount to your timeline.
Of course, the budget contingency also depends on the scope. If you are practically rebuilding from the ground up, you might be able to get away with 15 percent, or even 10 percent, because there shouldn’t be too many unknowns. (You are redoing everything, after all.) But if your remodel involves working with existing elements, the condition of which won’t be revealed until demo day, you definitely need to have at least 20 percent set aside for unknowns.
Set a Realistic Timeline
Having a realistic timeline from your contractor is crucial in saving headache and frustration later in the process. Ask your team to collaborate and give you an honest timeline, even if it’s not what you want to hear. As a design professional, we want to keep our clients happy throughout the entire project, not just in the beginning. There are always delays. Always. So, plan for it and build this into the timeline from the start.
Plan Your Escape (Temporary Housing)
If your plumbing will be offline or your kitchen gutted, do yourself a favor and move out. Subcontractors work much faster when they don’t have to work around a family and pets. Because the Santa Barbara rental market is notoriously tight and expensive, factor temporary housing into your budget early, or scale back on luxury finishes to offset the cost.
Finalize Materials Early
If possible, work with a designer to select your finish materials, including tile, flooring, fixtures, cabinets, appliances and lighting. Many materials are custom-made, so you’ll need plenty of time to allow for orders to be filled and shipped. Often, a part or two can be damaged during shipping, so it’s best to plan ahead and allow enough time to get replacement materials.
Value-Engineer the Swappable Stuff
If the budget gets tight, trim costs on elements that are easy to upgrade later. Keep your paint scheme simple, choose mid-range appliances, or delay installing a premium kitchen backsplash. It is incredibly easy to swap a light fixture or tile down the road; it is nearly impossible to fix shoddy underlying plumbing or electrical work.
Dodge the Change-Order Trap
A change order is an amendment to your contract to add or alter the scope of work. Moving a recessed light switch after the drywall is already up will cost you serious money. Minimize these expensive course corrections by finalizing your electrical, lighting, and layout plans during the design phase.
Maintain Your Sanity and Humor
Renovations are inherently stressful, and timelines will shift. When the dust gets overwhelming, take a step back. Take a beach walk and keep your eye on the ultimate prize: a beautifully refreshed home that you will love for decades to come.
I’d love to see your remodeling process! Tag me on social media @saltwood.interiors.
Christine S. Cowles is the owner of Saltwood Interiors, an interior design company specializing in residential and vacation rental properties. She is a certified Short-Term Rental StylistTM, member of Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, and a proud WEV graduate. She can be reached at design@saltwoodinteriors.com.
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