Home Remodeling: Midwest Collin County Homeowner's Guide

Are you thinking of starting a project for home remodeling in Midwest Collin County? Perhaps you’re ready for a change, or you just moved into a fixer-upper that you plan on converting into your dream house. Either way, home remodeling can be a big project that will require a lot of planning and research, so you can end up creating your dream home.

While the rewards of home remodeling are absolutely worthwhile—including increasing your personal enjoyment of your space and boosting its resale value—undoubtedly any type of remodel is a lot of work. But, that work can be fun too when you hire the right handyman.

To help you stay on track and keep organized with your home remodeling project, our Midwest Collin County handyman experts at Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County have put together this guide. Continue reading to discover the most important steps for planning your remodel.

Know Your End Goal

The first step in a successful home remodel is settling on a clear goal. What do you want your home to look like ultimately? Are you renovating to boost your home’s resale value, or are you accommodating a growing family? Considering both form and function is key to getting the house of your dreams.

Do a little research to learn what remodels are a good return on investment, such as knocking down a wall to create a more open floor plan, or which changes might not be necessary to reach your end goal. Establish what changes are rooted in "needs" and which are "wants." As the project progresses, this distinction helps you stay on track—and on budget.

Granted, if you have a vision of your home and the sky’s the limit in terms of budget and time, go for it! However, for more people living in Midwest Collin County, it pays to have a clear idea in mind. This end goal helps ensure you stay on budget and schedule while turning your home into the house of your dreams.

Make a Realistic Budget for Home Remodeling in Midwest Collin County

Speaking of budget, any contractor will tell you how tricky it is to stay on budget during a home remodeling project. It might just be the hardest part. While unforeseen expenses always pop up, it still helps to have a figure in mind. Ensuring this number is realistic helps keep your spending on track and forces you to make reasonable decisions regarding the cost of labor and materials.

The Cost of Contractors and Labor in Midwest Collin County

The majority of the costs you invest in your home remodeling project are for labor. Do your research and choose a handyman company that offers clear hourly rates and upfront pricing. Not only will this research give you a sense of scale and cost for your project, but it will also give you a chance to feel out a few different options.

Pro Tip:

It's important to choose a handyman company that offers upfront pricing, has lots of positive reviews, and illustrates professionalism. For instance, a uniformed contracting company that uses company vehicles and tools will generally be more professional than a guy who shows up in a beat-up truck and jeans. Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County is one such professional, experienced, and skillful company.

The Cost of Materials and Features in Midwest Collin County

The type of materials you choose also impacts your overall budget—as some materials cost more than others. Be sure to research how much your dream granite kitchen countertop might cost, whether glass or ceramic tiles are a better fit for your budget, and what kind of flooring you want. These features may not only cost more based on the materials but could also impact installation costs. For instance, if you want in-floor heating in certain parts of your home, it may cost more and take more time to install and increase your labor costs.

Additional Budgeting Factors to Keep in Mind

While labor and material costs tend to be the biggest budget factors, there are a few other considerations that could affect the cost of your home remodeling project:

• Do you want to install any luxury features?
• What features in your home are absolutely essential?
• What can you reasonably afford to invest?
• Do you want to sell your home in a few years?
• Do you need to change the location of walls?
• How much can you afford to go over budget? (Always have a cushion for emergencies or unforeseen expenses).

Make a Realistic Schedule

Having a realistic schedule for your home remodeling project will not only inform your budget but will also give you a sense of how long you and your family’s daily lives might be disrupted during the renovation. Long-haul renovations can be really taxing on families, especially if you have young children.

Perhaps you have lots of experience completing renovations and already have an understanding of how long it will take. However, for the majority of Midwest Collin County homeowners going through their first home remodeling project, estimating the schedule can feel overwhelming.

The best way to figure out your schedule is to consult with professionals. These could be contractors at your local home improvement store, or it could be part of the questions you ask when finding a handyman company to complete your renovation (more on that later).

It’s key to separate the different stages of your project into a realistic time frame and estimate how much each stage will cost. Just like how you should give yourself a financial buffer, you should also give yourself a time buffer. For instance, if you want your home renovation completed by the holidays, you should work backward from that date and give yourself plenty of time.

Build a Detailed Plan for Home Remodeling in Midwest Collin County

Not only should your detailed home remodeling plan include your end goal, budget, and time estimates, but it can also be useful for showing your contractor your vision. Your remodeling plan is also a place for design inspiration, mood boards, and checklists.

What to Include in Your Plan:

• Project steps are outlined according to time, cost, and who will complete the task (i.e., you or your contractor)
• Blueprints or rough sketches of your final project
• A list of needs for the project
• A list of wants for the project
• A master list of all your materials
• Any permits you need to obtain
• Weather updates as you go

Get the Right Permits

Did you know that your neighborhood might not be zoned for certain renovations depending on your Midwest Collin County community? Usually, permits are required for any major structural changes to your home.

While obtaining permits can seem like a bit of a headache, not having the correct paperwork can be a huge mistake. Building permits are needed to ensure your home remodeling project meets the necessary structural and fire safety requirements. This is particularly important to keep you and your family safe and is required if you want to sell your home down the line.

Hire the Right Handyman Company in Midwest Collin County

When looking for the right handyman near you to complete your home remodel, there are many considerations to keep in mind. While researching handyman companies, look for the following signs of a professional, efficient, and quality service:

• High-quality references: Any contractor worth their salt should be able to provide you with references. Additionally, online reviews are very helpful. Be sure to look for recent reviews, the total quantity of reviews, and how many of those reviews are five stars.

• Years of experience: There is a big difference between hiring a company that has just started and one with highly experienced contractors. Not only does more experience mean a greater depth of knowledge, but it also means the job will get done more efficiently and correctly the first time. At Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County, each of our technicians possesses numerous years of experience working in the trades. We only hire the best.

• How pricing works: It’s really important to look into pricing as each handyman company is different. The last thing you want is to be hit with a series of hidden costs that you didn't budget for. At Mr. Handyman of Midwest Collin County, we offer upfront pricing so you never have to worry about unexpected charges.

• Uniformed professionals: Don't settle for a "truck n' chuck" contractor. Professionalism is marked by the details, including company uniforms, company vehicles, cleaning up after a job, and offering a guarantee and transparency throughout the job.

Prepare for Your Home Remodeling Project—And Move

While the renovation is underway, you will need to pack up and clear out any of your possessions that might get in the way. Depending on the work you're having done, it could include only a specific room, an entire floor, or even the whole house. If you’re only renovating one room or area, like a kitchen remodel or shower remodel, you can temporarily move the items in that space to other areas of the house.

However, if you plan to remodel your entire home, it’s key you follow your renovation plan. You may have to migrate your possessions throughout the areas of your home that are not being renovated. If that sounds like an extra step you’d rather do without, or you're worried about your possessions getting damaged from being moved so often, you could lease a storage unit.

Time to Move Out

It's also important to note that you may need to consider alternate accommodations for part of or all of the renovation. Will your house be safe to sleep in? Will you have access to amenities?

During a home remodel, the more you can maintain daily routines, the less your family will feel stressed and anxious. If you can, keep an area renovation-free so your family can do homework and share meals like usual. If this is not possible, stay with family, friends or temporarily move into a hotel.

If you had to move out during the renovation, or you're selling your old home while updating the new house, be sure to plan for the possibility of an extended time out of the house. In the event that your old house sells before the new one is ready or your home remodeling project takes longer than anticipated, you need to have a place to stay and a financial buffer to provide for that accommodation.

If you can’t move into your home until all the renovations are completed, we suggest waiting until the last coat of paint has gone up to move in. This way, you’ll stay out of the way while the last few renovations wrap up—keeping you, your pets, and your family safe. It also feels more relaxing to move into a home that is ready for you.

Protect Children and Pets

Home remodeling projects can be very disruptive, stressful, and unsafe—especially if you have pets or small children. Their safety is always your top priority. This might mean you ask a family member to pet sit while the renovation is underway. Maybe one parent temporarily moves out with the kids to keep them safe from noise, debris, and dust. Or, perhaps the entire family—pets included—stay at a hotel until it's safe to move back in. If you stay at a hotel, that's another budgeting factor to consider.

Hire a Handyman for Home Remodeling in Midwest Collin County!

Now that you’re equipped with the tools to plan your perfect home remodeling project, are you ready to start the actual renovation? Whether you're in Melissa, Anna, or another part of Midwest Collin County, we're here to help. Be sure to call our qualified, expert technicians, We can't wait to bring your dream house to life!