Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Renovating a Home in Mazatlán

Before we settled into a world of construction and design, Socrates and I were literal remodeling greenhorns. Throughout the entire process we learned a lot about ourselves and how we work together as a team. Yet, before we jumped in feet first, we did come up with a series of questions to ask ourselves that we thought to share with those who are also interested in remodeling a house.

At the very beginning we sought to completely understand how each process works. From determining what house to buy, what can we afford both in the house purchase and remodel costs, what comes first in the build and how the design process works.

Here is the list of our top 5 questions to consider asking yourself before starting a house renovation or remodel.

1. What are your finances like?

When we decided to plan our own wedding we came up with a system of determining exactly how much money we would be willing to spend per line item. Wedding dress = $100, Wedding Day Food Per Person = $80, Wedding Cake = $0, and so on and so forth. This is exactly how you would broach the house remodel exercise as well. How much are you willing to spend on Upscale Wood Flooring? Each line item must have the research to back it. So on the subject of a fancy wood floor throughout the house, browse the internet for floor vendors and consider your square footage, once you have an idea of a cost range, you can determine how much you’d be willing to spend for the wood floors. Apply this to every single element that goes into the house redesign and you’ll get closer to what to expect to pay during the remodel. That determination helps you decide how you can and will pay for it.

2. Moving in? What is your timeline?

If you’re planning on moving into the house your are remodeling or renovating, you need to consider your current living situation. Meaning, if you are currently renting will you be able to stay past your lease end date if you hit some snags during the remodel? A total gut renovated project should not take more than 3-6 months assuming all the materials are ordered, available and arrive in a timely manner. Yet, estimate for construction to take longer than what has been quoted or anticipated. For a remodel or even a renovation, there are always unforeseen issues that come up. When we began one of our projects, things were smooth sailing until we hit a snag with extremely humid walls. The tropics were moving into our cement walls and showing wet stains throughout the house. Because we wanted to troubleshoot and apply additional sealants in areas that needed more support, the work ended up going backwards as we needed to demolish some walls and re-plaster all over again post treatment. It’s worth looking into whether or not you have the finances to support doubling up on your expenses for a project that could be longer than your estimated timeline.

3. How well do you work with others?

Your house will be going through many designs before construction takes over. Are you patient and willing to work with an architect, engineer, plumber, electrician, et al? Every single worker brings their expertise to the table and whether you decide to do most of the work (i.e., DIY), there will always be something, like electrical re-wiring, that you should leave to the experts. If you think you can work well with others, this should be a walk in the park in undertaking such a large project such as a house remodel.

4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

As you see your house go through its transformations, determining what your strengths and weaknesses are ahead of time will really help your process. If you love designer brands and aim to outfit your house with all the luxury brands, but your finances are limited, here’s an opportunity for you to identify your weakness for the expensive things and explore alternative options that are more cost-effective and are similar to your original expensive tastes. If carpentry work is your strength, you can build out your brand new kitchen instead of hiring outside carpenters who will charge for their labor, skill and time. You could produce the kitchen cabinetry of your dreams without spending triple the amount.

5. Can you handle a house remodel with your spouse or partner?

Are you looking to live in this house for 30+ years? Is the intention to live in it for a few years and put it back on the market once you feel like it’s time to move on? Or are you planning on immediately trying to flip it once it’s complete? Assuming you decided to renovate or remodel the house with your spouse, an activity couples can successfully do together, it’s important to keep in mind some of the stresses that can happen during the project and what that may mean for the future of the project. Heck we’re learning our own process together.

Houzz.com released a survey in which they asked couples about their own personal experiences with home renovations. About 12 percent of those polled indicated that they considered or pursued divorce due to the stress of the renovation. More than 50 percent of those polled reported friction in their marriage due to the significant amount of stress that came into their lives with the house renovation.

Remember, talk to each other and always make sure that when making decisions as simple as what material to make the window out of, wood, aluminium, steel, or wrought iron, that it should always be the team’s decision.