What You Need to Know Before Starting Your Remodel

June 30, 2025

Is a home remodel one of your goals this year? A major renovation can be a daunting task, but it is also an exciting opportunity to create the home you’ve always wanted. Whether you plan to update your kitchen, design a new master bathroom, or upgrade your exterior with a new outdoor kitchen, a remodel enhances your home’s style and functionality.

Careful planning, working with an experienced design and remodeling team, and setting clear expectations are key to ensuring your project is stress-free and a success. We are here to help you get started by outlining everything you need to know before starting your remodel.

Clearly Define Goals and Set Priorities

Any project requires careful planning to ensure its success. A home remodel, particularly a more complex project, needs plenty of preparation so every stage runs smoothly. The first thing you need to do is to clearly define your remodeling goals and to establish your project’s priorities. This step helps to define your project scope, budget, and materials, so you must get this right first.

Start by looking at which rooms you plan to update in your home. Think about what you like and don’t like about those spaces. Consider what your main reasons are for remodeling. This could include:

• A much-needed style update to improve your home with new materials, a fresh color scheme, and updated accessories.
• A necessary remodel due to damage to your home from a weather event or other causes.
• Perhaps you are remodeling to fit the needs of your growing, young family with kid-friendly features and durable, easy-to-clean surfaces. You might even be planning an addition to increase your living space to fit your family’s needs.
• Or you might be remodeling for aging in place, to create a comfortable and stylish design that lets you remain safely in your home.
• Maybe your key goal is to improve your home’s layout or functionality. This could include knocking down a wall for an open plan design, creating a more efficient layout, and installing enhanced, customized storage features.
• You might be a keen home chef who enjoys hosting family and friends and wants your home to keep up with your cooking and entertaining goals.

Consider how long you expect to remain in your home when planning a remodel. Is this your forever home, in which case, you are remodeling for your enjoyment? Or are you renovating with a plan to sell your home in the next few years? This will influence your remodeling choices, material selections, and more. Once you have established your key remodeling goals, prioritize your list of updates into “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves”, which will help to guide your plans and your budget.

Establish a Budget That Works for You

Before finalizing your remodeling plans, you must develop a clear budget and an understanding of the costs that go into your remodel. First, consider how much you are able and willing to spend on this project. There is no point in planning for a multi-space remodel, a home addition, or a layout change in your kitchen design in the short term if your budget does not extend to these major renovations. Similarly, your budget will guide material selections, since luxury materials throughout your remodel will drive up the cost.

Focus your remodeling budget on your top priorities. Be realistic when setting your budget and make sure you include everything that goes into a remodel – labor, materials, permits, and a contingency. Take time to understand what comprises the cost of a remodel, and which aspects of your remodel will offer the best value to your home and family.

An experienced Gainesville design and remodeling team can guide you through this process and help you understand the full costs. Best of all, a team like Haile Kitchen & Bath will provide you with realistic and transparent costs so you know exactly where your money is going. This is invaluable if you need to seek financing for your project. A professional remodeling team will also help you stay on track and within budget when implementing your project, so you are not in for any unwelcome surprises!

Understand Cost vs. Return on Your Investment

In addition to a clear budget, it helps to examine the cost of your remodel versus your return on investment (ROI).  Any remodel offers a financial return on investment as it improves the value of your home and offers an incentive to prospective buyers. However, the exact return varies from one project to the next.

If you do plan to sell your home within a few years of remodeling, consider how your proposed renovation fits into your local real estate market. Are you implementing changes that prospective homeowners are looking for in your area? You could also review a recent cost vs. value report to see the average return on investment for updating different spaces throughout the home.

On the other hand, if you are remodeling your forever home (or at least a home you plan to remain in for a long time!), then your return on investment can be measured in how this remodel benefits your family. Focus on projects that are most important to you, whether this is a new pro-chef style kitchen design, a luxurious spa-vibe bathroom remodel, or an open plan first floor designed for entertaining with a full-service beverage bar. Which materials will work best for your family and be worth the investment, such as durable countertops, easy maintenance flooring, or a shower that is so simple to clean, even the kids can do it!

Find the Right Remodeling Professional for Your Job

If your project involves more than a weekend of hanging a few shelves or painting walls, then it is time to consult the professionals! Unless you are confident and experienced with doing your own construction, plumbing, and electrical work, and have the time, you need a local Gainesville design and remodeling team to work with you.

Ask for local referrals, check out recent reviews, and visit website galleries and in-person showrooms to view their work. Look for a firm that has experience with projects and styles similar to your needs. Make sure your chosen remodeler works with licensed and insured contractors, and that they will help with all aspects of your project to give you a seamless remodeling experience.

By working with a full-service design-build firm, you can be confident that your project will run smoothly and everything will be handled professionally. You can focus on the fun aspects of choosing color schemes and accessories, while your remodeling partner makes sure products are ordered, necessary individuals are on site when needed, and every aspect of your project is completed to the highest standards. They also often save you time and money by avoiding unforeseen issues and waste.

Picking Materials That Fit Your Lifestyle

Selecting materials is a key step in completing your design vision. Your material and product selections also influence your project timeline and help to determine your overall budget. When choosing materials, make sure you consider style as well as functionality, durability, and long-term maintenance requirements. For example, quartz is a highly durable countertop surface that is also easy to clean and maintain, while marble is beautiful but requires more specialized maintenance.  If yours is a busy home with kids, pets, and daily cooking, then it pays to pick durable surfaces that can stand up to constant use.

Thankfully, there is a wide range of materials and products to choose from, whether you are embarking on a kitchen remodel, bathroom design, an outdoor kitchen, or any space throughout your home. From cabinets to countertops, tile and flooring, plumbing fixtures, lighting, accessories, and more, your chosen products must work together to create a cohesive design.

With so many options to choose from, this process can seem a bit daunting. An experienced designer will work closely with you to find the ideal products to fit your space, style, functional needs, and budget. Our full-service Gainesville design showroom has an array of design displays and product samples. This means you can view everything you need in one location and easily see how your design selections will come together.

Understanding the Remodeling Process and Knowing Your Timeline

Any major home renovation takes time to complete properly. From planning and budgeting to ordering materials, obtaining necessary permits and approvals, demolition, construction, and putting on the finishing touches, you need to allow sufficient time for your remodel to be done right. The actual length of your project will vary widely depending on your project scope, your space, the materials you select, and any unforeseen impacts that arise.

Your remodeling team will turn your project scope into a detailed timeline required to achieve your project goals. Regular communication with your project manager will help you to understand the timeline, the stages of your project, and any changes that may arise during the process. Make sure you discuss what will happen throughout the project, including what time the contractors start and finish each day, how the mess will be managed on site, where materials and tools will be stored, and how they will access your home.

Tips for Living During a Remodel

Depending on the scope of your project and your preferences, you may decide to stay in your home for the duration or to move out for part of the remodel. If this project is a kitchen remodel and you are staying in your home, set up a temporary kitchen space with a refrigerator, basic food supplies, paper plates, and silverware. Make sure you also have a space where your family can dine away from the mess.

Remember that you will have limited access to some parts of your home during the remodel. Make a plan for how you will live without these areas for the duration of the project. Ensure kids and pets have a safe zone that keeps them away from work areas, or plan to have them away from the house while work is going on.

Find out when the project will impact key things like water or electricity.  If your water is turned off at some point, how will it affect your family getting ready for school or work? If you work from home, how will noise levels affect your daily life? Make a plan to protect household items in areas affected by the remodel. If it is a multi-space remodel, you may need to consider putting some items into storage. If contractors need to have access to your home while you are away, invest in a lockbox to make it easier for them to obtain your key.

Get Ready to Remodel!

With careful planning and coordination, your home remodel can go from overwhelming to exciting. Set clear goals, establish your priorities, and figure out your budget before you do anything else. Based on this, work with your kitchen or bath designer to create a design that fits your needs and find the perfect materials and products to complete your space. Your remodeling professional can then create a detailed plan and clear timeline that is key to your project’s success.

Work with an experienced and professional design and remodeling team you can trust. They will make sure you get the best value for your remodeling investment and that your project is a success. If you are ready to get started, contact our team and let’s bring your design vision to life!