If your Lake Oconee home is no longer meeting your family’s needs, it may be time to consider a remodel. Before jumping into remodeling the home, you need to be certain you have planned for the process ahead. Remodeling a house is a major job that requires the right planning and budgeting, and here’s what our team of custom home building experts wants you to know about the process.

The Stages of Renovating a Home

If this is your first home remodel, you need to understand the different stages of remodeling a house. While each remodeling company will have its own process, you will typically work through a variation of these stages:

1. Consult – Your remodel starts with a consultation with your remodeling team. This will help them see your house and your vision for it, so they can explain the remodeling process and create a plan. At the consult, ask to see a whole house renovation checklist to ensure you are thinking of all the aspects of the job.
2. Remodeling Plan – Step two is a meeting to discuss their plan for remodeling your house. This will involve mockups and blueprints, so you can visualize what it will look like when the job is done. The company will also go over materials, such as flooring and cabinet choices.
3. Contract – If you approve the plan, then you will sign a contract and the work will begin.
4. Demolition – Demolition is an important part of remodeling a house. Your Lake Oconee builders and remodeling contractors will tear out the parts of your home that aren’t meeting your needs, so they can start the remodel.
5. Remodel – After demolition, the remodeling process starts. The home renovation order of work depends on what, exactly, they are remodeling and changing. During this time the room they are working on will not be accessible, so you may need alternative arrangements for cooking and bathing needs.
6. Final Walkthrough – Once the work is complete, which can take several months if you are doing a whole-house remodel, you will walk through the completed space with the home remodeling contractor to approve the work.

When you contract with a design-build team like PAXIS, you get to observe how to build a custom home in real-time. Our design-build process consists of three phases: pre-construction services, which includes design, custom selections, and price development, the construction phase, which starts at site development through final inspections, and the activation phase, which includes homeowner orientation and a 12-month warranty.

1. Consult – At first, you meet with our owner to ensure that we are the right fit for your project. From there, you can see our attention to detail with every step. PAXIS assigns a professional building team of surveyors, engineers, and designers, for your project. You can choose an existing plan with customization, or we draw a completely new plan.
2. Contract – You review the plans and make recommendations, and approve the final design.
3. Construction – We start construction.
4. Maintenance + Closeout – We maintain project information in our construction management software, which makes it easy for you to check in on the status of each stage, view job logs, photos, and files. You can also follow all of your financials, including budget, change orders, and invoices. Everything is housed in one portal for easy web-based access.

Whole-Home Renovation: Where to Begin?

Home remodels can be simple renovations of a room or complex renovations of the entire home. If you need to renovate your entire Lake Oconee home, you need to know where to start.

Though it may sound obvious, the first step in the process is to create a plan. Think about the function of your home and what you hope to accomplish with the renovation. What function are you wishing to add, and what is working well with your existing space? Asking these questions will help you prioritize the jobs as you move forward with the remodel.

Next, consider tackling jobs in this order:

• Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC upgrades
• Rooms that need framing and drywall
• Painting
• Cabinets and fixtures
• Flooring

Rather than choosing your order room-by-room, consider these jobs as you go, and you will be able to remodel logically.

Preparing for Your Home Renovation Project

If you are ready to move forward with your home remodel, there are some things you can do to prepare yourself for the process.

First, think carefully about your remodeling budget. This will help you create a whole-house renovation checklist that you can afford. Make sure you are not extending yourself too far financially as you seek to renovate your home.

Next, have a clear conversation with your design-build remodeling contractor. You need to know exactly what to expect out of the process and what the home remodeling timeline looks like with that contractor. This will tell you what areas of your home will be out-of-commission and when.

Finally, consider alternative living arrangements during the demolition stage and early remodeling stages. The noise and dust related to interior remodeling projects will make living in your home challenging, and there may be days when the electrical or plumbing is disconnected temporarily. If you can stay with friends or family for a few days, you will be in better shape.

Mistakes to Avoid in Remodeling a House

Interior remodeling can be a cumbersome process, and some homeowners fall victim to some common mistakes. As you tackle the project, make sure you avoid these easily overlooked issues:

• Setting an unrealistic budget – Your renovations will cost more than you think. Get clear quotes from the contractors you talk to, but always add an additional 20% to what you think you’ll spend.
• Failing to consider the home's architecture – Your home’s existing architectural style needs to fit with your remodel, so your home retains its resale value.
• Failing to consider function – Remember, a beautiful home that is not functional is not pleasant to live in. Keep function in mind at all times.
• Embracing too many trends – Yes, you want to modernize, but consider future resale value before embracing any trends.

• Choosing cheap materials – Choose high-quality, durable building materials, so your home will stand up to years of abuse.

Before Renovating, Consider Alternatives

Remodeling can be a great way to make your home fit your needs better, but it often costs more than you think once you get into the process. Sometimes a custom-built home is a better choice, as it will be able to meet every one of your needs perfectly.

Whether you choose to renovate your existing home or build something new, PAXISgroup is ready to help.  Reach out to our team of custom home building experts today to discuss your goals, and let us help you transform your Lake Oconee home into what you need it to be. You can also browse our gallery of homes to see examples of not just building homes, but building lifestyles.