The Best Time to Remodel Your Home – According to Industry Pros
As a homeowner thinking about a potential home remodel for your home, specifically your 80+ year old home, there are many questions you need answers to. Most of which relate to preparing for a home remodel itself. Before you can start diligently planning for a remodel, you want to first ensure it’s the right time to tackle the project you have in mind. When it comes to a remodel, you can truly start a project whenever you’re ready, but there are factors you may want to consider that could impact your projects, depending on the project itself and the time of year. To ensure you have a smooth remodel, follow this guide to planning your home remodel projects at the right time in the Chicago Northshore area.
When is The Best Time to Remodel Your Kitchen?
A kitchen remodel is one of several projects that isn’t really impacted by the weather, so it’s a project that can be taken on any time of the year. Outside of weather, additional factors you may want to consider when planning a kitchen remodel timeline are personal deadlines you may have, like wanting your kitchen finished by the holidays, as well as when is more convenient for you. As a general rule of thumb, starting your construction projects is best October through December as business tends to be slower. Many homeowners want remodeling to be finished before the end of November, creating a deadline for contractors that could work to your advantage if you have more flexibility.
When is The Best Time to Remodel Your Bathroom?
Remodeling all of the bathrooms in your home is even more difficult to live through than a kitchen remodel, though living through either of them isn’t ideal. Taking the same months, October – December, into consideration, you want to plan your bathroom remodels for when you could be out of your home while you wait for the remodels to be finished. An entire family being bathroom-less is certainly not ideal, so you will likely want to plan to stay outside of your home for the project’s duration, and the timing of temporarily moving your family can really only be decided by you. If October – December aren’t good months for you and your family, bathroom remodels can truly be done any time of the year, like all interior remodeling projects, so you can choose the best time for you.
When is The Best Time to Start a Home Addition?
The cold crisp air of the winter months, though surprising, are actually fantastic for starting an addition. The Spring or Summer may seem more intuitive, but the Spring is actually too damp for an addition as a lot of digging is required to lay the foundation, and the Summer is already a busier month for construction, so the winter is a great sweet spot. January through March are ideal times of the year to add that bedroom or living space you have been wanting (or even dig up space for a basement). The only concern you may need to consider is whether you are comfortable having a remodel done during those months as it may or may not work in your personal life – leaving your home will likely be needed, which can be quite impactful. That said, like October – December, winter months tend to be slower for contractors, so you may also be able to take advantage of this – wonderful when you are taking on a project as big as an addition.
When is The Best Time to Do a Full Home Remodel?
If you are doing a top-to-bottom home remodel, the first thing to consider is you and your family. Remodeling your entire home is going to be extremely impactful on you and your life, so the biggest question to answer is when would be the best time for you. It’s certainly best to speak with a contractor so you can get a sense of how long the project will take so you can plan more accurately, then from there, you can identify when would be ideal for you. When it comes to a full remodel, the project can be started at any time of the year, as most remodeling projects can. You may want to consider factors we have already discussed, such as when construction is slower or when weather is more reliable. Additionally, some exterior projects can be impacted more by the weather, so you may want to ensure your timeframe has several warm-weather months within it. Speaking with your contractor will give you the best idea of what timeframe works well for you and the projects you need completed. Your contractor can also provide recommendations to help you meet any personal deadlines you may have, such as wanting your home finished by the holidays, so lean on their expertise as you plan.
When is The Best Time to Fix Your Roof?
Roofing is one of few projects that is extremely reliant on the weather. Though it may not always be ideal (depending on the weather), most exterior projects can be done any time of the year. Roofing is a bit of an exception to that rule as the installation process does require higher temperatures to seal appropriately. If you are in need of roofing work, it’s best to plan the project for July – September, when higher temperatures can be expected.
Siding & Exterior Painting
Siding and exterior painting are more flexible exterior projects than roofing, but they can be impacted by the rain, so Spring likely isn’t the best time to take on siding or painting projects. When it comes to siding, there are many steps that need to be taken to waterproof your home – essential to avoiding rot and countless other problems in the future. One key step to a siding remodel is applying house wrap to a home. House wrapping, or papering, a home is the first vital step to waterproofing a home, keeping water from reaching the plywood on the exterior of your home’s frame. If, perhaps, your home is rained on before or during the papering process, your home is exposed to unnecessary water before it’s had a chance to be protected.
Though water damage is less of a concern with exterior painting, painting is another aspect of exterior remodeling that can be impacted negatively by the weather. Even a sprinkle on wet paint can take away from the perfect results you deserve. Wind and a downpour can cause even more damage – all resulting in work needing to be redone, which impacts your timeline.
When is The Best Time For Decking & Fencing Work?
Unlike digging for a foundation, building a new deck or fence both require a lot of hand digging, which is done most seamlessly when the ground is softer, such as in the Spring (April – June). The Spring months make a great time for exterior work like fencing, decking, or even landscape work as it can be finished before the Summer, when you and your family likely want to get outside and enjoy your new outdoor space. Though great timing-wise for you, the Spring does tend to be a busier time of the year for contractors, being fresh out of the slow seasons, so you may experience tighter schedules which you will certainly want to take into consideration.
Your Own Budget Also Drives When Projects Should Get Started
More than just weather and preferential timing need to be considered when you are planning your home remodel projects. Perhaps the most important element of a home remodel is your own budget. You should plan your home remodeling projects around when you can most comfortably fit them into your budget. For anyone taking on several remodeling projects, you may not be able to have them all completed at once, and that’s okay. Take advantage of this Home Remodeling Cost Guide so you can accurately set your expectations of the price of each project on your radar, then you can confidently plan your home remodel timeline accordingly. Proactive planning makes all the difference with a home remodel, especially with all of the variables you need to consider related simply to timing. Give yourself the space to review the shared cost guide, make note of the best time of year to begin each project, then budget when to start your projects accordingly.
Now that you’re equipped with insight that will ensure you are taking on the right home remodeling projects at the right time, you are one big step closer to having a successful home remodel.
