Renovations are awesome.

We’re not just saying this because we’re a team of architects with a penchant for great design. Renovations are awesome. There are countless shows and even entire tv channels dedicated to renovating homes. Why? Because it’s amazing.

Transforming your house into something outstanding never goes out of style (see what we did there?). And yet, there are still a whole lot of unknowns about design and renovation for homeowners. There’s even – dare we say it – a lot of misinformation. Dun, dun, dunnn.

Alright, so what’s the truth? Well, perhaps one of the hardest truths when it comes to renovating your home, is that it is hands down going to cost you more than you think.

That’s the bad news. But now it’s out of the way – let’s get to the good stuff. The good news is you can still have the home you’ve always wanted, and you can do it within your budget.

The True Cost of Quality Design

When you are ready to move forward with either a large-scale renovation project or even a new construction project, you know it’s going to be a bigger ticket item. But it never fails that whenever we talk pricing with clients, they are always taken aback with just how much certain ‘wants’ cost.

While pricing does range for design items, most things can fall within a certain window and many homeowners are not well-versed in the pricing of things like the demolition of walls, electrical wiring, replacement of plumbing when moving a shower over just a few feet – among others.

We always recommend having an architect walk you through the estimated cost of your renovation project before you start. Getting an estimate for your vision is the foundation that your project should be built upon (we’ve got puns for days).

Adding an in-ground pool to your home can run you anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000. New windows can be up in the ballpark of $20,000! Just upgrading kitchen appliances can run you anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000.

Renovations are fun, but they’re also costly. It’s important to know what your budget is in advance. If you truly are unsure and you have a design goal in mind that supersedes your budget, we still recommend talking with an architect and setting a hardline number. This will protect you in the long run once your project gets underway and hiccups and change orders become part of your daily vernacular.

If these numbers we mentioned worry you, we get it, but it’s not to say you cannot still make big changes on tighter budgets. It’s all about planning and knowing where to splurge and where to save.

If you have questions, give us a call today.