You can redefine various aspects of your property through remodeling and create the dream home you’ve always wanted. Remodeling is also one of the biggest projects you can ever take on as a homeowner. You must be ready to devote considerable time and resources to your home remodeling Rockford IL project. Following the advice outlined in this article will also ensure the success of that endeavor.
Confirm How Much You Can Spend ASAP
What’s the best way to start remodeling your home? Confirming your available remodeling funds is the best way to start. You want to find out how much you can spend because it will inform how your project goes.
With a defined budget in mind, you can confirm if you can afford certain upgrades. Working with a clear budget from the start also helps you set priorities more effectively. Portion your resources carefully to ensure you’ll have enough money for the most important additions.
Talk to lenders about HELOCs (home equity line of credit) and home improvement loans to find out how much you can spend on remodeling. Cash-out refinancing is also an option but may not yield enough money. Regardless of which financing method you choose, look into it early to get a better picture of your budget.
Reserve a Portion of Your Funds for Emergencies
You cannot expect everything to go according to plan during your remodeling home remodeling Rockford IL project. Some unforeseen issues may arise and demand to be prioritized. Prepare for that possibility by setting aside a portion of your budget. According to This Old House, you should reserve at least 15% of your budget for emergencies.
Ask People You Trust for Contractor Recommendations
Home remodeling is not a DIY project. This type of project typically involves altering the layouts of entire rooms and other major elements. You must enlist the help of professionals to enact the complex changes you want to see in your new home. More specifically, you need to hire a contractor.
How do you find a reputable contractor in Illinois? Start your search by seeking recommendations from people you trust. Hopefully, you have a few friends or family members in Illinois who’ve worked with contractors previously. Put more stock in their recommendations because they have your best interests in mind.
Use Reviews to Gather Information about a Contractor
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have close friends or family in their current home city. Without them, finding good recommendations for contractors will be harder. You’ll have to rely more on the reviews provided by strangers.
Visit a contractor’s website or social media account and see what people there have to say about their services. Some companies curate those reviews, but you should still be able to glean valuable information from them. You can also visit review sites to learn about the quality of services that specific contractors provide. Those review sites should provide more unbiased opinions but be wary of commenters spouting unfounded claims.
Conduct In-Depth Interviews with Your Potential Contractors
Illinois doesn’t impose statewide licensing requirements for general contractors. The state allows counties and cities to set their licensing guidelines. For instance, you don’t need a licensed contractor to handle your home remodeling Rockford IL project.
Practicing greater due diligence is critical because of the way Illinois handles contractor licensing. Since that requirement isn’t imposed statewide, you cannot use it as a basis to ascertain a contractor’s skills. Instead, you’ll have to conduct in-depth interviews to gauge how well a specific contractor can handle your project.
Ask your candidates if they have ever handled projects similar to yours. You should also see if they have worked in your area for a long time because that could hint at how easily they can acquire the necessary building materials. Those are just some examples of questions you can ask during that interview. Feel free to pose any other inquiries that will yield the information you need for your home remodeling Rockford IL project.
Perform a Thorough Inspection of Your Home Before Remodeling
The idea of remodeling your home is exciting. Now that you have the opportunity to install and build features you’ve always wanted, it’s easy to get carried away. You certainly cannot forget those dream features, but you must check for necessary repairs first.
Inspect the perimeter of your home and take extra time to look at the foundation. Is it still in good shape, or do you need foundation repair? Don’t hesitate to bring in a professional who can assess your foundation if you want an expert opinion.
The roof is another part of the home many people overlook while setting remodeling plans. They forget to check if that essential part of the home could benefit from repairs or even replacement. Hire roof contractors who can conduct a thorough inspection. Use the information they provide to determine if your roof needs work.
Consider Your Family’s Future Needs
Remodeling doesn’t come cheap. You don’t want to pay more than once for a home remodeling Rockford IL project because of the financial commitment it typically entails. That’s why we urged you to examine your home to note everything that must be repaired. Of course, you cannot focus solely on what your family needs now.
Don’t forget about your growing family’s needs while putting together your remodeling plans. The living space you have available today may be woefully inadequate for your kids in a few years. When the need for more living space becomes more apparent, you may be unable to pay for the necessary improvements.
Carve out the additional room your kids will eventually need during the project. When the additional spaces are finished, you can temporarily use them for storage or numerous other applications. Converting them into full-fledged bedrooms down the line will be easier because the underlying structures are already prepared.
Look Down in Search of Additional Living Space
The need for extra living space is evident with young kids already in your household. Unfortunately, you cannot carve out extra room from your current living areas. Your living room is already compact as is, and every other room has an intended purpose.
Faced with that problem, many homeowners consider adding a new floor to get the needed space. Building an additional story on top of your home is worth pondering. However, that may not be an option for you due to its price tag or zoning laws in your area. In that case, you should look down for a solution.
Your basement can provide all the extra living space your family needs. Just make sure that it’s fit for remodeling. Look for signs indicating that your basement requires residential water damage restoration. You may also have to pay for basement foundation repairs, but those are still more affordable compared to the cost of a new story.
Invest in Hardwood Flooring
Improving your flooring is another good goal for your home remodeling Rockford IL project. Beyond adding an element of refinement to your home interior, hardwood floors are worth investing in because of their returns. According to the National Association of Realtors, new wood floors provide an impressive 118% return on investment.
Investing in your interior floors will pay off even more if you already had them before remodeling. You can refinish your hardwood floors to restore their appearance. Doing so yields a whopping 147% return on your investment. Judging solely from the returns they provide, it’s hard to beat the investments you make in hardwood floors.
Upgrade Your Doors and Windows
Despite how often we use them, many of us don’t pay enough attention to the condition of our doors and windows. We are often content to leave them be as long as they’re working fine. The problem is your doors, and windows may be suffering from issues that are difficult to perceive.
Gaps around their frames cause doors and windows to perform poorly in terms of managing heat transfer. Damaged door and window frames struggle to hold cold or warm air. You have to repair those elements of your home to improve its efficiency rating.
Door and window treatment services are well worth pursuing, not just because of their positive impact on your home’s efficiency. The aforementioned upgrades are also easier on your budget. According to the Department of Energy, homeowners can snag tax credits for energy-efficient upgrades. Use those tax credits to offset the cost of your new doors and windows included in your home remodeling Rockford IL project.
Replace Your Old HVAC System
An old HVAC system can be detrimental to your household in a few ways. For starters, older HVAC systems often feature poor performance, so they may no longer provide top-notch comfort. The same systems struggle with efficiency and are more likely to put a big dent in your electric bills. Lastly, old HVAC systems take up a lot of space and may render your basement incapable of meeting any other purpose.
Thus far, you’ve had to pay for expensive air conditioner repairs because there is no alternative. Now that you’re planning a home remodeling Rockford IL project, you can finally replace your struggling HVAC system. You can replace your old HVAC system with a ductless air conditioner or a heat pump.
Ductless systems are more efficient than their traditional counterparts because their performance is unaffected by the quality of your ductwork. On top of that, many ductless systems allow homeowners to manage interior temperatures by zones. That will enable you to activate cooling only for currently occupied rooms. Regulating your home’s internal temperature will lead to greater electric bill savings.
You can also make room for a new heat pump in your remodeling plans. According to the Department of Energy, heat pumps are more efficient than HVAC units because they manage heat transfer instead of generating desired temperatures. They don’t have to work as hard to provide the comfort you’re looking for during the warm Illinois summers and the harsh winters.
Accommodate New Appliances
Look beyond your HVAC system if you’re seeking worthwhile upgrades to improve your home’s efficiency. You should also consider accommodating other appliances to round out your remodeling plans. These new appliances can offer numerous benefits.
Outfit your kitchen with new outlets that can accommodate the latest gadgets and appliances. Your love for cooking may be reignited after you get a chance to use those new items. Those gadgets and appliances can also be stylish additions that transform the appearance of your kitchen.
Smart thermostats and LED bulbs are also fantastic additions to any household. They are practical additions that allow you to save on your monthly electric bills. They are also comfort-focused additions that can make your time at home more pleasant. Get other durable additions that require less maintenance from an appliance repair business.
Remember to Repaint
Your remodeling goal may be to make your household more comfortable or efficient. Those are perfectly fine goals for any home remodeling Rockford IL project, but you shouldn’t forget about the appearance of your property. After pouring so many resources into remodeling, you want to see that reflected in the final product. Repainting ensures that your sizable investment will be evident when the project is completed.
Hire a painter who can choose the best exterior paint for your home after evaluating its key characteristics. Common exterior paint options include acrylic, epoxy, and latex. There is no one superior option among those choices, but there is one that will suit your home best. Top off the new paint job with a flashy finish to significantly improve your property’s curb appeal.
Extend Your Remodeling Efforts to Your Backyard
Lastly, you must integrate changes to your outdoor landscape into your remodeling plans. Your property may lack aesthetic appeal because you’ve failed to do anything substantial to your backyard. Work on changing that now by building an outdoor kitchen or a covered patio. Even a fire pit can be a transformative addition to your outdoor landscape.
Any home remodeling Rockford IL project can be an intimidating undertaking. Make it more manageable by following the tips in this article. Put these tips into action and tap into the full potential of your Illinois property. Contact us today to learn more about home remodeling!
