Whole-Home Renovations

What Makes Sense Today?
By David Merrick

In the grand scheme of remodeling, what makes sense in a recession? Is it still the one-time, whole-home remodel you envisioned a year ago? Is it a series of projects to protect your investment? Does it make sense from an environmental perspective? How big a “carbon footprint” do you want to leave? Does it make sense in terms of current housing market values? The bottom line is does your bottom line still have the flexibility to go full tilt, or does it makes more sense to logically phase in the remodel by projects and need?

Cosmetic vs. Structural

Once you and your contractor have answered these questions and a barrage of others, then and only then should you move forward. One of the first questions you should address, says Bill Hayes, president and owner of Hayes Construction Corporation in Fort Valley, Virginia, is what you want to do. Is it mostly cosmetic (adding new appliances and fixtures, changing the exterior character of the home or updating various rooms), or is it structural (moving walls, adding additions, etc.)?

What you should have at the end of the planning stage is a remodeling project that fits the style and character of the home. “It has to make sense from the design to the flow of the room(s), to the types of materials used to create and accent,” says Hayes.  The planning stage isn’t complete until you perform the value engineering phase, he adds: “This is where we look at everything you want, take an objective look at your budget (which most likely won’t accommodate all the wants) and creatively see where we can cut costs without compromising the integrity of the project(s) or the home.”

What’s Behind the Walls?

In today’s economy, an energy audit is one of the most important components of a whole-home remodeling project. An energy audit should be performed at the beginning of a remodeling project and at the end. Determining what heats and cools the addition(s) and what controls the air quality is integral to the comfort and efficiency of a renovation. “If your existing HVAC system is 20, 30 or 40 years old, it most likely will not be effective or efficient when you add that two-story addition,” explains Michael Sauri, president of TriVista USA in Arlington.

“An energy audit done before the project gives you the flexibility to create an environment that is much more energy efficient,” says Sauri. “Where and how weather stripping is placed, how the foundation is insulated, what type of windows you install or replace, how you wire or rewire the space, even the type of lighting you choose can make a significant difference in your energy consumption, comfort and bills.”

Once the project is complete, Sauri suggests holding your contractor accountable for the choices made in the pre-audit by performing a post-audit two or three months after completion of the project.

To Phase in or Not

So now that everything is planned down to the dollar and detail, do you go for it all or do you phase in projects? Again, it depends on your immediate and long-term needs and what you want to spend now or later. Phasing in a project has its pros and cons. The most obvious advantage is that you can manage the cost and disruption in phases.

In terms of costs, interior and exterior cosmetic upgrades and room enlargements will be friendlier to your budget than additions and foundation or structural renovations. Phasing in takes a lot of planning, and it’s imperative that you know what your master plan is and always keep that in focus as you execute the phases. The biggest mistake people make is breaking up the renovation into individual components, designing at whim and disregarding how each phase fits into the overall big picture.

Depending on whom you work with–from your contractor to your lender–a whole-home renovation in today’s economy can be a dream come true or a nightmare. The key is to enlist the objective guidance of seasoned contractors like those trained and certified by NARI (the National Association of the Remodeling Industry). A NARI remodeler will help you see the big picture, lead you through some tough decisions and either bring it all together in one phase or break it down into logical, manageable projects.

David Merrick is the president of the Metro DC Chapter of NARI (The National Association of the Remodeling Industry) and owner of Merrick Design and Build in Kensington, Maryland. For more information on NARI or to find a local NARI-certified contractor, go to www.narimetrodc.org.