4 Major Home Improvement Costs

            If you’re making the jump to remodel your residential home, there’s a lot to consider. It’s a big deal to want to spend the time and the money to upgrade. Yet, if you’re interested in making the jump, then you should do it correctly. Here’s everything you should know about the costs of different trades in residential homes, the tips to get your money’s worth, and what you want to avoid. We will show you How To Calculate the 4 Major Home Improvement Projects:

Bathroom

If you’ve ever wandered into a beautiful bathroom in a neighbor or friend’s home, you know that the trademark of a significant home Improvement is an upgraded bathroom. It feels luxurious the minute you step in, and you know that even the smaller spaces in the home weren’t overlooked. Remodeling your bathroom is a great way to make sure that you’re investing in a part of the house that will always be used. The bathrooms—like the kitchens—aren’t like a formal dining room that will sit for almost the entire year without use. Most individuals use the bathrooms in their homes every day, multiple times a day, which means this is an investment worth making. If you’re concerned about costs, installation tips, and what to avoid, keep reading.

Costs

            Like everything else in life, remodeling a bathroom falls in a spectrum. Depending on the type of work you want to be done, it could only end up costing you around $2,500. Yet, bathroom remodels can also stretch up to $25,000. Yes, you heard that correctly. That’s a pretty penny for a shower, which is why you want to do make sure you have it all mapped out before you begin.

            The average cost of a bathroom remodels just over $14,000. “Updating the essentials” in a typical bathroom could be $5,500 to $9,000, or you could double the latter to update a master for $19,000. If you’re not familiar with remodeling, these numbers likely sound a little random. Here are a few ways to break down remodeling costs. This can help you make decisions about how to approach any upgrades.

• Layout changes. While it’s not uncommon to want to make a small powder room a full bathroom during a renovation, it also means that you’re going to be adding square footage. In the most basic sense, this means that you could be changing electrical wiring, adding flooring, adjusting plumbing. Altering the basic structure of your home improvement doesn’t come cheap. It will increase material and labor costs, and while you should move forward if it’s something that you want to do, you should also be mindful that this type of luxury will be costly from the get-go.
• Plumbing and electrical. Right in line with layout changes, you want to minimize the impact of your upgrade on your plumbing and electricity. If you can avoid it, it will simplify the process and make the job cheaper overall. A professional should always be involved in situations where these two factors are involved. You certainly don’t want to end up in any scenario where your plumbing or electricity is jeopardized.
• Fixtures and appliances. Accessories and machines (think bathtubs, sinks, countertops) are pricey. There’s no way around that. While they scream “upgrade,” you’ll save yourself some big bucks by either refinishing some of your existing pieces or not swapping all of them out in your remodel.

Tips

You might start to feel overwhelmed once you start, and that’s understandable. Here are some tips to help you power through and get your project done in no time with little stress and little strain on your wallet.

• Consider refinishing fixtures and appliances instead of replacing them to save your budget.
• Don’t move your plumbing—don’t. Though it may seem easy in the planning stage, it isn’t worth the dent in your budget to make it happen.
• Outsource to professionals when you need them. Home Improvement projects often become a “do-it-yourself” joke. Yet, this is why it usually takes so much time. If you don’t know how to do something, now probably isn’t the time to learn. Leave it to the professionals so you can have a beautiful space promptly.

What to avoid

            It’s tough to know what to avoid if you’ve never done it. That said, having a heads up about the mistakes that are generally made in these types of projects is an excellent general guideline. You can make a note know to discuss it in the planning phase and purpose to avoid it, so you’re more successful overall.

• You are changing your mind repeatedly. It might seem inevitable. Once you get into a project, you’ll understand more about what’s available, and you’ll want to take advantage of the expansive options. That’s understandable, but once you start, your bathroom will be out of commission for a minimum of 30 to 90 days. If you start changing the original plan you created, you’ll begin tacking on both time and money. It can be tough to avoid breaking your mind if you see something you love but try to resist changing your account over and over. Trust us, your wallet and sanity will be thankful.
• It is skipping the ventilation. This is often forgotten in bathroom renovation projects, and it’s something devastating to forget. Make sure you add proper ventilation to avoid problems like mold and mildew. If you don’t, you’re looking at the potential for those issues to ruin your brand-new remodel.

Kitchen Remodeling

Just like the bathroom, remodeling your kitchen is one part of your home Improvement that will continue to show your investment. When you have friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, your kids’ friends, or anyone else into your home, your kitchen is likely the gathering place. It’ll get used, and you want it to be beautiful. In many ways, the kitchen remodeling shares a lot of similarities to the bathroom, but it’s just on a grander scale. You won’t be sorry about investing in your kitchen, but you should be ready for the time and money it might take for you to get it where you want it to be.

Costs

Remember the word spectrum? Kitchen trades fall on one too. You’re looking at $2,000 to $50,000, depending on what you want in your remodel. Are you looking to paint and get some hardware? Or do you want countertops and luxury appliances? Deciding these factors is when you’ll come to find where you fall in that spectrum. Something that you’ll also want to keep in mind when designing your Home Improvement is resale value and what goes with your home. Sure, you should be happy with whatever you’re installing, but it also doesn’t make sense to make individual choices if you’re in a starter versus luxury home. Certain appliances, flooring, cabinetry, etc. goes with certain types of residential homes, so you’ll be playing a matching game to some degree.

You’ll likely fall in between that wide range above. You should decide your budget based on how much you want to spend per square foot. Most remodels cost around $75 to $250 per square foot. How you decide where you fall in that range depends on your home’s value. You should spend roughly 5 to 15 percent of your home’s value on this project. Thus, if your home is worth $400,000, you could pay $25,000 and still be good to go on the resale price.

If you’re wondering where your money will go, this is typically the budget breakdown seen in kitchen remodels.

 Use this chart when you’re looking to determine how much money you’ll spend and what types of kitchen materials you’ll be utilizing to remodel your space.

Tips

A Home Improvement such as a kitchen remodel is a big project, but with the right mindset going into it, you’ll be able to pull it all together and have a space you love. Follow these tips in the beginning and never lose sight of your end goal.

• Set a budget and stick to it. You’ll be better off in a lot of ways if you don’t get in too deep with your bank account. A budget helps to frame your project, and if you set it in the beginning, then everyone involved can be held accountable to that number.
• Make sure your kitchen follows a natural flow for appliances. Keep the sink and dishwasher next to each other, so you’re not cleaning up drips every single time you need to clean a dish. Refrigerator, stove, and oven should be kept in a triangle. Kitchens everywhere are built like this. Don’t mess with it – even if it seems like a good idea on paper.
• Repurpose what you can. If you have quality wood cabinets, you can likely still use them. Cabinet frames are the most expensive component of a kitchen, so if you can still work with them, you want to. You can add new doors and drawer fronts, re-laminate fronts and sides, or repaint. Spray painting is the way to go here, but you must bring in a professional to properly sand and spray paint. This is not your next DIY project with a roller and can of color or a can of spray paint. This is a great way to save some cash, but it needs to be done correctly.
• Get new hardware. Of all the expensive things in remodeling, this is not incredibly expensive. It’ll help pull together your entire kitchen and give it a unique flare.

What to avoid

Knowing what to avoid in the beginning is a great way to prevent frustration once you’ve started. You’re not the only one who has been through this process, and learning about the experiences of others who have gone before you is a wise way to know how to avoid mistakes.

• It is moving the plumbing. Just like with bathrooms, you’ll run into a whole lot of trouble if you suddenly decide you want the sink, oven, stoves, and dishwasher in places they weren’t originally. It absolutely can be done (as discussed above, you should keep it in an original layout), but it’s not what you want to do if you’re considering a budget).
• Too much DIY. Again, professionals are the way to go here if you don’t have the professional experience yourself. You shouldn’t be sanding and spray-painting cabinets. It’s nice to be able to have a hand in the work, but you’re more likely to salvage your existing materials if you bring in someone who knows what they’re doing.

Hardwood Floors

          Unlike bathrooms and kitchens, hardwood floors are a little bit more niche when it comes to residential home Improvement trades. They appeal to a narrower group. That said, hardwood floors are a beautiful way to add value to your home. Whether you want to install hardwoods or refinish existing ones, there are options for you, tips to help you get what you want, and pitfalls you should avoid.

Costs

Installation of hardwood floors

If you’re someone who has dreamed of having hardwood floors in their home for years, perhaps you’re finally pulling the trigger. You’re ripping up your carpet, and you’re going to install your dream flooring. If this is the case, you don’t have the option of refinishing an existing hardwood floor. You’ll have to start fresh. The cost of installing hardwood floors is, on average, $5 to $8 per square foot, which means having hardwood installed will cost roughly $2,000 per square room. The price does vary depending on the type of wood floors. You can expect to pay more for oak or Brazilian cherry than you would for ash, pine or maple. Since it’s the gold standard in flooring, the costs are generally in the $2,000-$4,000 range. It’s expensive but provides a beautiful and finished look to your home. 

Refinishing hardwood floors

If you’ve never been through the refinishing process before, it can be tough to know what to expect and what you should budget. Refinishing and recoating hardwood floors are not the same process. Recoating hardwood floors involves adding a protective layer to the floor’s existing finish. However, refinishing is when the stories are sanded down to their original bare wood, and then the protective layer is added. Refinishing work will vary based on a variety of factors such as location, floor material, floor condition, and labor costs.

Overall, you’re looking at roughly at around $1,250 per 300 square feet to refinish hardwood floors. Yet, that’s just a baseline cost that could quickly rise based on their condition or any additional enhancements. What do “additional enhancements” look like? Exotic wood, such as exotic lumber, often requires a premium price for refinishing. Increase square footage will, of course, cost more because it requires additional materials. A previous low-quality finish can sometimes mean that the refinishing project becomes more involved. Finally, refinishing steps can be pricey as well. If you’d like to refinish hardwood steps, you’re looking at a price of roughly $25 to $45 per action.

Tips      

      The best tips largely depend on whether you’re installing or refinishing your hardwoods, but these are general guidelines to help guide your practice as you go through this process.

• Do you research before you even look for a contractor? Go to showrooms and learn about what you want so that you can accurately convey that to a contractor once you begin to look.
• Once you have your hardwood floors, make sure you keep them clean. Like everything else in your house, your hardwoods require proper cleaning. Here are the best tips for hardwood flooring specifically.
  • Rugs and doormats: Your hardwoods age with doormats and scratching. This can occur from something as simple as dirt particles carried in on shoes. Ask residents of and visitors to your home to wipe their shoes on the doormat and then remove them upon entering the home if possible. You can help to protect high traffic areas as well by adding rugs and runners throughout the house. The only areas that should not have rugs or mats are near the sink and dishwasher, as water can create issues in these areas.
  • Furniture: Unfortunately, sometimes furniture can scratch and damage hardwood floors. To avoid this, the place felt pads or furniture protectors on the bottom of all the legs of your furniture. When the furniture is moved, it won’t cause any damage.
  • Cleaning: Making it a habit to clean your hardwoods regularly will keep them in proper working order. Sweeping and vacuuming to minimize dust, dirt, and debris is a great way to do this. However, your vacuum shouldn’t have a beater bar as this could damage your hardwoods. Furthermore, if you happen to spill anything on the floor, make sure to clean it up immediately to avoid any excess moisture seeping into the wood.

What to avoid

• DIY. Numerous DIY risks come with refinishing your hardwood floors. You could leave an inconsistent scratch pattern, not correctly fill in the cracks, fail to take off the finish, or generally end up with a more expensive and time-consuming project. Err on the side of caution and opt for a professional. DIY always seems like a great idea until it isn’t a great idea. Don’t let this be a pitfall for you.
• I am picking a flooring contractor too soon. Interview at least three contractors before you make your pick. You should visit showrooms to see what well-installed and adequately maintained floors look like and remember that cost isn’t always the best indicator of quality. Anyone you hire should be insured and licensed. After you’ve selected one, make sure you create a plan and thoroughly talk through it.

Conclusion

Overall, there’s a lot of variety in the cost of trades for residential home Improvement. Much of it depends on what you’re looking to install in your Home Improvement. It can be as affordable or luxurious as you desire, and understanding all of the different factors is crucial to following the best tips and tricks out there. There are plenty of pitfalls in home Improvement, but with the proper knowledge and advice, you’ll be ready to take on your project, stick to your budget, and get it done in no time at all. Best of luck!