Many people living in older houses love their homes. They might just love it a bit more if certain aspects were updated. A whole house renovation can allow you to stay exactly where you are while modernizing your house and making it exactly what you want.
A whole house renovation can be a great way to make the home you love even better. A project of this size may take anywhere from 7 to 15 months to complete, depending on the scope of the project and the size of your house. Several factors impact the time it takes to perform a complete home renovation. Our design and construction team will give you a rough timeline at the start and then keep you updated about any delays that may change this time frame.
At Carl Deputy and Son Builders, we build new custom and semi-custom houses in Kent and Sussex Counties in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We also perform stunning renovations for homeowners, including kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, and whole-house renovations. Reach out today to learn more about our options for renovating your Delaware home.
Average Completion Time For Whole-House Renovations
A whole-house renovation is a big undertaking. While each project is different, we typically estimate about 7 to 10 months to complete a renovation for a smaller home. For larger houses, a renovation often takes 9 to 15 months. This time includes all of the initial phases of the project, such as designing the renovation and ordering materials, as well as the actual construction phase. Typically, construction for a whole house renovation takes 6 to 8 weeks.
Factors That Impact the Renovation Timeline
Of course, there are many different factors that can influence the length of time that it will take to complete a whole house renovation in Delaware. Some of these factors – like the scope of the renovations – are within your control as a homeowner. Other issues, such as weather delays and supply chain issues, are outside of your control.
Home Size
The first big factor that can affect how long it takes to renovate your house is the size of your home. Quite simply, a bigger house will take longer to renovate than a smaller house. If you have 15 rooms in your 4,000 square foot house, it will take more time to update each one than it would to renovate a house with 8 rooms and 2,000 square feet.
Scale of Renovations
Another big factor in renovation timelines is the amount and type of work being done. If your renovation includes an addition or structural changes to your house (like moving walls), it will require more intensive work than a renovation that doesn’t include more complex work.
Of course, if you want to do something like move your kitchen sink to a different wall, you should. After all, the point of a renovation is to make changes to your house so that it suits your lifestyle better. However, you should also be aware that these types of projects tend to take longer than more surface-level changes.
Change Requests
Along the same lines, making changes during the construction process can extend the amount of time that it takes to complete the renovation. During construction, you might notice things that you don’t like about the design. Our team can accommodate change orders, but it can often add time (and expense) to the renovation project.
Weather
In Delaware, the weather can also be an issue for renovations. Optimal construction conditions are cool and dry – something that can’t be guaranteed in Delaware! This is particularly true if any of the renovation work involves opening up an exterior wall, pouring a foundation, or other exterior work. Any extreme weather can also affect things like how paint dries, which can add some time to the construction timeline.
Unforeseen Home Improvements
There can also be unforeseen issues with any construction project that must be addressed. For example, we might start demolition only to discover something like mold and water damage in the walls or a crack in the foundation. These types of problems can’t be ignored, and fixing them will usually add a bit of time and money to the renovation.
Permitting
Getting building permits and approval from homeowners associations (HOAs) can also take time. Generally, building permits are required for structural and interior renovations in Delaware. These typically don’t take long to acquire, but they can still add time to the process. Similarly, if you live in an HOA community, it might take some time for the board to approve a renovation (if necessary).
At Carl Deputy and Son Builders, we always strive to stay on schedule. More importantly, we communicate openly and regularly with homeowners so they know exactly what to expect. We know that a whole house renovation is both exciting and a big disruption to your normal life. Our goal is to make sure that you know what is happening so that you can plan your life accordingly.
Whole House Renovation Timelines
It is difficult to predict the timeline for a whole house renovation without knowing the size of the house and the scope of the work. We work with homeowners to dig into these details so that we can provide a reasonable estimate for project completion. This estimate is based on our standard renovation schedule.
Initial Consultation
First, we meet with homeowners to plan the whole house renovation. We will tour your house with you and discuss the changes that you would like to make. We’ll also talk a bit about materials and offer our ideas for how to achieve what you want with your home. For example, if you want to add a pantry to your kitchen but aren’t sure how that would be possible, we can offer you our insight as professional builders on how to accomplish that. This initial meeting might take just a few hours.
Design
Next, our designers will sit down with you to plot out the renovation in detail. The first meeting was more about the big picture of the project. The design phase can take several weeks as we work together to make sure that your renovation is exactly what you want. We know that a whole house renovation is a sizable investment, so we want to make sure that you are happy with every detail of your design. Taking your time during this phase can also reduce the likelihood of needing to make a change order during construction (adding cost and time to the project).
The design phase will get into the nitty-gritty, from the layout of each room to the type of tile you want for the bathrooms. We can also talk to you about ways to stay on budget. We want to make sure that you’re 100% satisfied with your design, so we will happily answer questions and meet with you as much as necessary to get the design exactly right.
Contract Signing
Once the design is complete, we will develop an estimate for both the cost of the renovation and the time that it will take to complete. We will then sign a contract for the construction work, which you can use to obtain financing if necessary.
Prep Work
At this point, our project manager will get to work. They will work with your designer to finalize the renovation plans and order the materials needed for the project. They will also coordinate our construction team, hiring specialty trades as needed to get the work done right. Your project manager will also keep you updated on when construction will begin and meet with you to make sure that you are happy with the plans. This stage can take a few months from contract signing, as we do the preparatory work so that construction can begin on schedule.
Construction
At long last, construction can begin! The actual construction work on your house may take 2 to 3 months. Again, this time frame will be based on the amount of work to be done and the factors described above. We will keep you updated throughout the process about our progress and any delays.
Final Walkthrough
When construction is complete, we will schedule a final tour to make sure that you are thrilled with the end result.
What Can I Do to Keep My Renovation Project on Schedule?
As the homeowner, there are some things that you can do to make sure that your whole house renovation project isn’t delayed. We encourage all of our clients to spend time thinking about what they want in terms of design and materials and then to make a final decision during the planning phase. If you change your mind, it can significantly delay construction, as some materials have a longer lead time for ordering.
Similarly, we also encourage homeowners to stick to the original design plan whenever possible. While some changes during the construction process may be necessary, they can also make your renovation project much more expensive and delay completion. It is better to spend more time during the design phase to make sure that you’re completely happy with your choices than to request a change midway through construction.
You should also make sure that you budget appropriately for the project. It isn’t unusual for a renovation to cost a bit more than originally anticipated, typically for things that are outside of the control of both the contractor and the homeowner (such as tariffs). If you add 5 to 10% of the total renovation cost to your budget for a bit of wiggle room, that can help you avoid the need to re-budget or change the design to stay within your budget.
Finally, choosing the right contractor is critical to keeping your project on schedule (and on budget!). A good contractor will help you put together a design that meets your needs and will keep you updated throughout the process with frank, open communication. They will also perform high-quality work and only work with reputable subcontractors, so that you can trust that the work is being done properly.
Renovate Your House with Carl Deputy and Son Builders
If you’re contemplating a whole house renovation, you might be a bit worried about how long it will take and what it will cost. Our design and construction team will work with you to come up with a great design, will provide you with a detailed construction schedule, and will help you stay on budget. We will also update you about any delays in the timeline as construction proceeds.
Carl Deputy and Son Builders works with homeowners throughout Kent and Sussex Counties to help them build or renovate their dream homes. We offer outstanding customer service and the finest craftsmanship. If you want to renovate your Delaware house, give us a call at 302-284-3041 or fill out our online contact form.
