Why It’s Time to Start Your Home Remodeling Process for a Holiday Completion

With the 2022/2023 school year coming to an end, most are finalizing plans for their summer vacation, preparing for a busy summer sports schedule, or getting the yard ready to enjoy during the warm months.  It’s very unlikely that hosting friends & family for the winter holidays is part of your current thought process, but should it be? If you’re considering a design-build home remodeling project that you would like completed before those holidays, then the answer is YES.  

While you’re probably thinking it’s Memorial Day Weekend and the winter holidays are six months away, which is true and sounds like a lot of time, you are actually running out of time to have your new kitchen, room addition, or bathroom remodel completed by then. How is that possible you ask? I’ve seen a kitchen fully remodeled in two weeks on TV. Let me explain.

When considering a full service design-build process you have to take into account the steps required. That process will start with the initial visit and end when the final paint touch up is completed.  In order to understand this better, let me define what it means to truly be Design-Build: A method of project delivery in which one entity – the design-build team – works under a single contract with the project owner to provide design and construction services along with all materials. One entity, one contract, one unified flow of work from initial concept through completion.

The design-build process can be broken down into six main steps: Initial Meetings, Review of Design Drawings, Bid submission, Commercial Finalization, Pre-Construction, and Construction. For the most part, these steps will happen sequentially, but not necessarily independent of one another. The project planning, design, and bidding phases may overlap.

From a timeline standpoint, here’s how long each step takes:

1. Initial meetings with contractors:  2-4 weeks
2. Review design drawings: 3-4 weeks
3. Bid submission once scope of work is defined to determine project cost: 3-4 weeks
4. Commercial finalization
5. Pre-Construction to include finalizing project schedule & resource selection along with permitting, project planning, material procurement, and team collaboration: 4-6 weeks
6. Mobilize team to complete all project phases: 10-12 weeks
7. Total time from concept to completion: 22-30 weeks (5-7 months)

The timing is also good when including factors like interest rates, housing market, and material costs. Currently, interest rates are stabilizing, house values are starting to see signs of increases again in quite a few markets, and material costs have mostly rationalized.  Banks are also offering many financing options from HELOCs to Construction Loans with a high percentage of pre-qualifications and approvals.

When you put this all together, it’s easy to see why now, the beginning of June, is approaching the end of the window to start the process to complete your project before the Holidays. Design First Builders will utilize  our on-staff interior design team along with offering the unique advantage of having our in-house customized cabinet manufacturing, which makes a big difference in shortening lead times in addition to ensuring quality and full customization, to guide you through the process efficiently.However, with a major home remodel project both of us  want to take the necessary time to ensure the final results with the scope, design, and final costs are within expectations.

To get your process started, reach out to Design First Builders for your free In-Home Consultation. 

Brian O’Neil, Architectural Designer

Profile