Phasing Your Remodeling Project

So, you want to do a renovation that involves more than one room, and the prices are coming in way over your budget.  You’ve decided to do part of the project now and the rest in a year or two, when you’ve accumulated more money.  But you’re not sure which parts to do first.

Let me tell you a story.  A relative of mine (who will remain nameless because he’s bigger than I am) had the same dilemma a few years ago.  He had his kitchen as part of a larger renovation which included the master bath, which was located directly above the kitchen.  A neighbor just completed a kitchen make-over and the wife was envious.  So my relative decided to do the kitchen first.  His wife was happy.

Two years later, they renovated the master bath.  Guess what.  The piping from the bathroom ran through the kitchen walls and ceiling, to the basement.  Since his plan called for relocating those pipes, he had to open the walls and ceiling in the kitchen.  He spent about $6,000 more than he needed to, because part of the kitchen work was done twice.

What’s the moral of this story?  If you decide to split the work up, make sure you think through the entire project, and talk to your contractor about the sequence of the work.  It’s essential to have a plan that addresses the work to be done in a practical order.  Otherwise, things can get unnecessarily expensive.  Make a few probe holes if you have to, but make sure your contractor knows the full extent of the job.