WHOLE HOME RENOVATIONS—WHAT TO KNOW
You may want to expand, to reconfigure, or simply to update your home or cottage. Whatever the case, you’ve decided it’s time for a change. A whole home renovation is like giving your beloved space a complete makeover, reshaping it into something extraordinary while keeping the familiar charm and comfort you cherish.
At DeCarli Contractors, we specialize in transforming homes from top to bottom. From conceptual design to finishing touches, we ensure that every detail aligns with your vision and lifestyle. If you are considering a whole home renovation, we hope that you will consider us. Our comprehensive approach means that you can sit back and enjoy the process, knowing we are committed to delivering exactly what you envision.
MANY QUESTIONS
A whole home renovation is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Yes, you want a revitalized home, but how do you preserve the character traits you love while refreshing the rest? How will your home’s current shortcomings be solved? Do you refresh outbuildings and landscaping at the same time?
Then there’s choosing the right renovator and entrusting them with your cherished home or cottage. How do you make the right choice?
START WITH YOUR VISION
There are some simple things you can do to ensure that you’re making the right decisions. First of all, start with your vision. Even if you are able to close your eyes and see how your house or cottage will look when complete, your ideas need to be translated into layout, design, finishing materials, and estimated cost.
The best idea is to work with a builder or design firm to gather ideas, rough out the home layout changes and create progressive renderings of your new ‘look’. You can find plenty of design firms with high prices, but you can also find builders, or build/design firms, whose fee for the design portion reflects the fact that they will handle the build as well as the design. DeCarli Contractractors offers full design/build services and can lead you through the entire process.
ADDRESS THE NUTS AND BOLTS
The most exciting part of a major renovation is what you see: new floors, new cabinets, new fixtures, lovely landscaping, perhaps a new garage, shed, dock or pool. But be mindful to address the things that are not as fun but still important: poor water pressure, drafty windows, a heat recovery ventilator that buzzes, vents that let in rodents, an uneven cement walkway, and everything that you wish was ‘fixed’.
BE CLEAR ABOUT BUDGET
When you begin working together to decide on the must-have elements of your whole home renovation, be sure to mention your ideal budget for the project. We like to say that a project should be created around a budget, not a budget around a project. With a cost ceiling in mind, the builder or designer you’ve chosen to work with for the design phase can help keep your vision within budget as it comes together and provide you with a rough running estimate of what it all will cost.
GET SPECIFIC
With design plans and renderings in hand, you will have what you need to get rough estimates from builders. The more specifics you know about your home or cottage renovation, the more precise an estimate your builder can generate. If you know the number, size and quality of windows involved, for example, that’s an important cost component. The more of those choices you can make ahead of time, the more builders will have to work with when generating a quote.
At DeCarli Contractors we begin with general estimates, but we prefer to settle on a fixed-price quotation before starting a job. In order to do that, we work with clients to choose final layouts, all finishings and all materials, right down to floor coverings, trim profiles and door hardware. Nothing is left out. In this way, we can guarantee the price.
Not all of our customers are prepared to choose every last element before the build begins, but a fixed-price quotation is a comforting thing. If you are not able to choose every last thing at the planning phase, simply include examples of the caliber of build elements and finishes you would like.
CHOOSE A TIMEFRAME
It would be unusual to find a home and cottage builder that is ready to move ahead with a whole home renovation right away. Smaller projects are one thing, but major renovations take time. There’s also seasonality: you might be happy to move to the cottage, rent a house or go on vacation during the summer months, but perhaps not late into the autumn. And while interior renovations can continue into the depths of winter, outside work cannot. Mention your timeframe when choosing a builder and see if they can accommodate your schedule. If not, you’ll be adapting to theirs.
SCREEN YOUR BUILDER
Different builders have different strong points. While some are great at slapping houses together quickly or tackling a simple living room extension, others have the aesthetic sense and are particular enough to excel at bringing a whole home renovation together in the manner you desire.
Here are a few points to help you find the right builder for the job:
Check References
Reading reviews about a builder and checking their references is a step you cannot miss. If you can, talk on the phone with references and find out if the work was carried out recently. Have a look at photos, or go have a look at the house or cottage if that is practical. In the same vein, make sure that reviews are current and believable.
Find Out About Project Management Processes
When a builder has clear project management processes, they are likely to be organized in the way they carry out work. Some processes to look for are:
Procurement Processes It can take weeks or months to obtain certain materials, as we all learned during the pandemic. How does your builder handle procurement in order to keep the build going without delay? Where are the materials stored in the interim?
Dedication Once they begin the build, will your building team show up every day, or travel to other jobs while they wait for materials to arrive or trades to become available?
Communication What procedure does your builder use to communicate their progress on the job? Will you have to check in with them, or vice versa? Can you expect walkthroughs and photo/video updates, or simply a phone call now and then? How often can you expect a progress report, and will your builder consult with you when a decision is needed, or make the call themselves?
Pride This may not be a project management process per se, but pride is indicative of the caliber of work being done. Did previous customers find the build site clean, or littered with wrappings and coffee cups? Did workers park out of the way, or ruin the edges of the lawn? Did build sites remain G-rated areas, or would you have to cover your children’s or grandchildren’s ears when workers are present?
Licensing Builders don’t require any licensing unless they build new homes, in which case they need to be Tarion-certified. While this is not a requirement for whole home renovations, Tarion certification does indicate a certain level of capability.
WHY DECARLI
The end result of a well-executed whole home or cottage renovation can be nothing short of transformative. Reimagining your space, elevating your lifestyle, and rekindling the joy of home. When you choose DeCarli Contractors, you choose a team that takes pride in design, craftsmanship, in meeting deadlines, in sticking to budget, and in personalized service.
We regularly plan and carry out whole home renovations in Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay Townships, Georgian Bay and Severn Townships. It would be our pleasure to revitalize your home with a fresh, modern look while retaining the essence that makes it uniquely yours.
We hope that when the time comes, you will consider DeCarli Contractors.
