Renovating? Critical Considerations for San Diego Homeowners

Completely gutting a house for a remodel is a huge undertaking for San Diego homeowners.  Renovating is a project that is going to cost a lot of time and money which means it must be planned well.  

Without careful planning, San Diego homeowners may find themselves dumping money into a house that has problems that are beyond repair.  This can be a problem down the road when it comes time to sell.

To help avoid that, find below four critical components that San Diego homeowners must pay attention to when gutting a home.

Size Matters

Unless the room is being expanded, most areas of the house are set.  Areas that can become cramped quickly are the bathroom and kitchen. These areas typically do not have a lot of square footage but they do have many cupboards, fixtures, and appliances.  With all of these items in close proximity, it can quickly become overwhelming.  

This is why you must always measure the room and any fixture that is being put in.  Measuring these new items can help homeowners avoid making a purchase that they will regret.  

For example, even if a cupboard fits into a room, that does not mean it will have enough space to be opened.  Or if a drawer or door does not open completely, the space is too small for the fixture.  

Start with the Foundation

You never want to build anything on an unstable base.  The same goes for gutting a San Diego house. Pay attention to the structure of the house and the foundation.  If there are problems with either they must be addressed. By avoiding a problem with either the structure or foundation you are only kicking the potential problems down the road.

It is important to know that building on top of an unstable base will only cost San Diego homeowners more money in the end.  The project that is completed will likely need to be ripped out and redone.  

The important thing to keep in mind is to always start by fixing structural problems before updating aesthetics.  

Vet Your Team

There is no excuse for hiring a bad professional when updating a San Diego home.  Do not wait until the last minute and be forced to choose whoever is available. Start looking for an electrician, plumber, and inspector far in advance. Ideally, you do this as soon as the decision is made to renovate the home.  These professionals will get homeowners through problems quickly and without spending unnecessary amounts of money.

That being said, a “cheap” professional is not always a bad one.  However, someone that is advertising prices that seem too good to be true, you need to do some more digging. Always check with reviews and ideally references before hiring someone.  Word of mouth is a powerful tool and it is best not to ignore it.

Value-Add Renovations

There are some renovations that will help San Diego homeowners recoup some of the cost of the work while other renovations only make it easier for homeowners to sell down the road.  It is important for homeowners to know from the start that many large renovations can provide a return on the investment, but not always in full.  

Every area is different.  For this reason, it is important to research what factors are important in the local San Diego market as buyers will prefer different renovations depending on the area.  Know that there are trends in San Diego real estate which are constantly changing. Understanding what is important to buyers at the time can help San Diego homeowners choose the right renovations to make in order to help sell.

Taking the time to completely renovate a San Diego house can bring a lot of stress to homeowners. It is always recommended to have an inspector look at the structure of the house before starting any other projects. From there, be sure to select the right professionals to take care of the project.  

To ensure success, San Diego homeowners will want to plan ahead when adding in fixtures or appliances and perform those renovations that will help bring in a bigger profit when it comes time to sell.