West Park home remodeling projects may start as simple as needing more storage space or as major as remodeling your kitchen or bathroom. However you envision your finished project, the decisions you make can have a significant impact on the appearance and functionality of your home. Here are a few key decisions to consider before breaking ground.

Think About What Isn’t Working in Your Home

You may envision your West Park home remodeling project in terms of finishes – new countertops and cabinets, flooring, paint colors, light fixtures, etc. But before you get into the aesthetics, think about what isn’t working in your home. Is your kitchen too small? The problem may have more to do with the placement of your appliances and counters than the actual size of the room, making layout a key consideration during a remodeling West Park project. Is your bathroom drab and tired? Perhaps it’s in need of better lighting, storage and ventilation.

As you consider what could be improved in your home, take note of problem areas:

• What rooms cause you the most frustration?
• Are there areas that are dark, damp or challenging to keep clean?
• Where do people bunch up or get in each other’s way?
• Where do you find yourself leaving things because there isn’t anywhere else to put them?
• What features or changes would you still be happy with even if styles changed?
• Are there any repairs that should be addressed before you upgrade finishes or make other changes?

Consider How You Use Your Home

Think about how you and your family use your home and what you would like to change. Do you cook together? Host get-togethers? Work from home? How you use (and want to use) each room of your home can have an impact on what should be included in your remodeling plans.

As you consider how a project in one area of your home could impact other areas. For example, if you’re remodeling your kitchen, think about how the new design could impact:

• Traffic flow to and from other parts of your home
• The dining room or other adjoining spaces
• The placement of your laundry facilities
• Plumbing
• Electrical outlets and capacity

Likewise, if you’re remodeling your bathroom, keep in mind that even seemingly simple changes could impact walls and other areas that aren’t visible until they’re opened up.

Take West Park’s environment into account

While you may not design your West Park home remodeling project around Florida’s weather, there are certain aspects of our environment that should influence your decisions:

• Heat and humidity can impact everything from the type of flooring you select to paint choices, wood products and ventilation needs.
• Sun exposure can make certain areas of your home hotter than others and impact the durability of your finishes.
• Rain can reveal (or exacerbate) drainage issues around windows, doors and additions.

Think about moisture management

Water and moisture intrusion can wreak havoc on your home, and it can sneak up on you. If you’re remodeling your kitchen, bathroom or laundry room or replacing windows or doors, consider how these areas currently manage moisture and how they could be improved as part of your West Park home remodeling project. Address any moisture or leak issues before moving forward with your project.

Determine Your Priorities and Stick to Them

It’s easy to start your West Park home remodeling project with a to-do list that includes everything you’ve ever wanted to change about your home. Resist the temptation to check every box. Instead, break your list down into categories such as:

• Repairs (address safety, structural and water intrusion issues first)
• Functionality (ways to improve storage, traffic flow and other aspects of your home that would make a difference in your day-to-day)
• Finishes (ways to update and refresh your home – select durable options for high traffic and high use areas)
• Nice-to-haves (highly decorative elements and other changes you can live without if needed)

Could a Better Layout Solve It?

If your home’s layout isn’t working for you, a West Park home remodeling project is a great time to make changes. Before you move on to finishes, consider opening up your floor plan after determining whether any walls are load-bearing, a topic covered at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Load-bearing_wall, as well as relocating plumbing or appliances, improving traffic flow and increasing natural light.

Approach Your Remodel Room by Room

If you’re tackling more than one room as part of your West Park home remodeling project, walk through each one and make a list of everything that needs to be repaired, updated or replaced. Consider the answers to these questions before you get into the fun stuff:

• What’s not working in this room? How can this space be made more functional?
• How is natural light in this room? How does it change throughout the day?
• What will this room be used for going forward?
• How will your family use this room during construction? What areas do you need to keep accessible (and what can be sectioned off)? How will you manage meals during a kitchen remodel or use the bathroom(s) that remain accessible during a bathroom remodel?
• What temporary setup will you need? What can be boxed up and stored away during the project? What valuables need to be secured?
• Who will you communicate with during the project and how will you do it?

Approach selections strategically

Once you’ve got a handle on your West Park home remodeling project, start with the big-ticket items such as:

and work your way down from there. Coordinate your selections as you go to make sure everything will come together once it’s all said and done. Hold off on ordering until you’re confident your selections will work.

Test materials in context

Take paint chips, tile samples and other material selections home with you and hold them up in the rooms where they’ll ultimately live. Examine them throughout the day in natural light (and under artificial light at night). You may be surprised by how dramatically lighting can change the look of a material or finish!

Document everything

During your West Park home remodeling project, keep a binder (physical or virtual) with all of your selections and approvals. Note any changes that are made along the way. You’ll be glad you did when it comes time to place orders or coordinate with multiple trades.