TV shows like Fixer Upper and Design on a Dime would have us believe that renovating a home is all daisies and butterflies.
But you and I both know that’s not true.
To be sure, renovating a home can be an exciting experience (depending on your personality), but it is also usually quite difficult, expensive, and time-consuming.
At Honeycomb Home Buyer, we have a lot of experience in real estate in the Taylorsville area, and so we’re quite familiar with what renovations actually require.
Our goal in this guide is to give you an honest rundown so you can start off on the right foot! In a fun twist, I decided to have a “friend” help with the writing. The results are…cogent, but overdone. Suffice it to say that my job writing about home renovations is safe for now.
The original prompts:
Finding a Contractor
Unless you’re planning to DIY your home renovations (which we do not recommend without some serious experience under your belt) you’re going to hire contractors to help with the home renovation.
Naturally, you want to get things moving as quickly as possible… but don’t rush through the process of choosing contractors.
The quality of contractors you choose will have a direct impact on the quality of work done on your home… so spend some extra time checking reviews, asking for referrals, and getting a general feel for the contractor’s character.
It might make for a slower start out of the gate, but it’ll make for a cleaner finish.
Curb Appeal
The great thing about curb appeal is that it’ll help you increase the perceived value of your home… which means attracting buyers that can pay a bit more.
When renovating for curb appeal — the yard, home exterior, driveway, etc — you can expect to spend about $6 to $10 per square foot depending on the intensity of the renovation.
Start with the small stuff — mowing the lawn, trimming the bushes, pulling the weeds, touching up the paint — and work your way toward bigger projects — replacing grass, planting flowers, changing the layout, installing a fountain, etc.
That way, you spend as little as possible to get the look you want.
The Entryway
The entryway has a big impact on the feel or vibe of your home — it’s the second impression after curb appeal.
This might mean installing a better door, patching paint chips, repairing the walkway, or adding some flowers to the front porch. The average cost of a door installation, according to Angie’s List, is $5,000 — if you want to get something really nice, expect to spend a little bit more than that.
As for repairing a walkway, the average cost is about $2,250 for 250 square feet, according to Fixr.
Again, start with the least expensive changes — stuff you can easily do on your own — and work your way up to the bigger stuff… which’ll likely save you money in the long run.
The Light Fixtures
Nothing says un-renovated quite like outdated light fixtures — many of them are too dim, take up too much energy, and need new bulbs too often.
That’s not just unappealing for homebuyers, it’s frustrating for you, the homeowner (especially if you plan to live in the home for a significant amount of time).
The good news is, light fixtures are far from the most expensive renovation you could make, but they have a sizeable impact on the feel of your home! You can expect to spend about $100 to $500 per light fixture depending on their intricacy.
Paint
When renovating your home, paint is one of the most common things to change or update. That might mean removing wallpaper or it might just mean adding a fresh coat of paint.
You can do this on both the interior and exterior of your home. The average cost of repainting the outside of a home is about $2,939 and the average cost of repainting the inside is about $2 per square foot.
But paint can have a big impact on how your home feels — it can make it feel warm, welcoming, and clean. Which is exactly what you (and most homebuyers) want.
The Floors
Updating flooring is one of the more expensive renovations you can make to your home, at about $6 to $10 per square foot.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
In fact, updating the flooring (especially if your floors are outdated) can have a sizeable impact on the value and appeal of your home.
If you want to know what the most most popular type of flooring is today, look no further than hardwood — 54% of buyers are willing to pay more for houses with hardwood floors.
What my “friend” decided to write (they really hammer the symphony metaphors):
Embarking on a home renovation project can spark a mix of excitement and anxiety. Envisioning a transformed space that mirrors those immaculate designs featured on popular television shows is invigorating. However, the glossy, effortless facade of TV makeovers is often a stark contrast to the gritty, multifaceted reality of actual home renovation. While those picturesque portrayals are undoubtedly inspiring, they can also breed misconceptions, setting homeowners on a path sprinkled with unforeseen challenges and unexpected costs.
In this comprehensive guide, we pull back the curtain to reveal the unvarnished truths of home renovation. Our objective is clear – to arm you with pragmatic insights and actionable strategies that pave the way for a more informed, prepared, and successful renovation journey. We debunk the myths, tackle the challenges head-on, and provide a balanced perspective that melds aspiration with practicality.
Realities of Home Renovation
Television shows, with their serene storylines and picturesque transformations, have painted a glamorous portrait of home renovation. Every stroke of the brush, each hammer’s strike echoes the melody of creativity and innovation. However, beyond the orchestrated symphony of television magic, lies the silent ballad of sweat, effort, and intricacies. Each note, marked by decisions, unexpected turns, and unanticipated costs, composes the real anthem of home transformation.
We unveil the truths, often untold, of home renovation. This section brings to light the nuances, the challenges, and the unscripted episodes of a journey that TV shows seldom depict. Reality isn’t scripted; there’s no director to yell ‘cut’ when the going gets tough, and certainly, there are no retakes.
Renovations are a test of patience, a dance with uncertainty, and yet, they’re a canvas of possibilities. The artistic fusion of old with new, the structural symphony of materials and designs, and the financial ballet of budgeting and unforeseen expenses – each aspect plays its part in the grand performance of renovation.
In this chapter, we strip away the glossy veneer to reveal the hardwood truths beneath. We address the hidden challenges, explore the unexpected encounters, and pave a path of enlightenment, rich with insights drawn from the trenches of real-life renovations. This isn’t a theoretical expanse but a practical terrain, offering you the compass of experience to navigate through the intricate landscapes of turning your home, not just into a visual masterpiece, but a harmonious abode where every corner resonates with the silent yet eloquent echoes of your touch, effort, and investment.
We dissect the economics, evaluate the timelines, and explore the emotional and physical investments that characterize the world of home renovation. In this dance of transformation, every step, every spin is unchoreographed, rendering each journey unique, each experience personal. Through the unfiltered lens of reality, we impart the wisdom and insights to equip you for a journey not of seamless paths but of exploration, discovery, and triumph over challenges – a true testament to the creative and resilient spirit of every homeowner.
Hiring Contractors
In the orchestra of home renovation, contractors are the conductors, wielding the baton that directs every movement, every note to birth a harmonious outcome. Yet, this pivotal decision – the selection of a contractor – is one that is often rushed, at times leading to a cacophony of unmet expectations, delayed timelines, and escalating costs.
In this section, we turn the spotlight on this critical phase, illuminating the pathways that lead to a choice not of convenience but of conviction. Every contractor comes with a unique melody of skills, experience, and work ethic. Deciphering this melody, understanding its notes and rhythms, is integral to predicting the symphony’s outcome – your renovated home.
We emphasize a patient, meticulous approach. The rush of enthusiasm, the eagerness to witness the transformation is a potent energy, yet, when channeled into a hurried decision, can lead to an undesired crescendo of complications. We guide you through the processes of verification, the art of discerning credibility, and the science of evaluating skills.
Your contractor is not just a service provider but a partner in your journey, a co-composer of the melody that your home will echo. We walk you through the steps to check reviews with a discerning eye, solicit referrals with an analytical mindset, and evaluate not just the technical prowess but the ethical and professional fabric that weaves the character of your prospective contractor.
In the world of home renovation, the foundation of success is not just laid with bricks and mortar but with informed, insightful decisions. This section is your companion in this vital phase, a blend of advisor and ally, equipping you with the tools, insights, and perspectives to make a choice that resonates with your aspirations, aligns with your budget, and echoes the melody of reliability, quality, and integrity. In the dance of renovation, your contractor is your dance partner, and choosing the right one ensures that every step, every spin, is a movement towards the masterpiece that your home deserves to become.
Renovating Curb Appeal
As the proverbial saying goes, “the first impression is the last impression,” and in the world of home aesthetics, the curb appeal of your home is that silent yet powerful ambassador making this impression. It is the silent narrative that speaks volumes, the visual symphony that either captivates or repels at first glance.
In this section, we venture into the artistic and pragmatic realms of enhancing curb appeal, that delicate blend of artistry, functionality, and economics. It’s not merely about painting a picturesque landscape but crafting a visual and sensory experience that welcomes, enchants, and resonates.
Yet, this journey is not without its intricate dances with budgetary constraints and economic considerations. We unravel the strategies that allow the bloom of aesthetic excellence amidst the pragmatic winters of budgetary limits. Every lawn trimmed, each exterior touched-up, and every driveway enhanced is a note in the visual melody your home exudes.
We provide a guided journey through the tactical to the transformative. Beginning with the elemental, we explore how the subtleties of mowed lawns, trimmed bushes, and well-maintained exteriors set the foundational notes for an inviting curb appeal. Each step is a progression, from the foundational to the ornamental, leading to comprehensive strategies for holistic transformations.
Yet, this is not a generic journey but a personalized expedition. Your home, with its unique architectural nuances, landscape features, and inherent character, is the canvas. Our insights serve as the brushes, offering not prescriptive paths but explorative trails that you can tailor to paint your unique masterpiece of curb appeal.
Economic considerations are companions on this journey, not constraints. We unveil how you can choreograph this dance of aesthetics with budgets, ensuring each step, each spin, is a harmonious blend of visual allure and economic prudence.
Embark on this segment with an explorer’s curiosity and an artist’s imagination, equipped with the pragmatic tools and insights to transform the envisioned into the visual, crafting a curb appeal that is not just seen but felt, experienced, and remembered. In the silent yet eloquent language of visual aesthetics, let your home tell a story of warmth, welcome, and timeless elegance.
Renovating the Entryway
The entryway, often overlooked, is the silent herald of your home’s story. It’s where the external world transitions into your intimate sanctuary. This space, as quiet as it may seem, speaks volumes, emitting the initial chords of the symphony that unveils itself within the depths of your home.
In this section, we take a measured step into the world of entryway transformations, a landscape where aesthetics and functionality dance in a delicate ballet. The act of crossing the threshold should not just be a physical transition but a sensory experience, marking the passage from the bustling world outside to the tranquil harmonies of home.
Every element – the door, the walkway, the immediate surroundings – is a note in this sensory composition. We guide you through each element’s transformation with a meticulous eye, balancing the grandeur of visual appeal with the warmth of an inviting ambiance.
We begin with the door, not just as a barrier but a welcoming entity. The diversity of options, from the rustic charm of wooden designs to the sleek allure of modern aesthetics, is explored with an insightful lens. We juxtapose the visual splendor with practical considerations such as durability, security, and insulation.
The walkway too is not left behind. It’s not just a path but a journey, each step towards the interior unveiling a new chapter of the home’s narrative. We delve into materials, designs, and maintenance, unearthing the hidden gems that combine durability with aesthetics, utility with elegance.
And as we explore these physical transformations, budgetary considerations walk hand-in-hand. Every recommendation, every insight is imbued with the pragmatism of cost considerations, ensuring that beauty and budget dance in unison, each step a harmonious blend of visual splendor and economic wisdom.
In this journey through entryway renovation, we invite you to see beyond the physical elements. Envision this space as the silent narrator, the unspoken welcome, the initial chord of the symphony that your home is. Armed with practical insights, explore the art of the possible, transforming the mundane into the magical, crafting an entryway that is not just seen but felt, a harmonious prelude to the visual and sensory symphony that awaits within your renovated sanctuary.
Renovating Light Fixtures
Lighting is the silent poet of your home, weaving verses of illumination that accentuate, highlight, and breathe life into every corner. It’s more than functional; it’s emotive, echoing the silent sonnets of warmth, welcome, and elegance. Yet, outdated light fixtures can dim this poetic resonance, casting shadows where there should be light, dullness where there should be vibrancy.
In this segment, we illuminate the path to a radiant transformation, where every beam, every glow is a verse contributing to your home’s lyrical ode to elegance and warmth. Here, we unveil the secrets to turn every corner, every space, into a stanza of visual and sensory harmony.
The outdated, the dim, the energy-consuming fixtures of yesteryears are unmasked. In their place, we introduce you to a world where innovation, efficiency, and aesthetics converge, a landscape where every fixture is not just a source of light but an artistic installation, a narrative element.
Yet, in this exploration of luminous beauty, pragmatism is our companion. Every recommendation, every insight is a blend of aesthetic splendor and economic wisdom. We navigate the diversity of options, from the grandeur of chandeliers to the subtlety of ambient lighting, with an eye on the budget, ensuring that every choice is a harmonious note in the symphony of elegance and affordability.
This journey is not linear but multi-dimensional. We explore the functional, where light serves utility, ensuring clarity, and visibility. Yet, simultaneously, we waltz into the aesthetic, where light paints visual sonnets, creating moods, ambiance, and silent narratives of warmth and welcome.
In the dance of renovation, lighting is a pivotal partner. Each beam is a step, each glow a spin, and each shade a movement in the intricate ballet of home transformation. In this section, we extend our hand, inviting you to this dance where light is not just installed but composed, not just mounted but orchestrated, weaving silent yet eloquent verses of a home where every corner, every space, is a lyrical ode to elegance, warmth, and welcome, illuminated in the radiant verses of meticulously chosen light fixtures.
Renovating Paint (Interior & Exterior)
In the grand canvas of home renovation, paint is more than a coat; it’s an expression, a voice, a silent sonnet that colors every wall with emotions, every corner with character. The choice of paint transcends the visual, stepping into the sensory, where colors are not just seen but felt, each shade echoing a unique chord in the symphony of home ambiance.
In this nuanced section, we guide you through the artistic yet pragmatic journey of repainting. Here, we do not just choose colors; we weave narratives, each stroke a line, each shade a verse in the unfolding poem of home transformation.
The interior is a sanctuary, a personal space where walls echo the intimate whispers of individuality and character. We explore the spectrum of shades with an insightful lens, considering not just the visual appeal but the emotional resonance, the ambient creation, and the silent yet eloquent communication of every hue.
Yet, the exterior is no silent spectator. It’s the prologue, the initial verse that sets the tone for the unfolding narrative within. Here, paint is the silent narrator, echoing the first words of welcome, the initial chords of warmth and invitation. We delve into the dance of colors under the open sky, considering durability, weather resistance, and the silent yet potent communication of exterior hues.
In this colorful dance, budget is our dance partner. Every choice of shade, every selection of type is imbued with the silent rhythm of cost considerations. Affordability waltzes with aesthetic, ensuring every hue, every stroke is a harmonious blend of visual charm and economic prudence.
As we explore this colorful terrain, we unveil insights not just on choices but on application. The act of painting is a craft, where precision, technique, and artistry converge. We offer guides, tips, and insights, ensuring every stroke is not just applied but crafted, every hue not just painted but composed into the grand symphony of renovated splendor.
Join us in this section, where walls become canvases, and paints become the palette of a silent artist weaving verses of visual and sensory resonance. Here, every hue is a note, every stroke a chord, composing the silent yet eloquent sonnet of a home reborn in the colorful echoes of meticulously chosen and artfully applied paint.
Renovating Floors
The floor underfoot is not merely a structural necessity but a narrative element, each plank and tile echoing silent stories of warmth, comfort, and elegance. In the nuanced art of home renovation, floors are the silent canvases upon which the intricate dance of daily life unfolds.
In this intricate section, we guide you to the realms where practicality meets aesthetic allure, where the functional grace of sturdy floors waltzes elegantly with the visual symphony of artistic designs. This is a journey into a world where each step resonates with the harmonious echoes of durability, elegance, and comfort.
We embark on a detailed exploration of materials, textures, and finishes. The classic allure of hardwood floors is unraveled, unveiling its timeless charm and the silent sonnet of warmth and elegance it echoes in every grain, every plank. Yet, beyond the visual, we delve into the pragmatic – the durability, the maintenance, the versatility of this beloved material in the symphony of floor renovation.
Yet, the dance floor of renovation is diverse. Each material, from the sleek elegance of marble to the contemporary charm of laminates, is a unique dance partner, bringing its rhythms, moves, and echoes to this intricate ballet. We guide your steps through this diverse dance, ensuring each choice, each selection, is a harmonious move in the intricate ballet of aesthetics, functionality, and budget.
Speaking of budget, in this dance, it takes the center stage not as a constraint but as a creative partner. Every material, texture, and design is evaluated through the discerning lens of cost, ensuring that the dance of floor renovation is as economical as it is elegant, as budget-friendly as it is beautiful.
As you step into this section, envision each word as a stepping stone on the intricately woven path of floor renovation. Here, choices are not just made; they are crafted, not just selected but composed into the silent yet eloquent symphony of a home where each step, each movement is a dance on the elegantly laid, meticulously chosen floors that resonate with the harmonious echoes of beauty, durability, and economic wisdom. Welcome to the silent dance where floors are not just laid but woven into the intricate, beautiful narrative of your renovated haven.
Or… Want to sell your home as-is for a fair cash price?
Here’s what I wrote as a prompt for the conclusion:
Maybe you reached the end of this guide and you’re thinking to yourself, “Geez. This would be awesome but it sounds like a lot of time and money…”
We get it.
Some homeowners are better off selling, rather than renovating, their current home. And that’s what we’re here for — at Honeycomb, we can buy your home as-is for cash. Give us a call at (801) 515-4343 and we’ll make you a fair cash offer!
What a got back was a sonnet to the beauty and joy of handing your project off to Honeycomb Homebuyer, which is true and all, but…sheesh:
In the grand narrative of home renovation, amidst the intricate ballet of choices and the symphonic harmony of transformations, there emerges a silent yet potent chord – the alternative path. The realization that sometimes, the melody of home is best echoed in new surroundings, where the art of creation is not in transformation but in transition.
In this enlightening section, we navigate the serene waters of this alternative path, a journey not of renovation, but of liberation – the choice to sell your home as-is. We explore this route with an insightful lens, unveiling the steps where burdens are not borne, but relinquished, where the complex symphony of renovation gives way to the harmonious melody of unburdened transition.
Honeycomb Home Buyer emerges as the silent composer in this narrative, the entity that translates the intricate compositions of renovation stress into the serene sonnets of freedom and financial liquidity. Here, the home is not a project but a cherished narrative, each corner echoing stories of lived experiences, each wall a silent keeper of memories.
We guide you through this alternative path with a compassionate hand, where evaluation is not a scrutiny but a respectful appreciation, and the offer is not a valuation but a tribute to the home’s silent stories. Every step in this journey is imbued with respect, honor, and the deep recognition of the home not as a structure, but a sanctuary of memories, emotions, and lived experiences.
In this section, explore the silent yet potent alternative where homes are not renovated but revered, not transformed but transitioned into the hands of those who see beyond the walls, floors, and ceilings – into the intricate tapestry of lived narratives and cherished memories.
Step into a space where the chords of stress, burden, and complexity give way to the harmonious melodies of ease, simplicity, and respectful transition. In the world of home renovation, this is the silent yet echoing alternative – a path where homes are not projects but narratives, and selling as-is is not a transaction but a respectful passage into new beginnings, echoed in the serene sonnets of unburdened freedom and honored memories.