The Design Process: How much Time Do I Need for a Home Renovation?

The time required to renovate your home is contingent upon a lot of different factors:  the size of the space, how long of a time you take to feel comfortable with the design, and how intensive is your renovation (is it just a “pull and replace” project where things are just getting updated, or is the space/ floor plan being rearranged to increase functionality, are things being custom designed and made-to-order?) There are a lot of components that have to come together perfectly to allow for a project to go just as expected and that rarely ever happens. You can expect to spend on average, 2-6 months on a medium-sized home renovation, but we always suggest anticipating your project to take longer than originally planned. Here, Lori shares the 2 biggest reasons your home renovation is taking SO long:
 

Permits, Materials, and Lead Times, Oh my!

Building permits take about a month to get after the design phase and before any building can really get going. Particular materials and specialty products with long lead times can add on months to your renovation. Custom cabinetry, for example, can take 3-4 months. Semi-custom cabinetry generally takes 4-8 weeks, stone or tile products often have long lead times.

But a lot of delays come from the “unknowns” – Unlike the products and materials with predictably long lead times, these are the things we can’t anticipate. Finding things you don’t want to find once the process has started is always a bummer, but that’s what we’re here for! These issues can range from structural issues requiring additional permits, to plumbing & electric issues. Sometimes, during construction we find old infrastructure has to be upgraded or replaced.

According to Houzz, here are the average amounts of time you can expect a project to take (Keep reading: We’ll break this down into a bit more detail below):

Kitchen Renovations: How much Time Do I Need for a Full Renovation?

Kitchens can take 3-6 months to complete, dependent upon what upgrades you want to make. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the appliances, and the harder and more surface area there is, the longer you can expect a project to take. From new ovens, sinks, and refrigerators, to counter tops and custom cabinetry, kitchens are entirely large appliances and hard surfaces.

Bathroom Renovations

If you’re overhauling a large master bathroom, complete with shower and/or bath features, and multiple sinks and counters, expect your renovation to take no less than 3 months. Smaller powder rooms may take slightly less time, but choosing, ordering, and installing the perfect sink, tiles, and toilets can still take about 3 months.

Laundry Room Renovations

Similarly, laundry rooms require ordering large appliances with longer lead times, and can take upwards of 3 months to complete.

Closet Renovations

Building your dream closet means designing, building, and installing custom storage for all your clothing and accessories. While not as taxing as a bath or laundry room, the custom built-in’s are to blame for you closet renovation taking about 2-3 months.

Bedrooms, Living Rooms, Home Offices

Dependent upon the size of the room, designing a bedroom, living or family room, or home office can take 3-4 months. If you want custom furniture or if your project if more traditional and requires a lot of details, you can expect it to be even longer. But even without, furniture lead times can sometimes be unpredictable.

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