Common Complications During a Home Renovation
Defining a home renovation
Dictionary.com defines a renovation as “the act of reinvigorating or reviving.” When partner, Jason DeMarco & associate, Andrew Tang, were asked to give their definition, it is clear that home renovations are much more complex than just a revival.
Jason: “The reason that people employ a home renovation instead of new construction or moving, is that they're looking for a betterment of where they are. They're looking for an opportunity to keep those features or memories of that home, but enhance it or modify it in some way. So that may be because there's been a change in their family arrangements, maybe new pets, new children, children left, Tutu is moving in with them. Whatever it may be, they need to make some modifications, but stay in the same spot."
Andrew: “Lifestyle changes, kids move out or parents grow older and then you decide to live downstairs in a smaller place and rent out the place upstairs. So there's economic factors and there's family relationships or just lifestyle changes. Part of the renovation is also adjusting to folks walking perhaps a bit less. They don't want to walk as many stairs or bend down, they want to be closer to the garden, et cetera. In Hawaii we see a lot of residents aging in place.”
The pandemic has resulted in a lot of lifestyle adjustments which can be both positive and negative but typically have required some inflection on what is truly important to everyone. A study by Cleveland Clinic states, "Since the pandemic started, nearly two-thirds of the survey’s participants (62%) say they’ve made a significant lifestyle change, including: More time outdoors or experiencing nature. Improved sleep patterns. Starting or modifying an exercise program.”
5 of the most common complications that occur during home renovations
As architects in the profession for over 20 years each, Andrew and Jason have seen some common issues arise for previous, current, and prospective clients.
The piecemeal approach
Many homeowners thinking about doing a home remodel have the initial idea to just renovate certain areas of their home that need updating. This piecemeal approach can end with unappealing results for the homeowner as they now have a new beautiful modern bathroom but their kitchen is still stuck in the 70’s. As they realize the rest of their house does not match the aesthetic they so clearly want, they struggle to be happy with just their bathroom being up to standard.
Andrew: “There has been a lot of times we have had clients that start very piecemeal. Then at the end they realized they've got a product that is very incoherent because they've been going at it piece by piece. Building it bit by bit is in itself is not a problem, but thinking about the end goal in that way is, because you end up with piecemeal solutions. A few of our recent projects involve us going in and fixing muddled and uncoordinated spaces that do not actually align with our clients’ goals. At the end of the day, we provide a roadmap and the end vision of what you want to achieve. And then with that, we can still strategize on phasing.”
In order to avoid a home that is disconnected, we advise you to think deeply about what exactly this home remodel will do for you before beginning any work. To hone in on this, the partners were asked the following: What are the first steps that homeowners should take if they are considering remodeling?
Andrew: “I think, understanding the program, meaning what your needs are. So not necessarily having the solution in your mind, but at least just understanding what your needs are. Why do you want to renovate? The why is almost more important than the what. Some owners come to us and they say, ‘oh, we need two bedrooms and three bathrooms’, but when we dig deeper, we find out that they don't really need that. They just think that's a solution to what their new lifestyle is. Then we can figure out a smarter way or another way to accommodate them in the unique ways they need.”
Jason: “I agree. It gets back to the why. What are you trying to get out of it? What is it that you're currently dissatisfied with that needs changing? It's so important to have that goal in mind, so that you can evaluate decisions and moves that you make to the building along the way and think, how does that tie back to what you're trying to accomplish? Am I trying to age in place? Am I trying to make space for the kids? Are we trying to have greater connectivity to the outdoors? You know, whatever it may be, that's the why of what you're doing. And then we can talk about, okay, well, how do we meet that? How does the building meet your personal needs? The building becomes kind of a tool of your life. So how is it helping to function and serve you?”
Budgeting for a home remodel
One of the most complex and probably most common issue to arise during a home remodel has been surrounding budget. From scope creep to cost escalation, money is one of the least fun aspects of a home renovation.
Scope creep
We often see this concept of ‘scope creep’ where a client sees how great their remodeled bathroom and kitchen are going to turn out and they realize the rest of the house is going to look a bit dated in comparison. Now, they want to update all of the light fixtures, flooring, wall paint, etc. That’s amazing! Except...now they will be over budget.
Jason: “I would suggest to homeowners to be cognizant of scope creep and perhaps allocate a little bit of the budget to just do a few little quick refreshes of the rest of the existing so that the house feels interconnected in the whole.”
These refreshing aspects definitely may not be as intense as your bathroom and kitchen where you had to reroute plumbing and electrical, so if you plan to do these finishing touches yourself, please see our other blog post: Guidelines to DIY in a home renovation. [Coming soon]
Another way to avoid scope creep if you are having difficulty finding a holistic view from the beginning, is to not rush into your remodel. If you take more of an explorative approach, you have the opportunity to realize early on that maybe your initial solution isn’t always correct. This will allow you to adjust the focus of your scope.
Here is an example of a time that we worked with a client to refocus on what is truly important for the present moment.Jason speaking on our in progress project, Palolo Residence Renovations: “We met with her, listened to her and had an idea in our mind collectively, us and the client, about what we thought she wanted. In her situation, she moved into the house during the design process and her lived experience there clarified her thinking about what was of great importance to her. So then we had a new conversation and said ‘now that I’m living here and experiencing this place, these things become more important to me and these other things recede into the background as less important.’ This was an opportunity for us to work with our client to reprioritize the budget and the design to respond to how she has begun her lifestyle in her new home. That is a wonderful journey and process of us listening and communicating with our clients about what is of value to them and how the design and the home can be responsive.”
Cost Escalation
Jason: “Cost escalation can be a big issue. We're talking and we're planning out your project now, but it's not going to get built for a year, maybe two years. There's just a natural escalation of costs. It can happen as materials become more expensive or there’s fluctuations in the labor market. It's important for a homeowner to be thinking about, ‘Okay, that half a million dollar renovation I want to do right now is going to be $550,000, $600,000 two years from now.’ Just make sure that the budget is aligned to what it will actually be when it is built, rather than what we see now.”
Andrew: “Having that awareness is important especially right now with COVID. Shortage of materials and labor has prices coming in at very different pricing than we are used to even in the profession.”
Trying to save money can end up costing you
Andrew: “..another observation we've made over the years is that a lot of folks are trying to save money in the front end and then end up spending more because they cut corners.”
Jason: “It may be cheaper to put this one thing in now, but it's going to break every two years and you're going to have to pay 25% more then to fix it, service it, or do something each time it breaks. Whereas, if we look at it more holistically and think about the long term value of it, maybe you pay 50% more now, but in 10 years, you've never needed to replace it. So, those are the kinds of conversations and evaluation of trade-offs that we, as professionals can bring to our clients, helping them say, ‘Okay, this is the place you really want to invest in buying a quality thing, because you're going to need it, use it, touch it, and futz with it every day. Maybe we can scale back over here for something that's unseen and won't be damaged.’ We can shift the budget into the places where it brings value, appearance, longevity, durability, serviceability, all these things.
Adjusting your lifestyle during a live in home remodel
Jason: “Another complication or challenge, I know about particularly well, is that, you have to live with the renovation as it's ongoing… You are living on a constructions site. How do you adjust your lifestyle to have dust, equipment, sawing and storing of materials on your site and the loss of that bathroom that you kept, your personal items in? In my own experience, I grew up in a house that was constantly being renovated, so it was always a renovation project. ‘Right now that bathroom is out.’ ‘Oh, you can't use the kitchen this week.’ ‘We're going to be adding a deck on the back, now there's a hole, kids don't fall on the rebar!’ Whatever it is, it can be a very different experience for people who aren’t as familiar with what that entails. So are you living in place or are you leaving the house? Is the whole thing getting renovated and you're coming back to the AH HA moment?”
Working collaboratively with your family, spouse, etc.
Communication is always key!
Jason: “A complication that happens sometimes, well, almost all the time, when we work with a couple or a family renovating their house, you have multiple clients. There's multiple people with attitude, and we, as an architect are not only sometimes the designer, but also the couples therapists to help them figure out what they together want to accomplish. The situation we never want to be in is when Party 1 says ‘I want to do this.’ and Party 2 is not involved or aware of what’s happening until suddenly they are and they are taken aback by the decisions that have been made without their knowledge. It’s so important that all decision making parties are aware of and track the progress of the project so everyone’s input is involved and everyone is happy with the result.”
Not knowing when to ask for help
Jason: “Just sort of broad life advice, if you're going down a trail and there's a fork in the road and you go the wrong way, the most sensible thing to do is to walk back to the cross road and go the other way. The sooner you realize you're wrong and turn around and go back, the faster you'll get on the right path. That is so much more enjoyable than trying to bushwhack your way thinking you're going to cross over to the other path through the bushes, not a fun journey.”
Andrew: “We certainly have a few current clients that have needed our help after they had gotten in too deep. We’ve gone in and helped them sort out the existing situation, whether it was for permitting or the physical planning of it.” “It's never a bad idea to ask for help. It may be you just reach out to ourselves or a contractor and say ‘Hey, this is kind of where I'm at. We're kind of stuck in this place.’ At least get some kind of professional feedback. It may be that that reassures you, gives you a little guidance and you can continue on your own just fine or maybe you start to realize, ‘oh wow, I've gotten myself into quite a pickle here. I need to bring in some professional guns to get this done.’ “
Thinking about starting your own project?
If you are ready to start a home renovation, it all starts with a call, email, or consultation form submittal! We look forward to working with you!
