Whole Home Remodel: How to Get Started

Your Complete Home Remodel Checklist

Are you remodeling your home? Enhance your home’s value, whether you’re placing it on the market or dreaming up the perfect space for you and your family.

Enjoy the remodeling process! Update your home with a holistic approach to create a health-centered environment. Before you begin, set your goals, plan your remodel, and check out our design and flooring tips below.

Set Your Remodeling Goals

The first step in your whole home remodeling process is setting your goals. Are you planning to sell? Are you staying put and enjoying your new space? Remodeling is a big undertaking, and knowing your end goal ahead of time helps cut out unnecessary expenses and effort.

Remodeling to Sell

Selling Now

If you’re planning to sell your home as soon as your remodel is complete, pay attention to market trends and updates you can make quickly without sacrificing quality. You’ll want to make sure your remodel fits with what people are looking for and what works with your budget.

Healthy and Low VOC  flooring is an increasingly popular choice for long-lasting wellness in your home. LIFECORE® is an excellent option for healthy hardwood flooring, offering elevated style at a moderate price.

Selling Later

If you’re planning to sell but have more time, focus on long-term updates. Don’t worry about current trends, as they will change by the time you sell. Instead, think about timeless improvements that will increase your home’s value. For longevity, we recommend updating:

• Exteriors (fresh paint, landscaping)
• Kitchen
• Bathrooms
• Flooring

Choose timeless features that will still look great and function well years down the line. When it comes to flooring, we recommend high-quality hardwoods in beautiful colors  that never go out of style.

Remodeling for Yourself

Replacing from Wear and Tear

One big reason to remodel for yourself is to replace years of wear and tear on your home. Spots to look out for include flooring, walls, paint, and appliances that need to be replaced.

Replacing for Health and Wellness

Another reason to remodel for yourself is to create a healthier space. This means improving lighting, facilitating good ventilation, adding natural elements like plants and earth tones, and creating a more breathable space with low VOC flooring. Healthy flooring is best for those with asthma, allergies, or sensitivities to dust and bacteria.

Creating Your New Dream Home

In addition to practical updates, remodeling is a way to create your dream house! Your home is your haven, and it can be a lifelong project making it absolutely perfect. Add all the elements you love to feel safe, happy, and right at home.

Create a Thoughtful Plan and Vision Board

After you’ve set your goals, start crafting a plan for your remodel. Ask yourself these important questions to guide your vision.

How Do You Use Each Space Every Day?

Do you spend most of your time in the living room or kitchen? Does easy-to-clean engineered hardwood flooring or waterproof hardwood suit your needs? Think about how you like to use the space you’re remodeling and how it fits into your life. Do you:

• Have kids playing indoors?
• Cook and host a lot?
• Do high-energy workouts at home?

Considering how your home functions is important when prioritizing where to remodel.

What Is the Style of Your Home?

What style is your home currently, and what would you like the style to be after your remodel? The outside and inside of your home should go hand-in-hand. Decide on a vibe to add to your vision board and consider how you can match your exterior to your interior. Here are some popular design choices to get you started:

• Contemporary: clean designs, open spaces, minimalism, and neutral colors
• Classic: vintage decor, intricate accents, rich wood finishes, and deep hues
• Farmhouse: exposed wooden beams, rustic elements, hearty kitchens, and lots of plants
• Mid-Century Modern: geometric shapes, functional pieces, bright or earthy colors, and wooden accents

What Do You Want to Keep?

Generally, a remodel doesn’t mean you need to get rid of everything you own. You may want to incorporate some of your favorite choices into your remodel. Think through furniture and other design elements you’d like to keep.

What Is Important to You and Your Family?

What are your priorities in your home? Do you need a big communal space for family to gather, a big kitchen to cook where durability is important, or a finished basement? Factor in if you have pets or toddlers who need room to play where the floor finish can handle lots of activity, or if you’re living solo and want a peaceful, sophisticated environment.

Prioritize Based on Recommended Budget Allocations

While plotting your remodel, calculate your overall budget and how you want to break it up. Optimize by combining high and low-cost elements, saving where you can and splurging when it’s important. You’ll want to invest in surfaces, like floors, that get the most use in your home. We recommend using the following as a guide to budget allocations:

• Furniture – 35%
• Finishes – 40%
• Lighting – 15%
• Accents – 10%

Optimize Your Space

Every remodel includes unique factors and specific challenges depending on the current state of the house, area in which you live, and what options you have. Below are a few examples of things to keep in mind, especially when it comes to flooring for your home.

Mix Different Flooring, Colors, and More

If you want to keep some elements and change up others, consider how cohesive you want everything to be. There’s a balance to strike between matching styles and cultivating a new look. For example, you might want to keep your carpet in some rooms but upgrade others to hardwood floors in new, stunning colors.

Assess Current Flooring Conditions

When it comes to your flooring remodel, check out what you currently have. You may need a complete overhaul, or you may just need to update some specific areas. We recommend low VOC hardwood floors for a lasting, healthy style for your home.

Navigate Regional Weather Challenges

Where you live can determine parts of your remodel. For example, pipes that don’t freeze may be a priority if you live in a really cold area, or you’ll want to factor in a good AC system in a hot, humid area. You’ll also want to take the weather into account when it comes to choosing new floors, paint choices, furniture materials, and other elements that are affected by moisture or temperature.

Luxury Remodeling Inspiration

Ready for the fun part? Once you have your overall plan and budget down, it’s time to start making design choices.

Nancy Meyers Aesthetic

Nancy Meyers is a romantic comedy filmmaker who’s known for her strong characters and the beautiful interiors in her movies. These homes all have a distinct style that’s light and airy, combining inviting neutrals like light wooden floors with cozy fireplaces and book nooks.

Unique, Natural Styles

Find a style that’s as unique as a thumbprint. We recommend hardwood floors, as each wood grain design is unique. This adds character to your home and keeps it from feeling like the rest of the houses on the block.

British Colonial

British Colonial is another style that’s here to stay. This bold style combines elements from around the world. Think dark wood floors, plants and botanical prints, lots of sunlight, and wicker accents.

Sustainability

Adding natural and sustainable elements to your home is another way to increase its value. Look for healthy, engineered hardwood flooring with indoor air quality certifications.

LIFECORE® Flooring

Create a healthy, happy home. LIFECORE® floors will immediately elevate your remodel, whether you’re looking to increase market value or enjoy the upgrades yourself. Find a dealer near you and learn more about how our low VOC hardwood flooring contributes to a beautiful, thoughtfully designed home.