How Long Does a Home Remodel Take?

Updating the look of your home is a great way to add functionality, comfort, and value to your property. However, one of the most common questions homeowners ask our renovation team is about timelines. This is often a difficult thing to answer, as each project has a unique set of needs that affect the overall rate of completion.

But it is important to keep in mind a few basic guidelines when determining how long your project should take. Here’s what you need to know about the home renovation process and various rule-of-thumb timelines.

Cosmetic Renovations – A Weekend to Three Months

If your home is already fairly new or doesn’t require a lot of work, you might be looking at a simple cosmetic remodel. In most cases, short renovations requiring only cosmetic repairs can take from a weekend to over three months. This includes tasks such as interior painting, exterior painting, new countertops, new appliances, or basic flooring replacement. It can even be something as simple as new landscaping or changing out a basic sink for a more fashionable farmhouse design.

Essentially, a cosmetic renovation timeline is reserved for small repairs or in situations where the basic bones of the house are still in excellent condition but need a small amount of updating. Many of these tasks are easily completed by a do-it-yourselfer within a few hours or a couple of days. Larger tasks that require plumbing, or major carpentry work often require the need for a licensed contractor, but still might be considered fairly cosmetic.

Medium Renovations – Several Weeks to Six Months

The next timeline approach for home renovation completion is medium renovations, which can take around several weeks to six months to finish. This generally includes situations where you must come close to fully gutting the space or need additional repair work that’s beyond a basic cosmetic repair. As a trusted Houston contractor, this is the category that most of our projects fall into.

There are numerous types of average medium renovation scenarios. In fact, most repairs easily fall into this category. For example, completely remodeling a kitchen and relocating sink plumbing to a new center island would be considered a medium renovation. Another example would be adding a new fireplace to your existing living room or adding on a new garage to the side of your current residence. These are situations where it might take a few weeks to complete tear-out and replacement, but you aren’t looking at any serious structural repairs or changes.

Major Overhaul – Six Months to Over One Year

The last type of project to consider when determining renovation timelines in the major overhaul. Basically, if it is necessary to gut the whole home, it will take longer to put it back together. These types of construction projects often take six months to a year or more to finish.

Generally, this is what many house flippers and rehab owners look for when they decide to take on a project. These are the scenarios where a home is in a great location but requires an enormous amount of repair work to bring it up to modern sensibilities. It’s also important to note that a major overhaul may also include large scale issues like foundation repair, structural repair, house lifting, second story additions, and more.

Alternatively, major projects with lengthy deadlines are sometimes not complete overhauls themselves. Sometimes, opting to do several small or medium projects at once can turn the overall effort into a large project. An example of this would be a homeowner who opts to refinish a basement, add an extension to a brand-new gourmet kitchen, and create a luxurious master bath—all at the same time. While these projects would usually be simple enough on their own, the completion of them simultaneously could extend the overall deadline. Again, it really just comes down to basic elements of the project and how many different aspects are going on at once.

Money, Size, and Weather Are Other Factors to Be Considered

There are several other factors you need to keep in mind when considering a home renovation. The first and most important is money. If you have a limited amount of funds, the time it takes to complete your renovation could be extended. Why? Budget overages are common in complicated refurbishment projects. If your contractor suddenly realizes that you need to spend a few extra thousand dollars on a potentially serious issue—such as an undetected foundation problem or removal of pesky tree roots—it might require you a little extra time to come up with the funds, which would then delay completion. In addition, while most contractors try to give as accurate an estimate as possible, even small remodels have the potential to go over.

Of course, it is also important to remember that renovating a house or apartment requires effort. Every project is different and the needs required for a small space are much different than a sprawling Texas estate. Thus, the actual size of your home could make a huge impact on the amount of time it takes for your project to be finished. It’s usually best to assume that a larger space equates to a longer renovation time frame.

Finally, the weather is another factor to consider. Texas is notorious for having rain one day and blistering heat the next. One of the most common delays for project timelines is good ‘ole Mother Nature. While contractors always try to stick to the schedule, it can be difficult if the weather isn’t cooperating with plans.

What Does a Remodeling Project Feel Like?

Regardless of duration, remodeling projects move through various emotional phases for all parties involved. Our very own President at Legal Eagle Contractors, Dan Bawden, has created Dan’s Funk Chart, a light-hearted look at the emotional journey of a home remodel from the perspective of homeowners, architects, contractors and even the family dog. The happy news is that it ends in pure bliss for everyone.

Finding an Experienced Contractor to Help with Your Home Renovation

To refurbish a property the right way takes a bit of patience and understanding. Working with an experienced licensed contractor on your home renovation project is important and could save you a ton of time and money. Legal Eagle Contractors is proud to be Houston’s top remodeling and building contractor for over forty years. If you’re looking to renovate your home or apartment, please contact us today for a no-obligation project quote.