Lifestyles have changed in 2021. We’ve now spent almost an entire year doing everything under one roof, from living to working and homeschooling to virtually celebrating milestone life events. Last year changed the way we function and view our homes. Your home has become more than just a place you eat, sleep and await a new day – it’s a place where eating, sleeping, life, jobs and learning are happening.

In 2021, you need your home to be functional and livable. You also need it to be a place that brings you joy and peace of mind. A home renovation project might be what you need to achieve those things now and in the years to come, but it can seem like an extensive process to take on. MOOD | Design + Build, an interior design firm in Chicago, wants to help you plan for your home remodeling project, so you’ll have a house that completely fits your lifestyle and needs.

To do that, we’ve provided you with information about renovation costs, an ideal construction method and a general look at what the process will look like once you get started with a design team for your home remodeling project in Chicago.

Costs of Renovation Projects

When it comes to a big project like home remodeling, one of the main questions you’re bound to have is related to costs. According to HomeAdvisor, home renovation and remodels average $46,803, with most homes falling between $18,253 and $76,191. HomeAdvisor’s data for renovation costs to gut and remodel a home shows that most homeowners can expect to spend somewhere between $100,000 and $200,000 on an entire-home renovation.

For a small bathroom remodeling project in Chicago or powder bath/half bath, you’re looking at spending anywhere from $7,000 to $8,000. The average cost for a full bathroom is usually between $18,000 to $25,000. Master bathroom remodels typically cost $40,000 and up.

Budget/affordable kitchen remodeling projects in Chicago could run anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000. Kitchen remodeling projects classified as mid-level/affordable luxury remodels could cost between $60,000 to $100,000, with prices going up from there. These are only ballpark numbers, as prices will vary across all interior design and build firms in Chicago. Many factors contribute to the bottom line. We’ve provided a few of those factors to you below.

Factors that affect cost in a home remodeling project:

Age – Typically, renovating older homes costs more than remodeling newer homes since they are more likely to have underlying problems that need addressing during construction. The renovation work required to get older homes to meet current building codes may also be more extensive.
Size – The more square footage a home or space has, the more expensive it will be to remodel.
Location – The cost will also be affected by the cost of living in your area. The base cost for materials like appliances and countertops and labor costs may also be more expensive depending on your location.
Room selection – Kitchen and bathroom remodels are two of the most expensive projects to undertake. Living room or bedroom renovations, on the other hand, tend to range between $1,500 and $5,500. Master bedrooms might be on the higher end of that cost spectrum, especially if walls are being knocked down and rebuilt.
Material and Labor Choices – The project’s scale and the length of time the project will take could affect your overall costs. That is the more people and the more time spent on the project will increase your expenses. The same goes for appliances. Depending on the grade of appliances or the types of materials you choose, your overall costs will vary.

The average project costs we’ve provided here cannot speak specifically to your project. Still, they can give you a realistic idea of what it might cost to complete your home remodeling project in Chicago.

Benefits of Design-Build in Chicago

MOOD | Design + Build understands that you have a unique set of lifestyle needs and it’s important that your Chicago home fulfills those needs. We offer design-build services in Chicago, which means that we, as interior designers, are involved in all work phases, including architecture and construction. This helps ensure that there are no expensive mishaps along the way, where construction changes could take away from a good design.

An example of why it’s so important to have an interior designer on a project from the beginning is that a designer might want a door, window or closet in a particular place to enhance the flow of a space. However, the way the project was constructed was not conducive to their design plan. In this case, changes to the design could be made, but those would affect the established project timeline and costs. When a designer is on the project initially, a designer and builder can work together to ensure that the design and construction plans work well and complement each other.

Having the right interior design-build team in place – one that perfectly balances skill and expertise – is imperative to the project’s overall success.

At MOOD | Design + Build, we want to be involved on day one! We want to learn about your goals, how your space(s) currently function and how they can operate more efficiently for you. We’ve been working with several clients on lakefront properties. For example, we must get a sense of how they view the lake with these properties and what their lifestyle is like on the lake. Our end goal for any project is to meet all of your goals and enhance the at-home experience for you.

Preparing for Your Home Remodeling Process

We’ve broken down the general process that you can expect for a home renovation. Before you can get started, you’ll want to focus on hiring the right team for your home remodeling project in Chicago. Research, review and then consider potential teams based on their experience, ability to recognize project needs and fully understand the scope of your project budget. Once you’ve interviewed your teams and secured quotes from each team, you’ll be able to select who you’d like to work with and prepare to get started with them.

Determining Your Wants and Goals

The team you select will want to learn about your personality and your lifestyle. Your team will ask questions to get to know you during an initial discovery call or in-person meeting. They’ll also want to learn how your home is working for you and how it’s not. They’ll also want to hear your goals for the spaces being worked on and what your primary desires are for the project(s). Some teams might even send you questionnaires to answer, so they’ll have additional information about you or your project handy throughout your time working together. The team will conduct a full review and assessment of any existing structures, utility systems and preliminary design plans and specifications.

For you to best prepare:

Survey each space they’ll be remodeling and make notes about each space before your first meeting.
Reflect on your current likes and dislikes about the space(s), ways it functions or doesn’t function, and your wants or desires for that space.
While you’re making these notes, think about your lifestyle and how you’d like these spaces to function for you.

Keep in mind that resources like Houzz, Instagram and Pinterest are great for sourcing design photos to present to your team. Find pictures of spaces you like and pictures of spaces you don’t like. When you talk to your team, explain what you like and dislike so they have a better idea of what you want.

Scheduling an On-Site Visit

Once your discovery meeting, your team will schedule an on-site visit. Here, your team will take any necessary measurements and photos they’ll need for your project.

This will allow them to spend more time with you and see the space they’re working on in person. Your wants and goals discussed from your initial meeting will begin to build a clearer picture of the challenges you’ve faced in your current space and your desired style. It will also jumpstart their creative design solutions for your remodel project.

Signing Paperwork for the Project to Begin

Once your team knows your goals and your on-site visit is complete, the team will determine areas where productivity and cost savings can be optimized. They will then present you with a completed plan with drawings, cost estimates, and a project timeline. Once the design team has secured all necessary permits and provided a construction agreement detailing all the project’s specifics, you will need to review some paperwork. This paperwork will include a service proposal, including an overall project cost estimation and recommendations for you to get started.

For example, MOOD | Design + Build bases its project estimations on square footage and previous projects of similar scope and size.

Reviewing Conceptual and Detailed Project Designs

At this point, your team will have everything they need to begin working on your project! Teams will then move into the conceptual design phase. They will create inspiration design boards, initial design layouts of the space(s) being remodeled, 3D models of your project and establish their initial selections for the space(s) they’re designing.

After they’ve reviewed the conceptual designs with you, they’ll move forward with creating complete detailed drawings for construction. They’ll also clarify all items that will need to be purchased and provide you with the project’s total budget.

Before the project moves any further, be sure to ask questions and clarify anything you’re unsure about during this time.

Completing Your Build in Chicago

Once you reach this phase, building will begin! Your design-build team will oversee all project management tasks and kick off the project build. This means that they will be handling purchasing for the project’s needs and managing all building trades (e.g., carpenters, masonries, plasterers, etc.) and terms involved with each of those trades.

With a design-build team working together toward one shared goal, the construction process will be simplified for you. Any issues or bumps in the road can be reduced or eliminated (i.e., conflicting plans for construction and design) and the overall process can move quickly. Your team will begin sequencing the project out until all work is complete.

A home renovation can be a daunting project to undertake. MOOD | Design + Build wants to be by your side from the very beginning to help educate you about the process, listen to your needs, be clear on your end goals and then build exactly what you’re looking for in a forever home. If you’re ready to take on a home remodeling project in Chicago, contact MOOD | Design + Build in Chicago today.

How to Plan for a Home Remodeling Project in Chicago