Q&A with Jean: When Should I Start Planning for My Renovation?

Thinking about a home renovation? Don’t wait until the keys are in your hand! The secret to a seamless and stress-free project lies in early planning. In this Q&A, Jean, a seasoned renovation expert and Sweeten founder, shares invaluable insights on when to kickstart your renovation journey. From outlining your vision to selecting the right contractor, discover the ideal timeline to ensure a successful outcome.

At Sweeten, we’re experts at all things general contractors — we pre-screen them for our network, carefully select the best ones for your remodeling project, and work closely with hundreds of general contractors every day.

Sweeten’s Founder + CEO Answers Your Renovation Questions

Welcome to #8 in our series, designed to bring clarity to some of the mysteries of renovating! Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or a serial renovator, each project brings with it a new set of circumstances and new questions, and Sweeten is here to be a source of knowledge and reassurance. 

When should I start planning for my renovation?

JEAN: A lot of homeowners come to us when they are in contract on a new property, but haven’t closed yet. This is a good time to start some preliminary planning, such as outlining the scope of the project—what you’re aiming to accomplish—and begin selecting materials. However, you really need to wait until you’ve closed on the property in order to pull permits, get board approval (if necessary), and have easy access to the space for walkthroughs and measuring—all the things that you’ll need to do to start your renovation.

You might also meet with a general contractor, but keep in mind that close dates sometimes don’t happen and there’s a chance the property sale may fall through. It’s a little harder to get general contractors to come on a site visit at this stage of purchase. It’s also a challenge to get access to the property. While in contract, we highly recommend starting to plan what you would want to renovate and the level of costs you want to spend on your materials, including your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” We can’t emphasize enough how having a good handle on these aspects affect timing and delivery lead times, keeping your project on schedule.

If you have more questions on the topic, check out our blog post The Do’s and Don’ts of Closing and Renovating.

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Looking for more advice from Jean? Be sure to check out the seventh installment in this series, Q&A with Jean: Do I Need Temporary Walls?

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