Home Indeed Blog

Home remodeling blog from Home Indeed in the Cedar Valley, IA. Home design, renovation inspiration, and more!

What to Expect When Remodeling Your Cedar Falls Home

Remodeling is an exciting experience as you take the home you love and give it a timely upgrade. Whether your home improvement project involves a simple facelift to increase its aesthetic appeal or an entire renovation that changes both function and form, you know the results will enhance the quality of life for your family for years to come.

However, you don’t get to the finish line without running the race. Similarly, you don’t achieve the satisfying outcome of a home remodeling project in Northern Iowa without undergoing a sometimes long and challenging process.

One of the most important measures you can take to make the experience positive and fulfilling rather than draining and frustrating is to establish the right remodeling expectations before starting the project.

What is the Remodeling Process?

Whether you’re renovating your whole home in the Cedar Falls and Independence, Iowa, area, or simply focusing on one room, the remodeling process is generally the same. In a nutshell, here are the steps you can expect to take during the renovation process:

1. Initial Consultation

Once you’ve decided to remodel your home, the journey begins with finding a design-build contractor to work alongside you. As you’re vetting potential home remodelers in Iowa, you will likely have a consultation with one or two of them to confirm it’s a good fit.

2. Project Review

After your initial consultation with a remodeling firm, a team member reviews your project details, including the project’s objectives and feasibility and your vision, goals, and needs. They may follow up with you to gather additional data and to discuss how to proceed with the project.

3. Project Planning and Design

The next step of the remodeling process is to establish a design agreement with your selected firm and move forward with developing project plans. You meet with the designer at a design center, showroom, or the project site. Through a series of questions and answers and perusing your options, you can begin to make selections about layout, new features, style elements, materials, and finishes. These selections are then incorporated into your project plans so your home remodeling team can provide you a more accurate price estimate.

4. Project Verification

Next, you move into pre-construction mode. Your team schedules a final onsite visit to get measurements, revise the plans if needed, and finalize a layout for your approval. Once you’ve approved all selections, the contractor places orders for the products and materials. They also handle plan submission, acquiring building permits, and scheduling so the project can advance smoothly and efficiently.

5. Construction Process

With the plans and construction contract approved, your Northern Iowa remodeler can break ground on the project and start to make the home improvements with their team. If alterations are needed along the way, they communicate with you and keep you updated on cost and timeline.

6. Warranty

After you project is completed, you get a final walk-through of the home, during which your project manager goes over a checklist and familiarizes you with your new and improved kitchen, bathroom, or whole home. Even after you’ve reclaimed your space, the process continues by way of a five-year warranty that protects your investment and guarantees you can contact your Cedar Falls home remodeler with concerns or questions down the road. Learn more about how we handle our process here.

What to Expect When Remodeling Your Kitchen?

Kitchens are among the most common rooms targeted for home improvement projects. With how frequently you use your kitchen and the important function it serves, an upgrade every now and then can ensure the style fits your changing tastes and every element functions properly to provide you the highest level of comfort and convenience.

Kitchen Construction Expectations

During a kitchen renovation, you can expect to have extremely limited to no use of the space while your team is completing the work. Depending on the scope of your kitchen remodel, the construction phase of your project typically includes demolition and removal of existing countertops, cabinets, flooring, appliances, and lighting. If you’re altering the entire layout of your kitchen, that may require rewiring electrical or adjusting the plumbing.

The work site will be messy and potentially hazardous as the team hauls items in and out and completes the installation of new flooring, appliances, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, and other items and materials. Make sure to cover nearby furniture and keep children and pets away from the construction area.

How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?

Like cost, your kitchen remodeling timeline depends on the extent to which you’re renovating the space and the various tasks included. A full kitchen remodel can take about six to 12 weeks—not including the design phase, which adds another two to four weeks. It’s rare for a project to be completed in less than two months. If you change your mind about your selections once construction is underway that can cause delays, so it’s important to be confident about your choices before your team has started onsite.

How to Survive a Kitchen Remodel

Kitchen remodels in Northern Iowa are big undertakings that can last several months. Here are a few kitchen remodeling tips to help you make the best of the situation:

  • Prepare your kitchen for the remodel by clearing out any areas that will be worked on—which in many cases is the entire kitchen. Now is the chance to get rid of old pantry items or even appliances and dishes you never use.  
  • If you have the space, create a temporary kitchen setup in a garage, basement, laundry room, or outdoor space that includes electrical outlets. This makeshift kitchen only needs the essentials to enable you to prepare simple meals while your kitchen is unavailable.
  • Plan to cook a majority of your meals using a slow cooker, microwave, toaster oven or grill. You also should expect to eat out more often during your kitchen remodel. Takeout and the prepared foods section of the grocery store will also become your friends.
  • If work and school schedules allow, plan a short vacation during the project. The noise, dust and clutter can slowly build up stress and tension around your home, so it is beneficial to get away and relax for a few days. If nothing else, see if a friend or family member would let you stay for a few days or cook a few meals at their home.  

What to Expect When Remodeling a Bathroom

Along with kitchens, bathrooms are also high on the list of rooms that can use the occasional renovation. Additionally, bathroom remodels add significant value to your home in the Waterloo area if you’re looking to sell in the near future.

Bathroom Construction Expectations

Similar to a kitchen remodel, construction for your bathroom remodel begins with removing or demolishing bathroom fixtures. With the old out of the way, your remodeling team can then install your new shower or tub basin, bathroom cabinetry or vanity, flooring, and other features and fixtures. The construction phase also typically includes framing and drywall. Your team may have to bring in electricians and plumbers if you’re adding or changing the location of your bathtub, sink, ventilation system, and lighting. Before your team calls the job finished, they make sure everything is hooked up and functioning properly. They also clean up the work site so your bathroom is ready for you to use again.

How Long Does It Take to Remodel a Bathroom?

A variety of factors can affect your bathroom remodeling timeline, from the nature of the project and size of the bathroom to whether the materials you want are readily available. On average, a small bathroom remodel takes about a month from demolition to final walk-through if everything goes as planned. A major renovation on your master bathroom could take anywhere from six weeks to three months. If your project is especially complex or unforeseen challenges arise, factor in a couple extra days for the project.  

How to Survive a Bathroom Remodel

The inconvenience posed by a bathroom remodel depends heavily on whether you have multiple bathrooms in your home. Ideally, you can use a different bathroom while the one is out of commission. If you only have the one, your life will be a lot more complicated while the project is underway. Here are a few bathroom remodeling tips to keep in mind:

  • Put down drop cloths around the bathroom to help prevent foot traffic from tracking bathroom demolition dust and debris all throughout your home.
  • Thoroughly clear out your bathroom before the crew arrives onsite to start working. It’s less stressful to pack up and store your items at your leisure rather than scrambling to do it the morning when construction is supposed to start.
  • If you only have the one bathroom, ask your contractor to help you set up a makeshift bathroom with a shower and toilet in your basement or other room with a utility floor drain. It generally costs about $500, but it’s worth it for the convenience.
  • If you’re going to suddenly be sharing a bathroom with other family members, be proactive about discussing a general showering schedule that aligns with people’s various schedules involving work, school, and other activities. Come up with a system to make sure everyone still gets the privacy they need.

Preparing for Your Home Remodel in Northern Iowa

If you’re not sure what to expect when remodeling your kitchen, bathroom, or whole home near Cedar Falls, the best source of information is your professional home remodeler. Home Indeed has a step-by-step design-build process that is centered on clear communication, accountability, and budget control. Our team can help you know what to expect during each phase of the project, as well as how you will be informed of changes, the process for addressing concerns that come up, and other tips to provide you with a positive, efficient home remodel. For more helpful information, read How to Choose the Right Contractor in Cedar Falls.