Remodeling is something almost every Iowa homeowner has to think about at some point. The longer you’re in a house, the more likely you are to realize that something about the place isn’t working as well as it could.
Maybe the bathroom needs to be expanded, or perhaps the kitchen needs new tiling. If your family has grown a lot in recent years, you may be looking for more space. But you don’t necessarily need to build another wing in your house to accomplish that.
Here’s what you need to know about remodeling your home in Iowa, regardless of whether you live in Des Moines, Sioux City, or somewhere in between.
When to remodel
There are parts of the country where you can remodel a home in winter. Places like Texas and California have such mild winters that you’re not going to risk much by starting a project in January instead of April.
However, Iowa winters are not gentle. They’re not the worst in the country, but they’re also far from the best. One website ranked Iowa winters as the 11th-worst in the nation. Iowa is prone to heavy snowstorms, and even if it’s not snowing, there is a good chance the air outside is still bitterly cold.
While you shouldn’t start building then, you can start planning your Iowa home remodel in the dead of winter. It’s not a bad idea to look over plans for a new bathroom or basement while you sit by the fireplace and sip hot cocoa. But you’ll probably want to wait until at least late March to begin putting those plans in motion.
There are some exceptions, though. If you can find a way to get out of town while contractors work on your home, then it might be worth it. It’s also possible that workers will have more availability in the winter months. But for most Iowans, starting in early spring is still a better bet than beginning a home renovation project right before Christmas
Setting a budget and timeframe
Most people set a budget for renovations. You may want to build a new garage and finish the basement, but in many cases, finishing the basement is going to fit into your budget better than doing both things at once.
It’s all about prioritizing what your family needs most at a specific point in time. You shouldn’t blow your entire tax return on an elaborate home remodeling project if you know your kid is about to need braces. Make a list based on what’s most important, and then go down the list as quickly as possible without taking out a lot of loans or draining the college fund.
“How long will the project take?” should also be one of the first questions you ask contractors. For instance, a basement remodeling Des Moines will typically take anywhere from four to six weeks. But those numbers can vary depending on a lot of things, including the size of the basement and the number of projects that particular business has to finish before it can get to your house.
It’s also not a bad idea to plan for the project to take a bit longer than the longest estimate you get. Construction and remodeling projects have a way of getting delayed. It’s just one of those things that seems to happen more often than not. It could be a supply issue, a labor issue, or even a weather issue.
Luckily, nightmare remodeling scenarios are much less common than run-of-the-mill delays. You shouldn’t stay awake at night and worry about the worst-case scenario, but you should be prepared for a couple of things to take longer than expected. So if you think a project will take six weeks, it’s best to allow for eight or nine weeks just in case.