A Homeowner's Guide to Custom Home Remodeling

There are all types of home remodeling projects. Some are simply plug-and-play, with standard upgrades in finishes for a space like a kitchen, bathroom, or basement.

While a standard remodel or "facelift" can improve the aesthetics of your home, it doesn't offer the type of complete overhaul that is possible with a custom home remodel.

A custom remodel goes beyond a surface-level makeover. Instead, it incorporates detailed interior design work to create something that's tailored to your needs. Through an engaging and iterative design process, it rejuvenates your home, enhancing both function and visual appeal.

In this post, I'll provide an introduction to custom home remodeling. I'll go over what it is, why it's beneficial, and how it's different from standard remodeling. I'll also explain how the design-build process is an ideal match for custom home remodeling projects.

What Is a Custom Home Remodel?

A true custom remodel has a few core characteristics:

• Personalization: In a custom home remodel, the design plans are carefully crafted to suit your needs and vision. All kinds of changes are on the table, and there's no copying-and-pasting of a generic design onto your home's footprint.
• Emphasis on functionality: During a custom home renovation, there's a deep focus on how you use each space in your house and how to optimize every element, from layout to materials, to make your homework for you.
• No compromises on aesthetics: Although a focus on functional spaces is critical to a customized design, aesthetics never get short shrift. The design is created with attention to detail and a commitment to your sense of style.
• Iterative design process: Collaboration is a fundamental part of a custom remodeling project. You'll work hand-in-hand with an interior designer, and it's common to have multiple rounds of brainstorming, floor plan drawings, and other design reviews to ensure that your perspectives and preferences are accounted for.

How Is a Custom Remodel Different From a Standard Remodel?

The primary difference between a custom remodel and a standard remodel is the project's scope and the degree of detail in the design process.

A standard remodel is often simply a cosmetic facelift focused on surfaces and fixtures. While you get to pick out materials, paint colors, and finishes, there's much less customization or consideration of your day-to-day experience of living in your current home. Standard remodels may use a boilerplate design to speed up the process, and structural changes are less likely to be included in the renovation.

In a custom remodel, the renovation plan is designed through extensive and ongoing conversations with the homeowner to maximize enhancements of the home in both form and function. From these conversations, the design may include more significant changes to a home's layout and organization.

Does Custom Remodeling Always Mean Renovating Your Entire Home?

Not all custom home remodels renovate an entire home, but it is common for them to involve at least a few rooms or an entire floor. With the time and attention required for a custom remodeling project, it often makes sense to take on a larger scope.

The Design-Build Process and Custom Home Remodeling

The design-build approach is a full-service process for a home remodel. When you hire a design-build firm, that same company handles both the interior design work and the hands-on renovation. With this approach, there's no need to hire a designer first and then shop around for a contractor.

Collaboration is essential to the design-build process, as designers, the construction team, and the client all work together to create a robust building plan. The detailed, iterative, and collaborative nature of the design-build process makes it perfectly suited to custom home remodeling.

The Benefits of Custom Home Remodeling

The key benefit of a custom remodel is that it is designed specifically for you, allowing you to revamp your current home so that it better meets your needs. If you want to build out your dream home without having to move to another address, a customized home renovation is the perfect fit.

Because it can address both form and function across different rooms and spaces, or even your entire home, this kind of remodel can create more cohesiveness and harmony throughout your house.

A custom home remodel can also pay dividends in terms of your property value. If you decide to sell, the thoughtfulness and detail of a custom home remodel can make your home stand out, especially when compared to homes that have undergone only a cosmetic or cookie-cutter renovation.

The Custom Home Remodeling Process

If a custom plan is right for your home renovation, you'll go through a series of steps in order to transform your current home.

• Hiring a designer: To get started, you'll find a designer who can give your renovation the time and attention it needs. If you hire a design-build firm, you'll work with them through each of the subsequent steps of your home remodel.
• Developing your ideas: In this step, you'll sketch out what you want to achieve with your remodel. For a custom remodel, your designer can serve as your guide, leading you through the key questions to refine your vision for your upgraded home.
• Drafting a conceptual design: In this back-and-forth process, you'll work with your designer to hammer out how to bring your most important priorities into the renovation plan.
• Estimating a budget: With the design-build model, you'll get constant feedback about how design decisions impact your budget. If you have a standalone designer, though, they'll only be able to give you a ballpark estimate based on the conceptual design.
• Finalizing the design: In this step, you'll approve the final design and choose fixtures and finishes. At this stage, a design-build firm will give you a fixed-cost budget. If you need to hire a general contractor to implement the design from a standalone designer, you'll have to solicit bids and compare them to get a clearer cost estimate.
• Preparing for the renovation: Once you have a schedule for the remodel, you'll need to get your home ready for construction, and you may even need to move out for a period of time. Your remodeler will handle things like permits and acquiring materials.
• Construction: This phase is when the hands-on work of renovating your home happens. You can get updates on the schedule from your remodeler.
• Finishing the remodel: After the work is done, you'll check and make sure everything looks right, and your remodeler will line up any necessary inspections of electrical and plumbing work.

Choosing a Custom Home Remodeler

Look for a remodeler with expertise, experience, and people skills. Of those three, homeowners often overlook the latter, but communication and teamwork are critical to a successful home remodel. The design your dream home has will only be tailored to you if the designer actually listens to you and understands you.

Before choosing a remodeler, it's always advisable to meet with more than one firm. Getting referrals from friends and asking for references from a remodeler can help you find someone with a strong track record.

How Is a Custom Home Remodeler Different from a Custom Home Builder?

There's a lot of overlap between the work of a custom home remodeler and a custom home builder. The biggest difference is that a builder typically starts from scratch, working with undeveloped land or demolishing existing buildings.

A custom remodeler is more experienced in working within the constraints imposed by the structure and location of an existing home. This can require more careful and nuanced planning, especially if there are elements of your current home that you want to preserve in a remodel.

Your Custom Home Remodel and How We Can Help

We are a design-build firm that has been handling complex and custom home remodels for over two decades, serving clients in the Geneva, Northern Illinois, and Southern Wisconsin areas. We pride ourselves on our ability to collaborate with clients, and we make achieving their vision our guiding priority.

You can learn more about us by browsing our website and portfolio, or drop us a line so we can start a conversation about your dream custom home remodel.