Insurance agents and investment advisers have always been adept at having “the talk” with prospective clients — asking personal questions about lifestyles, health issues, family growth plans, aging, work habits and other matters.
But if you’re pondering a remodel, you should have that same kitchen-table conversation. Changing the flow, function or size of your home can significantly transform the way you live there as individuals and as a family for years into the future.
Take a step back and start the conversation with details about how you plan to live, work and play in their home. This way, you’re much less likely to have surprises or disappointments when the project is done.
We often guide clients in this conversation at our first meeting. Based on the hundreds of families we’ve worked with, here are some of the most important parts of the talk that you and your family should have before considering a remodel.
1. Consider if you plan to live in your home five years, 10 to 20 years or a lifetime. If it’s short-term, decisions are easier and you’re not as likely to make big changes. But maybe you plan to be there for 10 to 20 years, or you consider your house a “legacy” home that you want to keep in your family for generations. If so, you may need to give consideration to the space needs of current and future toddlers, teens and aging parents.
Also it may affect your choice of materials. If you plan to keep a house long into the future, buying the best quality materials such as metal roofs, durable floors, copper downspouts and stone surfaces that will last 100 years might make sense.
2. Determine the quality-of- life issues that make you want to remain in the home. Maybe you need more space or a different configuration of your main level. Should you move or remodel? We’ve told potential clients on some occasions that the needs of their family simply can’t be met by remodeling the current home and that they should consider moving. But that’s a last resort.
Reasons to stay put and remodel may include having strong roots and loving the neighborhood; good schools; and doctors, neighbors, friends and other service providers whom you know and trust.
3. Evaluate the health and physical needs of your family members. This is where things get more personal. If you or someone else in your home plans to “age in place” — that is, stay in the home rather than move to a retirement community — living on one level and avoiding stairs may be the best option. The same is true if you have a family member with physical challenges. Experienced remodelers and contractors can help you remodel with this in mind.
4. Analyze your family dynamics and flow. You like your house, but everyone in the family is now bumping into each other in the kitchen, the hallways, the only upstairs bathroom, etc. The kids are in high school now; maybe your parents have moved in with you or some other family dynamic has changed. Even without moving walls, some traffic and room-use patterns can be vastly improved.
5. Assess your energy needs. If you are in the house for the long term, consider smart energy upgrades and their timeframe for payback. Depending on which upgrades you choose, these can pay for themselves in just a few years.
6. Calculate the costs of renovating versus buying another house. Moving typically costs about 8 to 10 percent of the value of your current home. Out of pocket costs include moving expenses, closing, broker commissions and other items that have no direct impact on your quality of life. Add to that the expense of new carpets, additional furniture, painting and redecorating for sale, and the costs add up even more. Also consider what the chances are that your new house will need renovation.
7. Get clarity about your budget. A remodeler should be able to give you options to help you get most of what you want — or at least carves off your top priority or two, at a price that fits into your
So: How do you start the talk even before you ask a remodeler to come over and discuss your options?
Make a list of all of your family members’ needs now and as many as you can predict for the near future and very long-term. Prioritize that list.
What is critical to improving your lives? What is cosmetic? Once you have most of those answers, you’ll be much more comfortable when you start the design and building process.
Chandler Fox is president of Foxcraft Design Group in Falls Church, Va., and wrote this story for The Washington Post.
