Planning Your Perfect Home Renovation

Featured Image: Bertoli Quartz Waterfall Kitchen Island and Countertop from Arizona Tile

It’s something you’ve been dreaming of ever since you moved into your home. You’re finally going to fix that outdated bathroom, create an open concept for your dream kitchen, or upgrade your home’s materials with luxurious stone and tile. There’s a lot of things to consider when planning your perfect home renovation, but with a clear plan and appropriate expectations, your renovation will be much easier to handle.

Learn how to plan your home renovation using the following seven stages:

Image: CS-Deep Blue Honed 1” x 4” Herringbone Marble Tile Kitchen Backsplash from Arizona Tile

Stage 1: Concept

You know you want to renovate your home, but where specifically? Which room or rooms? Do you want complete demolition and renovation, or just a makeover/redesign? In the first stage, brainstorm your ideas and make sure everyone in your household is on the same page about the renovation concept.

Tip: Set up a preliminary ballpark budget in the first stage before talking to designers, fabricators, and contractors. Discuss your budget limit now, you can always adjust it later if necessary.

Image: Aequa Nix Porcelain Tile Entryway from Arizona Tile

Stage 2: Design

The design phase is arguably the most exciting. This is when you get to plan your perfect home renovation with the help of a designer. Choose colors and finishes. Decide to knock down that annoying wall for the open-concept living you’ve been dreaming about. Pick out the perfect luxurious and durable  . Have fun exploring the options, but remember to keep your budget and concept in mind.

Tip: Visualize your design and tile choices with the Just Imagine Tile Visualizer.

The design stage could also be called the research stage because design is about more than picking out what you think looks nice. You may love the way granite looks—and who can blame you—but maybe quartz, quartzite, tile, or marble is a better choice for your family and home. There’s a lot that goes into choosing your countertop material, cabinet color, shower tile, and more. Don’t forget to do some research to make sure you’re choosing design elements that have the durability and properties that work for your home and lifestyle.

Check out your fabricator’s blog and resource section to learn more about materials, finishes, colors, textures, and more. For example, Arizona Tile has this great resource that breaks down everything you need to know about ceramic tile in our resource section.

Image: Konkrete Beige Large-Format 24” x 48” Bathroom Floor Tile & Cenere 12” x 24” Bathroom Shower Wall Tile from Arizona Tile

Stage 3: Exploration and Planning

Now that you have a design, you can lock in the concrete details for your renovation plan. This includes finalizing your budget, gathering quotes for the actual renovation cost, and choosing the right fabricators to use.

You should also talk with your family to decide what time of year is best for your renovation. There are many factors to consider such as location, weather, and contractor availability.

Stage 4: Hiring

Hiring the right contractors is a key step to success, yet it’s often hurried or overlooked. To find the best contractors make sure to:

• Ask your trusted friends, family, and neighbors for referrals and suggestions
• Meet with several contractors to hear different estimates
• Check their portfolio of past work, including testimonials and references
• Verify that they are licensed and that they follow proper permitting regulations
• Know and understand exactly what’s in the contract

Tip: Get everything in writing when hiring and making plans with a contractor.

Image: Blizzard Granite Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile

Stage 5: Preparation

While your contractors and fabricators are busy building your ideal space, you have to make sure you still have a place to shower, eat, and live. Your necessary next steps will vary based on where and how much of your house you’re renovating, but here are some possible considerations:

• Make sure you have a usable bathroom or ask contractors to create a temporary one
• Consider the best and safest place for kids and pets to be during the renovation chaos
• Make plans for where to eat if your kitchen is temporarily unusable
• Cover surfaces with plastic or fabric to protect against dust and dirt
• Find another place to park your cars so they aren’t blocked in by contractors’ vehicles

Image: Geo 2-Thyme Glass Wall Tile from Arizona Tile

Stage 6: Troubleshooting

When it comes to home renovations, you have to expect the unexpected. Project delays, renovation issues, material cost increases, and labor issues are frustrating, but unfortunately, they are not uncommon.

Some problems can typically be avoided by working with vetted, trustworthy contractors. Setting realistic expectations and having open communication with your renovation team are also key. Before going into a renovation, know that the renovation cost or time may end up increasing by 10 to 20 percent. To protect against labor problems, watch out for contractor red flags, such as poor communication or taking excessive breaks.

Tip: When trouble arises, meet with your contractors to have an open and honest discussion about delays.

Stage 7: Completion and Maintenance 

Congratulations! Your renovation is now complete. Look around. Do you like everything you see? If not, talk to your contractors and fabricators to settle any last-minute unresolved issues.

Now that you have your dream home, it’s time to keep it looking as fresh and beautiful as the first day the project was finished. Ask your fabricator any questions you have. They are filled with great tips and information. For example, experts at Arizona Tile recommend never using Windex on your stone countertops. You won’t know how to properly maintain your countertops or your other new features unless you ask.

Tip: Right after the work is finished, ask your fabricator if your countertop was sealed and what it was sealed with. This will set you up for success down the road.

When making your renovation plan, Arizona Tile is a great resource. Explore our extensive tile and slab collections at one of our many locations, play around with our design tool to discover new possibilities,  or learn more about which products would work best for you through our product information resources. If you have any questions or need help starting your project, contact us today. We’ll schedule a consultation to help your dream home come to life.