There are many choices you need to make in a home remodeling project. These choices can be highly consequential for two primary reasons:
- Your enjoyment of the remodeled home. Most home remodeling projects are planned to provide some comfort or function that is not currently found in the home. Some remodeling projects provide both benefits, such as a bathroom remodel that adds storage and expands a shower.
- The return on investment (ROI) from the home remodel. While this may not be a primary consideration, home remodeling affects your home value. Some remodeling projects have a positive ROI, adding more value to your home than they cost.
One of your earliest choices is your remodeling contractor. Some remodeling contractors promote themselves as budget remodeling contractors while others promote themselves as luxury remodeling contractors. But, setting aside the cost, what differences do these contractors bring to your home remodel? Here are three ways that luxury home remodeling differs from budget home remodeling:
Planning
Sometimes you have an idea of what you want from your home remodeling project. Other times, you have a list of desires, but no idea of how to bring them into your home. In either case, a luxury home remodeling company can provide planning resources that budget home remodeling companies do not have. For example, luxury home remodeling contractors often have architects and designers in-house to help plan your home remodeling project.
Architects have unique expertise that blends design with safety. This allows architects to provide beautiful and structurally sound ideas for your home remodeling plan. When a particularly difficult problem arises, architects work with designers for their aesthetic expertise and engineers for their technical expertise.
A good plan is not only more likely to carry out your wishes. It is more likely to meet codes and qualify for any necessary building permits.
The quality of the plan and the experts used to prepare the plan distinguishes luxury home remodeling projects from budget home remodeling projects. Without a high-quality plan, you risk having to repair or, worse yet, redo the project later.
Materials
Materials matter. Luxury home remodels incorporate higher quality materials that have greater durability, quality, and environmentally friendliness. These materials, therefore, will tend to provide a greater ROI on your home remodeling project, lasting longer and necessitating fewer repairs.
For example, luxury home remodels can incorporate solid wood cabinets rather than laminated particleboard. Similarly, natural materials such as granite and marble can be used used in place of engineered materials such as quartz. Materials such as these not only last longer than budget materials, they can become a selling point when the home is sold. Many homes command a higher selling price specifically because of, for example, solid wood cabinets and granite countertops.
Similarly, more efficient materials, such as high-quality seals and insulation, LED illumination, and energy-saving windows, can save money on energy expenses. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that American homeowners spend 5-10% of their budget solely on lighting. Moreover, as home buyers become more conscious of their carbon footprint and the energy efficiency of their homes, environmentally friendly materials will likely become a selling point that will provide a positive ROI.
Workmanship
At the end of the day, a good plan and high-quality materials need well-trained and conscientious builders to turn them into a usable and valuable addition to your home. Master builders are construction professionals who are certified based on experience and training. They are governed by a strict code of conduct that outlines their obligation to use safe materials, techniques, and practices as well as dealing fairly and openly with customers.
Craftsmen who build luxury home remodeling projects not only provide high-quality services. They also stand by their work with warranties, follow-up communication, and, in many circumstances, repairs and adjustments to make sure they have delivered exactly what was promised.
Luxury home remodeling projects deliver access to experts during planning. This results in better plans with a lower risk of wasted time and money. They also utilize high-quality materials and workmanship. This ensures durability that reduces the costs needed to repair or replace the project later. All of these contribute to a home remodel that can provide greater satisfaction and higher ROI.
