Setting Remodeling Goals for the New Year

The New Year naturally invites us to slow down and take stock. We consider our lives—our habits, plans, and dreams—and set goals for the upcoming year. It’s an exciting time filled with promise and new beginnings.

The New Year is the perfect time to think about your home as well. Remodeling your home thoughtfully and with intention gives you the chance to create a place that truly fits your lifestyle. A goal-driven and well-planned remodel will allow you to accomplish what you really want from your home—a space that supports your needs and wants and allows you to enjoy being there. Working with a design-build home remodeling team will help you get from here to there, guiding you through the process of aligning design and construction with your personal goals.

Know Your “Why” Before You Start

Before you start your Lancaster home remodeling project, pause and reflect on your why. What catalyst in your life is propelling you to consider remodeling right now? It could be that you’re entering a new stage of life. 

• Maybe you had a baby and need more space.
• Or your youngest child is about to go to college, and your nest will be empty for the first time. 
• Maybe you’re working from home now and need a quiet office. 
• You might be retiring. 

New life stages often mean changes in priorities and routines, and a home remodel can help make those transitions easier. Try to verbalize what is leading you to consider a home remodel. This will help you set meaningful goals and make better design decisions. At McLennan Contracting, our process begins here: with listening, understanding, discussing, and helping you define your purpose before planning begins.

Get Clear on How You’re Using Your Home Now

If you’re considering a home remodel in the new year, chances are it’s because you’re feeling the pinch in your home right now. Something about it isn’t fitting right, and it’s causing frustration. 

Try to be specific about the issues. Which spaces in your home are functioning just as they should, and which ones are causing daily headaches? The more clearly you’re able to name the problems, the more likely you will be to come up with great solutions. For example, saying “The kitchen is too small” is not as helpful as saying “We need more storage space for small appliances so we can get the countertops clear.” Be specific about what isn’t working, considering areas like layout, storage, lighting, and traffic flow.

But what if you don’t know what you need to solve the problems you’re facing? We’re here to help. As you discuss your home and the pain points you’re feeling with your designer, she will help you discern what’s causing the problems and give you ideas on how to fix them.

Turning “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” into a Clear Plan

The best way to ensure that your home renovation goals for the new year are met is to make them focused. You’ve heard of SMART goals—the idea that your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound? This metric is helpful as you think about your home, no matter what part of it needs remodeling.

For example, instead of saying “We want a bigger primary bathroom,” try being as specific as possible: “We want a bathroom large enough for the two of us to get ready at the same time in the mornings, with enough storage that we can keep the vanity clear of clutter.” Examples of strong, clear New Year home remodeling goals include:

• We want a kitchen with enough space for all of us to gather around the island.
• I need a home office that can be closed off from the rest of the house and can double as a guest room.
• Our kids’ rooms are too small—they need to have more floor space for playing, and each child needs their own closet.
• Our primary bathroom needs to be calm and private, conducive to relaxation, and include a gorgeous soaker tub.

And then, turn your goals into actionable plans by discussing function, layout, budget, and timelines with your design-build team.

Feeling Uncertain About Budget or Scope?

Remodeling your Lancaster home isn’t something you do every day. It’s normal to feel unsure about costs, timelines, or even where to start. The more thorough planning that happens up front, the less anxious you will feel.

Budget Worries

One of the best things about working with a design-build home remodeling team is the clarity you’ll receive throughout the process. When you make decisions about finishes and materials early on, you are less likely to be surprised by the final cost. And when your designers and contractors work together to plan your space, they catch potential problems early and come up with creative solutions. Design-build projects have fewer change orders and unexpected issues because all the kinks are worked out during the design phase, before demolition begins. And fewer problems means a more secure budget for you.

Scope Creep Fears

Scope creep is when a project keeps getting bigger, usually because unforeseen issues arise or because the homeowners come up with ideas they want to tack on to the original plan. It’s a problem because it causes the budget and the timeline to grow—which is not what any homeowner wants!

Scope creep can be avoided by careful planning. Your designer will help you explore ideas you hadn’t considered and work the best ones into the remodeling plan. While unexpected issues do sometimes come up, your timeline and your budget will be protected by the kind of careful and smart planning we’re discussing in this post.

Find a Remodeling Partner Who Gets You

Your home remodel deserves the best. The right remodeling team doesn’t just come up with a plan—they help you define your vision, clarify your priorities, and meet your design goals for the home. You need a strategic home remodeling partner that you can trust to hear you and translate your dreams into reality. The McLennan team has a thoughtful, client-centered approach that ensures that each design choice ties back to how you want to live in your home. We can help you turn your vague ideas into tangible remodeling plans that are just what your home needs.

The result? Combining your thoughtful goal-setting with the McLennan Contracting team’s purposeful design and excellent construction leads to the best result possible: a beautiful space that feels intentional, functional, and deeply personal. The perfect home for you.

Start the new year off right by clarifying your home remodeling goals and taking that first step: schedule a discovery call, and let’s talk about how we can help bring your plans to life. Great design starts with great goals—and a team that listens and helps you get there.