Planning a Remodel? Don’t Skip These Essential First Steps
Before you dive into your dream remodel, a little planning goes a long way. These essential first steps will help you avoid stress and costly mistakes.
Hello, lovely friends! I know how exciting it is to dream about remodeling your home but I also know how stressful and overwhelming it can feel when you’re not sure where to start. Between budget worries, design decisions and a million Pinterest boards, it’s easy to get stuck in planning mode (or worse—make costly mistakes).
There are a few key things to know before jumping in, and I’ve created something special to help you with this process. But first, let’s talk through a few of the essential first steps to take before you dive into a remodel, so you can feel confident and prepared.
Why Planning is the Key to a Successful Remodel
A successful home remodel doesn’t start with picking paint colors or tiles, it starts with a clear plan. Taking the time to assess your needs, gather inspiration, and establish a budget can save you time, money, and stress down the road. Planning ensures that every decision you make aligns with your vision, your lifestyle, and your budget, so your remodel ends up feeling both beautiful and functional.
A Few Essential Steps to Take Before Your Remodel
Assess Your Needs & Lifestyle
Before you start browsing materials or planning layouts, think about how you and your family actually use the space. What works well in your current home, and what doesn’t? Understanding your lifestyle and priorities ensures your remodel will solve real problems and create a home that feels functional and enjoyable.
Gather Inspiration and Ideas
It’s easy to get lost in Pinterest boards or magazines, so start with a focused approach. Collect inspiration that resonates with your style, but also take notes on why it works for you. This makes it easier to communicate your vision to contractors, designers, or anyone helping on your remodel.
Establish Your Budget
Budgeting isn’t just about picking finishes—you want a realistic plan that accounts for labor, materials, and those surprise costs that always pop up. Setting a clear budget from the start helps you make confident decisions and avoids the stress of overspending later.
Want the Complete Step-by-Step Guide?
These three steps are just the beginning! To make sure your remodel goes smoothly from start to finish, I created a free guide called Essential Steps to Take Before Starting a Home Remodel. Inside, you’ll find:
A full checklist of every step to plan your remodel with confidence.
Tips for avoiding common mistakes that can cost time and money.
Worksheets to help you define your style, gather inspiration, and set your budget effectively.
You can grab your free copy right here and start your remodel feeling organized, inspired, and ready for success:
MKD DESIGN SERVICES
VIRTUAL DESIGN CONSULTATIONS (onsite if local to Ventura County, CA) $175
This 60 min consultation is great for homeowners who are not sure where to begin or need confirmation on specific areas of their project. A personalized session to discuss your space, style, challenges, and goals. We can discuss any floor plan or spatial concerns, finish material selections, cabinet and fireplace designs or anything else you can think of.
The design consultation is led by the client, giving you the opportunity to bring up any issues or areas that you need guidance on. After our consultation, you will receive a quick space plan, elevation drawing and/or concept design depending on what is needed, along with a list of design ideas summarizing everything we discussed, plus any additional insights that come to mind after the session.
DESIGNER BY YOUR SIDE $885
Need help in specific areas in order to create a cohesive design plan for your home or business space? This 10 hour block of time, allows you to choose how you work with Michelle Kroll Design. Whether in person, virtually or a combination of both, these hours can be used for professional help and advice whenever you need it. Whether creating floor plan layout options, space planning, 3D renderings, quick validation questions, concept boards, hard finish selection, sourcing furniture or materials, you choose how you want to collaborate on a schedule that works best for you. This can also be used for a kitchen or bathroom remodel if you need a professional to guide you along the way without the commitment to full service design.
VIRTUAL DESIGN (starting at $500 per room)
This is a virtual design service. You will send in your room measurements, inspiration and photos of your space(s), then we will set up a video consultation to further discuss all your project goals. After I ask you a ton of questions, I will put together and send you an inspiration board based on everything we discussed to make sure we are on the right track.
Once you approve and feel like its exactly what you are going for, I will move forward sourcing the pieces, paint colors, finishes, etc. You will receive a custom design board and floor plan. When you love every single item and have no changes, you will receive a product shopping list and full instructions on how to put everything together as if I was there with you.