Planning a Home Renovation
The renovations that go well share the same traits: a defined scope, a realistic budget with contingency, a vetted contractor, and finishes chosen before demolition.
Editor, Improvement & Design
Corinne Hale
Corinne Hale writes about renovation planning, budgets, and the gap between a design idea and a finished room. She has documented dozens of remodels from first sketch through final punch list.
NKBA associate member; former design-build project coordinator.
Articles by Corinne Hale
15 published pieces.
- Home Staging Tips That Appeal to BuyersStaging is not decorating. It is editing a home so a stranger can imagine living in it. Here is what actually moves the needle, room by room.
- How to Improve Curb AppealCurb appeal decides whether a buyer walks in expecting to like the house. Most of it is a weekend and a few hundred dollars.
- What Makes Listing Photos WorkBuyers see photographs before anything else. Here is how to make sure yours earn a showing.
- Renovations That May Increase Home ValueVery few renovations return their full cost. Here is what the data consistently shows about which projects come closest — and which ones you should do for yourself, not for resale.
- How to Plan a Home Renovation BudgetRenovations rarely go over budget for mysterious reasons. Here is where the money actually goes, and how to build a number you can hold.
- How to Hire a Contractor You Can TrustThe contractor you choose matters more than any material you select. Here is how to vet one properly, and what belongs in the contract.
- Planning a Kitchen RemodelKitchens are the most expensive room per square foot in a house. Here is how to plan one so the money lands where you will notice it.
- Planning a Bathroom RemodelBathrooms are small, wet, and unforgiving. What is behind the tile matters more than the tile.
- Smart Home Upgrades Worth MakingA short list of connected devices that solve real problems, and a few that mostly create new ones.
- Landscaping Basics for New HomeownersGood landscaping starts with water and soil, not with plants. Here is the sequence that produces a yard you can keep up with.
- Planning an Outdoor Living SpaceOutdoor space is some of the cheapest square footage you can add. Here is how to plan one that gets used.
- DIY or Hire It Out? How to DecideThe right question is not whether you could do it. It is what happens if you do it slightly wrong.
- Interior Painting: How to Get a Professional ResultPainting is 70 percent preparation. Here is what separates a good result from an obvious one.
- Finishing a Basement: What to Solve FirstA finished basement is the cheapest square footage in most houses — but only if you solve the water problem before you frame a single wall.