Planning A Home Remodel: A Week-By-Week Guide To Planning Your Remodeling Project

ProSource | 9/6/2023

Starting a remodeling project can be overwhelming. There’s the budget to plan, the design to determine, materials to purchase, and so on. It’s hard to know where to begin! Setting a schedule can be a great help with staying on track and seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Although home remodeling projects rarely run exactly as scheduled, if you plan ahead you’ll be better prepared for the unexpected and better able to manage your time and resources.

Whether your project is a minor facelift that takes just a few weeks, or a major remodel that goes on for several months, ProSource’s kitchen and bath designers can help you put together a timeline that makes it bearable.

Week 1: Pre-Measure

Qualified measuring is critical to a successful home remodel. Before your job begins, your installation professional should conduct a thorough site evaluation including an expert pre-measure. If you’re not already working with a qualified trade professional, we can introduce you to a ProSource trade pro in your area.

The accuracy of their measurements at the beginning of your remodel will help to ensure a proper fit. Demolition needs, structural changes, and utility access are critical components of your home remodeling project and will be important to address with your installation professional early in the process.

Week 2: Define Your Dream Room

Put together a project plan to identify your timeline, budget considerations, lifestyle demands, remodeling goals, appliances, fixtures and furnishing considerations and design preferences. Be sure to keep all contact and product information relating to your home remodel project together. The myProSource Project Center is the perfect location to do such a thing.

If you’re working with ProSource Wholesale, your dedicated Account Manager will help you complete this as well as provide you with a project checklist to help organize everything.

Weeks 2-3: Design Phase

If your project happens to be a kitchen or bath, your ProSource Account Manager will help you schedule an appointment with one of our expert onsite kitchen and bath designers to create a custom room that meets your individual needs and personal budget. You can also access a request form to schedule a visit online or request a kitchen and bath design within your project center once you sign up.

If you’re working with your own designer to create a custom laundry room, wet bar, recreation room, master suite or other space, this is when you’ll want to have your designs drawn out to the correct specifications, complete with a line item estimate.  Once design renderings and estimates are complete, they will be loaded into your project to view.

Weeks 4-6: Shopping Time!

This is when you’ll need to select and order all of your materials. Depending on your project, you’ll need to choose cabinets, sinks, countertops, backsplash, fixtures, appliances, lighting, plumbing, flooring and paint colors.

Weeks 7-8: Product Delivery

Work with your trade professional to identify and prepare an area to store your cabinets and products being delivered for installation. This area must be dry, secure, sheltered from weather, and large enough to hold all products ordered for installation.

You and your installation professional should inspect all products upon delivery. Missing or damaged materials will delay your project.

Week 9-10: The Demo

This is when the real works begins. The contractors will begin pulling up old flooring and removing old fixtures and appliances in preparation for your new materials.

If you’re remodeling a kitchen, consider relocating your microwave, refrigerator, and any small portable appliances to another room. Also be sure your budget includes ordering food in and eating out – this is when your family’s hub will be taken away, at least temporarily.

Your installation professional should review site preparation requirements with you at this time. Be prepared to remove the contents of your existing cabinets and drawers, clear countertops, and remove all antiques, breakables, mirrors and other valuables from the area.

Weeks 10-15: Installation

The first thing to be installed will be your flooring. Next up will be cabinets, followed by countertops. Once those core items are in place, the painting will begin. When your room has a fresh coat of paint, you’ll begin to see your new space taking shape.

Countertops and backsplash will be installed after the paint is dry. New appliances will be positioned next. Plumbing and lighting will be the last elements to be installed.

Be sure to check each phase along the way, to ensure that the products and the installation are completed to your exact specifications before final payment is made.  Also, you and/or your trade pro member can upload progress photos to your project center for looking back at how far you've come.

Planning a home remodeling project is a great deal of work, and can take a toll on a busy household, but if you’ve got a plan in place to guide you through each phase, you’ll get through it that much more smoothly.

And in the end, you’ll have the room you envisioned to enjoy – and that makes it all worthwhile.

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