Name: Legacy Remodeling
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.9

How_to_Prioritize_Your_Home_Remodeling_especially_in_Pittsburgh

You've just gone through the rigor of purchasing and moving into a new home.

Exhausted from the move, you're overwhelmed by the home remodeling projects looming over you. Where should you start? How do you begin? How long does it take?

These are all valid questions. Nowadays—especially with all the home improvement programs and Pinterest boards in our modern lives—a pressure exists to have a perfect house instantly and seamlessly. Those programs and boards showcase house makeovers that happened in what seemed to take less time than it takes most of us to buy supplies.

In order to successfully tackle your home remodeling projects, you have to prioritize them. Here's what we recommend, especially if you live in Pittsburgh.

Examine the Conditions

Is there anything that needs immediate attention?

It's helpful to think of home remodeling projects in two categories:

Things that'd would be nice, but aren't necessary
And things that need done and are necessary

What are some things that need done and are necessary? First and foremost would be anything with a direct effect on your quality of life and bills. Two examples are windows and doors.

Windows

A common offender is windows. The difference between high-perfoming and low-performing windows in a home is the difference between night and day. Examine your windows—are they letting in a draft? If so, how significant is that draft?

In Pittsburgh—where we experience four seasons—windows can make a serious difference on the bottom line. During the fall and winter months, outdated or faulty windows can let out warm air and cause your heating system to continue to produce.

During the spring and summer months, those very same windows will let warm air in, which will cause your air conditioning system to continue running. Another item to consider is the effect of the sun. Outdated windows with a higher solar heat gain coefficient will cause rooms to "bake."

At the end of the day, replacing your windows can cut your energy loss by up to 50%.

Doors

Many of the same issues described above apply in this case as well. Doors are often culprits of letting in tremendous amounts of warm air during the winter months and letting in heat during the summer months.

Examine Your Budget

Budget is obviously an important item to consider while prioritizing your home remodeling projects.

You might not initially have the budget to replace your windows and remodel your kitchen at the same time. Based on budget, and what needs done vs. what you'd like to see, you should be beginning to prioritize the projects you'd like to pursue.

Make a Plan

With the above-two points in mind, it's helpful to create a master plan. Again, start with the items that need done and are necessary. Once those begin to get completed then move onto the cosmetic improvements that would be nice.

Here's an example of a plan of attack:

Repair the ceiling in the living room
1. "The ceiling in the living room is drooping and looks like it could fall down at any moment."
Replace the windows
1. "The windows are outdated and faulty, tremendously impacting energy bills. I can literally feel the airflow between them and see condensation building."
Get new doors
1. "The draft coming from the front door makes the entire entry way feel cold."
Remodel the kitchen
1. "The kitchen isn't ideal to our preferences, but will work for now. We'd like to replace the materials and update it for the 21st century."