Ready to Overhaul? Major Home Renovation is Actually Doable

So, you just bought a home for its perfect location or layout, but it looks as if it's straight out of the 1950s. And, hey, maybe it is. Or, maybe -- regardless of your "new" home's actual age -- you are ready for an update, or you are ready to put your property on the market. Whatever the case, it could be time for a major home renovation.

Major Decisions

A large-scale renovation isn't the best option for everyone. For the right person in the right situation, however, it's an "incredibly worthwhile" investment, says residential designer Michael Hyden, president of Hyden Design Group of San Antonio, Texas.

"I always ask them how long they are going to live in the house after (the renovation)," said Hyden, a member of the American Institute of Building Design. "If they say two to five years, then I tell them it won't be worth it."

He said major renovations are a good choice for people laying down their stakes, possibly because they are retiring or have children in school.

But, on that same note, Hyden said when he is redoing a home for a couple with children, he suggests they use the most inexpensive materials.

"They can sometimes replace something several times for less than what they may pay for more quality materials," Hyden said. "Kids tend to be hard on things, so why spend the money to get really nice stuff?"

Pam Meyer, a designer of more than 30 years and president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers as of February 2012, said you should consider all options before embarking on a large-scale renovation project.

"A major renovation usually gets into more finances than you would expect," said Meyer, who owns Carmel, California-based Design Works Ltd. "You may also have to be willing to move out for a while or put up with a lot of noise and chaos. Someone going for a major overhaul has to fully understand what they are getting themselves into."

Bathrooms & Kitchens: Out with the Old

Pam Meyer, owner of Carmel, California-based Design Works Ltd., said if you plan on changing out counters in the bathroom or kitchen -- two of the most common large-scale projects -- you might as well put in new flooring as well.

"When you start moving existing plumbing fixtures and cabinets, the floor usually gets ruined," she said.

Michael Hyden, president of Hyden Design Group in San Antonio, Texas, said overhauling a typical 5-by-9 hall bathroom in his area -- without removing the existing walls and tub -- would cost at least $3,500. It would cost another $2,000 to remove the tub and shower and put in a walk-in shower.

Among major trends in 2012 are the replacement of brass fixtures with antique finishes and the installation of cultured marble slab surfaces and vessel sinks. Meyer said this urn-style sink, which sits on top of the counter, can really transform a bathroom.

"You could do that if you really want to make an impression," she said, adding that most clients opt for a walk-in shower because it's accessible and easy to clean.

"The tub shower is inaccessible," Meyer said, "and it may disappear altogether."

Making More Living Space

One reason people opt for a major overhaul is because they don't need many of the features that were common in older homes. Televisions used to anchor entertainment centers; now people hang flat screens on the wall.

Some are even opting to remove built-in cabinets and shelves, requests that Hyden said he's getting a lot of. He recently installed something he thought was "really neat" in lieu of wooden built-in shelves -- a niche wall.

"The wall became its own piece of artwork," he said. "It contained different sized nooks and crannies. You can even put lights in them below shining up, depending on how you are going to use that niche."

He said the cost of removing shelves and installing 10 drywall niches on a 9-by-9-foot wall could start at between $500 and $750. The cost depends on the geographic area and what electrical work is needed.

Hyden said a visually appealing and economical way to make a big change in the living room is to resurface the fireplace with faux stones. He likes to incorporate materials by a company called Cultured Stone.

"It looks like stone, and it feels like stone, but it's concrete material," he said. "It's more economical and the selection is phenomenal. Most of the restaurants you go to that have stone on the walls -- it's probably Cultured Stone. When you are looking at it, you swear you are looking at real stone."

He said the cost of materials and labor for Cultured Stone installation on a typical 6-by-9-foot fireplace might start around $1,100.

Hyden said major overhauls may also involve removing walls to make a room more open, or taking out the ceiling to expose beams or create a loft space. This gets pricey, he said, because it involves electrical rewiring, possibly reworking HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), reinforcing rafters and installing insulation. In most homes, the starting cost would be around $5,000, he estimated.

Floor Level

Installing new flooring is also on the pricier side of a major renovation, Hyden said. For a 17-by-17 room, he said, floor removal could start around $600 and installation could start around $1,700 for tile or $2,500 for pre-finished wood veneer.

Komal Sheth, owner and founder of Austin, Texas-based Spaces Designed, specializes in medium-scale to large-scale home makeovers. She said a good portion of her clients come to her with maintenance issues, but they use the opportunity to modernize a space at the same time.

"Wood floors ... start to show age," she said. "So in the renovation process, people are updating from more outdated dark brown floors to softer, lighter tones."

Sheth also said new, contemporary homes are skipping carpet in favor of tile.

"Not only does tile look nice with a rug on it, but it's a maintenance thing," Sheth said. "There are even wood-looking tiles, for people who like the look of wood but don't want to deal with the maintenance of wood."

She said another popular look is the use of very large tiles -- sometimes measuring as big as 2 feet long -- placed in brick-like patterns.

"Even on the walls and in bathrooms, people are doing tiles from floor to ceiling," she said. "The large tiles almost make a room feel seamless."