For lots of us, we love to plan. And by plan, we mean months and months ahead of whatever we’re deciding to do. (You know those spur of the moment people? Yeah, this isn’t going to be their cup of tea.) While some may argue that spontaneity is the spice of life, we’re here to tell you that your tendencies for planning well in advance will really pay off, is when preparing to remodel your home.

While you may not have really thought about it before, remodeling your home is the kind of thing that takes a few months of planning to get things right. You don’t want to rush the design phase because that’s how you make sure you wind up with the best possible outcome. It’s not uncommon for people to work through that ideation phase for 2 months or even longer, depending on how set their ideas were when they got started, or how many options they’re considering. During these crucial first few months there are design renderings and various options to consider, preliminary product selections to make, and pricing to be finalized.

Once you’ve landed on a design solution, whether it’s an addition, kitchen or other major remodel, it’s time to take those initial design drawings and create full scale construction documents. While the architects and draftsmen draw up blueprints for construction, you can take this time to finalize all your product selections and refine any remaining details that were still open ended from the design phase.

After the construction documents are complete, it’s time to submit for permit and prepare orders for custom materials like cabinetry. Depending on where you live, it can take a few weeks to a few months for your permit to be approved. In all, it’s not uncommon for it to take 4 to 6 months from the initial design meeting until construction is ready to begin.

All that preparation work should lead to a smooth remodel, with minimal surprises and fewer decisions to make once your home becomes a construction site. Good planning should not only help you wind up with the project turning out the way you wanted, it will also minimize the stress and frustrations that can be possible during the construction phase. The more you plan the more time you have to value engineer project and find ways to save without your back against the wall to make a decision. It becomes a process to distill down the design to the right blend of aesthetics, function and value.

So planners of the world, if you’re thinking that you might be up for your construction project to start in the next 4-6 months or so, you need to get started right away! Set up a time to meet with a designer or architect to talk about your home addition, kitchen, or other major home remodel. You can also find some inspiration for your project among these photos, or follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more home remodeling tips and ideas.