5 Things We Wish Every Client Knew Before Starting a Renovation
After working on hundreds of renovations across Brooklyn and Manhattan, there are a handful of things we find ourselves wishing every client already knew when they walked in the door. Here they are.
Most people start a renovation with a design vision and a lot of excitement, and discover the rest along the way. There is nothing wrong with that. But there are things that consistently come as a surprise to first-time renovators and even to people who have done it before, and knowing them going in makes a real difference to how the experience unfolds.
None of these are reasons not to renovate. They are reasons to go in prepared.
1. The pre-construction phase takes longer than people expect
Most clients measure a renovation by when the contractor starts on site. The reality is that a meaningful portion of the total project duration happens before anyone picks up a tool.
Board approvals, permit filings where required, design completion, and material procurement all take real time, and they all need to happen in the right sequence before construction can begin. Depending on the project scope and building type, this pre-construction phase can run from a few weeks to several months. Our post on how long a full apartment renovation takes in NYC breaks this down in detail.
The clients who have the smoothest renovations are the ones who built this time into their planning from the start. The ones who are most surprised are the ones who planned their move-in date before the board had even reviewed the submission.
What this changes
Start the process earlier than feels necessary. If you are hoping to be done by a specific date, work backward and factor in pre-construction time before you commit to a direction.
2. Decisions made during construction cost more than decisions made during design
This is the one we come back to more than almost anything else. Every change made once construction is underway costs more than the same change made during the design phase. Sometimes significantly more, because work that has already been done sometimes needs to be undone.
We understand why it happens. Once the space is open and real, clients see things they could not visualize from drawings. Something feels different in reality than it did on paper. These are legitimate observations and good design conversations. The problem is the timing, not the observation.
The design phase exists precisely to answer these questions before they become construction problems. It is the cheapest time to change anything. Our post on why renovation projects go over budget covers scope changes during construction as one of the most consistent causes of preventable overruns.
What this changes
Invest time and attention in the design phase to get as close to final decisions as possible before construction begins. A few extra weeks in design can save significant cost and disruption during construction.
3. Your building has more influence over your renovation than you might expect
A lot of homeowners, particularly in co-ops, are surprised by how much authority their building has over what they can do in their own apartment. Board approvals, alteration agreements, specific material requirements, approved contractor documentation, working hour restrictions. The building’s requirements shape the project in ways that affect both scope and schedule.
This is not a reason to be discouraged. It is a reason to find out what your building requires before you start designing around a specific outcome. A wall removal that the board will not approve is a better thing to discover before the design is complete than after.
Our guide to renovating a condo or co-op in NYC covers this in detail, including the approval process, what typically requires board review, and what your contractor needs to provide before work can begin.
What this changes
Get a copy of your building's alteration agreement and house rules early. And work with a contractor who is experienced with your building type and understands how to navigate its specific requirements
4. The renovation will be disruptive, and planning for that is part of the project
Even the most well-run renovation involves noise, dust, limited access to rooms, contractor schedules, and the general disruption of having a construction project in your home. This is true whether you are staying in the apartment during the renovation or temporarily living elsewhere, and it is worth thinking through honestly before the project starts rather than during it.
If you are staying in the apartment, which rooms will you not have access to and for how long? If you are moving out temporarily, what does that cost and when do you need to be back? How will the disruption affect others in the household?
These are not questions with universal answers. The right plan depends on the scope of the renovation, the layout of the apartment, and how the household functions. But clients who think this through in advance are consistently less stressed mid-project than those who did not.
What this changes
Make a realistic plan for how you will live during the renovation before construction begins. Know which spaces will be unavailable and for roughly how long, and build that into your planning the same way you build in timeline and budget.
5. Communication is something you should expect, not hope for
A renovation involves a lot of moving parts, and a lot of decisions that need to be made as the project develops. How well those decisions get communicated to you, and how quickly issues are flagged rather than buried, determines a significant portion of how the experience feels from the client side.
Good communication from a contractor means proactive updates, not just responses to questions. It means being told when something changes before it becomes a problem. It means having a clear picture of what is happening on site and why, without having to chase it.
This sounds like it should be standard. In practice it is one of the things clients mention most when they describe what went well or what went badly on past projects.
What this changes
Ask directly about communication during the selection process. How do they keep clients updated? How are unexpected costs or changes handled and communicated? The answers tell you more about how the project will feel to live through than the portfolio does.
A Final Thought
The renovations that go well are not the ones where nothing unexpected happens. They are the ones where the homeowner and the contractor are aligned, decisions get made at the right time, and surprises are handled honestly when they come up.
Knowing these five things going in does not make the renovation simple. It makes you a better partner in the process, and that changes the experience considerably.
If you are in the early stages of thinking about a renovation and want a real conversation about what your project might involve, we would be glad to talk.
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