Guts and Glory: What You Need to Know about Gutting Your Maryland or DC Home

Ah, the gut remodel. On the outside, it may seem both intimidating and messy. And on the inside, it can be… well, intimidating and messy. 

But even though a gut remodel may seem overwhelming, there’s no reason why you can’t make it work. If you surround yourself with the right team and know what to expect, you, too, can fully gut your home and come out the other side with a beautiful finished product.

So why do a full home remodel? What exactly is the point of completely gutting the inside of your home just to recreate everything from scratch? For all the effort, wouldn’t you be better off just investing in an entirely new stick-built house? Not necessarily! 

Rebuild or Gut?

The ideal candidate for a gut remodel is a home that has good bones. If the building is structurally sound, there’s no reason to demolish it. A stick-built house might cost more than gutting and rebuilding the interior. Of course, if your home’s foundations are crumbling, demolition may be the way to go. 

However, if you love your home and neighborhood, and you’re working with a healthy, stable structure, you’re primed for a gut remodel. Maybe you have a beautiful, historic home with an interior that hasn’t aged well. You love the exterior and wouldn’t trade it for the world, but its insides need a major overhaul. In this case, gutting the insides and doing a full custom remodel may be the perfect solution. 

The Process

A gut remodel will turn your home into a construction zone. It’s a process that involves removing the majority of the interior structure. This isn’t just an average update – this is a full redo. Not only will all visible surfaces be taken out, the space will essentially be stripped down to its girders. Interior walls may be reduced to studs and framing, or even knocked out. A drastic change is taking place, and that calls for drastic measures.

Once your home is stripped back, examined, and deemed to be in good condition, it’s time for the reconstruction to commence. Since the gut remodel is such an extensive process, you’ll probably want to relocate your living situation for at least part of the project. 

Establish a plan with your design team before the process of gutting starts. By the time the interior is ready to be built upon, you should know exactly what the next steps will be. That way, there are no surprises and no unexpected additions to the budget. 

The Finances

There’s no getting around the fact that a whole home remodel is an expensive endeavor. Many homeowners will consider moving before they dive into a big job like this. Either way, there will be a price to pay. But if you truly do love your home and value your location, a gut job can be worth your while. The final cost will depend on the size of your home and the quality of the materials you’ll use to rebuild the interior. 

With a little forethought, some of the existing materials can be reused. This is a great way to incorporate something old into something new! Plus, it can help you save on your bottom line. When it comes down to it, there are areas where you can compromise. You want to put your money in the right place.

A simplified calculation to estimate the potential cost of the renovation is to assume that you will spend anywhere from $7510 to $15060 per square foot. For high-end materials, you can even get up as high as $2150 per square foot. This is not a definitive measurement by any means, but you can use it as a jumping-off point for creating your budget.  

Your Team

With a project this big, you need to know that you have a team of experienced professionals on your side. You want to know that both your vision and your budget will be respected. A good team should keep you in the loop without overwhelming you, create a thorough plan, and execute it beautifully. In short, you want a team that understands what you’re looking for, knows the steps to achieve it and is as passionate about your renovation as you are. 

When you’re ready to move forward, Winthorpe Design & Build is the right choice for your full home renovation. Reach out today to learn more about what we can do for you.