4 Reasons You Should Consider a Phase One Renovation

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Some people think a Phase One renovation is a waste of time and money. But I disagree! Here are 4 reasons you should consider a Phase One renovation in your home! But let’s back up…

What is a Phase One Renovation?

A Phase One renovation can be defined in a couple ways. Some people break a large renovation into multiple parts. For example, building a house and finishing the main floor but leaving the basement unfinished until a later date. The basement would be “Phase Two”. However the definition of Phase One renovation that I’m referring to is different.

Some may call it a bandaid renovation, a quick fix, a cosmetic update – all of which it is, but Phase One implies there is going to be something that follows.

Why did we do a Phase One Renovation?

When we bought our house, we had two weeks before we moved in. We wanted to make the house feel as welcoming as possible without spending a lot of money. In the kitchen, we removed some cabinets, painted pretty much every surface and added new hardware. Within a year of moving in, we added vinyl peel and stick tile flooring, replaced the counter tops with a budget friendly option, and added a backsplash. This was our Phase One renovation – in total it cost about $3000 and it made a BIG impact.

We KNEW we wanted to take out the wall separating the kitchen from the living room one day. And we KNEW that it would cost a LOT of money. But in the mean time, we didn’t want to hate the space we lived in. Some may say we wasted that money – but it allowed us to live with the space for 3 years which we could not have done prior!

I will admit that $3000 is on the high end for a Phase One Renovation. But they do NOT have to cost that much. We have done Phase One renovations in other rooms of our home for under $250! A good example of this is our basement bathroom.

We are still a couple years away from renovating this space but it was BAD. I hated it so much I wouldn’t let anyone but our cat use it (her litter box lives in the shower!). However, prior to adding a powder room in the mudroom, this was the bathroom closest to our pool. I didn’t want to be embarrassed to have guests use it so I gave it an overhaul for UNDER $250! Look at this before and after! (I also apologize in advance for the toilet seat being up – I took these photos during our first walk through!)

4 Reasons You Should Consider a Phase One Renovation

At the end of the day if you don’t have the money to fully renovate your home before moving in, I will always suggest a Phase One Renovation for these reasons:

1. You should love your home even while waiting for a renovation

I truly feel like you should LOVE your home. Feel comfortable in your home. Make it feel like your own. And this doesn’t have to cost a lot, so why live with spaces that you don’t love.

2. It will keep you from making rash decisions

I always joked with my husband that one day he would come home and I would have busted a hole through the living room wall to open up the kitchen. Obviously I didn’t do that, but Phase 1 renovations can help you from making rash decisions out of frustration with your space.

3. It will give you time to determine what you really want

I honestly think this is the biggest reason for me. After giving our kitchen a Phase One renovation, we were able to determine what we really liked and disliked. I loved the two tone “tuxedo” cabinets, but realized I wouldn’t want to do that when we fully renovated. By testing this style out in our Phase One Renovation I was able to better realize what I would want in a long term kitchen, style wise. It also saved me from wasting money on new cabinets.

4. It will give you time to save money

Not feeling rushed to renovate a space will give you more time to save money! We are big believers of saving for every project and knowing we can live with (and love) a space for a couple years while saving is great!

Are Phase One Renovations for everyone?

Probably not. If you think you can comfortably live in your home as is without feeling rushed to renovate ASAP, then more power to you! This is all about being HAPPY in YOUR home. If your home makes you happy as is, then that is all I want for you!

So what do you think? Would you consider a Phase One renovation?