Some homeowners can achieve their goals by updating one or two rooms or adding square footage in a specific area. Others reach a point where multiple parts of the home aren’t working—and touching just one space won’t solve the bigger picture.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many of our clients love where they live and see the potential in their homes, but also recognize that realizing that potential will take significant work. The big questions usually sound like this:
Where do we even start?
Can this be phased—and if so, in what order?
Is it better (or cheaper) to do everything at once?
How far can our investment realistically stretch?
For homeowners in the Columbia and Lexington, SC areas, this often comes down to choosing between a whole home remodel completed all at once or a phased approach over time. Let’s break down how to think about that decision.
We consider a project a whole home remodel when most—or all—areas of the home are being touched. This goes beyond a targeted, multi space remodel (like a kitchen plus a couple of bathrooms) and moves into more overlapping, interconnected scopes of work.
Multi space remodels are usually easier to phase because the work is contained to defined rooms. Whole home remodels are harder to break apart cleanly because updates often bleed from room to room—both visually and mechanically.
Whole home remodels typically address:
Overall function and flow
Consistency in design across spaces
Mechanical systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing)
Home performance (windows, insulation, siding)
Finishes that span the entire home (paint, trim, doors, flooring)
When the goal is to improve how the entire house works—not just how a few rooms look—you’re likely in whole-home territory.
Before deciding how to remodel, it’s critical to know why. For example, is this your "forever home," one you're wanting to invest a lot into so its a haven for years to come, or is this a home for your current chapter and updating things would make things more comfortable, or livable, while its yours? Understanding your long-term goals helps determine:
What work is essential vs. optional
What order makes sense
What’s worth the investment—and what isn’t
If your goals involve improving overall comfort, functionality, or performance (or preparing the home for an addition), a holistic approach often makes more sense than piecemeal updates.
Large remodels tend to snowball. Think of the message from "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" children's book...touch one space often triggers changes in others—layout, trim, paint, flooring, mechanical systems, and more. This is where doing everything at once can actually be more efficient.
An all-at-once approach is often the best fit when:
Multiple spaces feel dated or disconnected
Layout and storage no longer support daily life
Scopes overlap and can’t be cleanly separated
Mechanical systems need widespread updates
You want the home to feel cohesive, not pieced together
Tackling everything together avoids repeated setup, duplicated or work, and redoing finished areas later. It also allows for a cohesive functional and aesthetic design, one coordinated plan, fewer interruptions, and a more seamless final result.
Phasing can be a smart strategy when much of the home is already in good shape and only certain areas need improvement. Practical considerations also play a big role.
A phased approach may make sense if:
You need to live in the home during construction (temporarily relocating is not an option)
You prefer to spread the investment over time
Certain spaces clearly need priority
Project phases can be cleanly separated
You’re not aiming for a complete aesthetic overhaul
While phasing often results in higher total costs due to repeated setup and longer timelines, it can be the right choice for budget, lifestyle, or logistical reasons.
Even with a phased approach, we always recommend planning the entire project upfront. That way, each phase supports the end goal and nothing feels like an afterthought.
One final factor to consider is economies of scale—simply put, the more work you do at one time, the lower the cost per space.
Every project has fixed costs, such as (but not limited to):
Project management and oversight
Permits and inspections
Mobilization, dumpsters, and site setup/wrap up
When work is bundled, those fixed costs are spread across the entire project. For example, remodeling two bathrooms at the same time is typically less expensive per bathroom than remodeling them separately, months or years apart. Phasing repeats those fixed costs, increasing the overall investment for homeowners.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right approach depends on your goals, your home, your budget, and how you want to live during the process.
Our role is to help you think through the options, weigh the tradeoffs, and create a plan that makes sense for your situation. If you’re wrestling with whether to remodel all at once or phase things out, we’d love to talk it through with you.
Let’s start the conversation.