How to Plan a Home Remodel in Pennsylvania (Without Blowing the Budget or Losing Your Mind)
- Oliver Owens
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
If you’ve ever stood in the middle of your kitchen thinking, “Something has to change, but I have no clue where to start,” you’re in the right place.
Remodeling sounds fun in theory—new kitchen, fresh floors, maybe a bigger bathroom. But once you start looking at prices, finishes, and a million “inspiration” photos, it can get overwhelming fast.
This isn’t a sales pitch. Think of it as a practical guide you’d get from a friend who’s been through a lot of remodels and learned what actually matters.
1. Start with What’s Driving You Nuts (Not With Pinterest)
Before you think about colors or tile, figure out what’s actually bothering you day to day.
Walk through your house and be brutally honest:
In the kitchen, are you constantly short on counter space?
In the bathroom, are you doing a dance just to close the door?
In the living areas, do the rooms feel dark, choppy, or cramped?
Are there spots that just feel tired or hard to keep clean no matter what you do?
Grab a notebook (or your phone) and make two simple lists:
“This drives me crazy…”
“This would make life easier if we fixed it…”
You’ll probably notice a pattern: maybe everything comes back to layout, or storage, or just old finishes that have had a rough couple of decades in Pennsylvania weather.
Those patterns are more important than any mood board. They’re what your remodel should actually solve.
2. Pick Your Battles: What Comes First?
Most houses in Scranton, Mount Pocono, State College, and the surrounding areas have a lot of things that could be updated. That doesn’t mean you should tackle everything at once.
A simple way to prioritize:
Spaces you touch every single day
Kitchen
Main bathroom
Main living area
Stairs and hallways
Anything that’s a safety or “this could get expensive later” issue
Soft spots in floors
Water damage
Wobbly decks or stairs
Old electrical or plumbing you already know is sketchy
Nice-to-have projects
Guest rooms
Spare baths
Cosmetic changes in low-traffic areas
If you’re working with a normal, real-life budget, it often makes more sense to do one area properly (say, the kitchen and main flooring) than to spread yourself thin across the whole house and end up halfway happy everywhere.
3. Be Honest About the Budget (and Add a Buffer)
No one loves talking numbers, but this is where a lot of stress comes from.
Instead of trying to guess one perfect number, think in ranges:
“We’d be comfortable somewhere between X and Y for this phase.”
“We don’t want to go over Z unless there’s a really good reason.”
And then—and this part matters—add a 10–15% buffer for surprises. Older Pennsylvania homes are full of secrets behind the walls: old wiring, previous DIY repairs, hidden water damage. It’s better to plan for that mentally than pretend it’ll never happen.
If you’re not sure what things should cost, it’s okay. That’s normal. The point is to know:
What you can’t go over
What’s worth stretching for
Where you’re okay with saving (for example, basic paint vs. top-shelf designer finishes)
4. Collect Ideas That Actually Fit Your House
Pinterest is great… until you realize every photo is a giant new build with ceilings twice as high as yours.
When you’re looking for ideas:
Try to find homes with similar bones: older colonials, split-levels, row homes, cabins, etc.
Pay more attention to solutions than style:
How did they open a small kitchen?
Where did they sneak in storage near the entry?
How did they handle low ceilings or narrow rooms?
Save a small batch of photos—10 to 20 is plenty. Too many and your brain turns to mush.
Then, for each photo, ask yourself:
“What specifically do I like here?” (“The island with seating,” “The open shelves near the range,” “The lighter floors,” etc.)
Those “little” details are what help a contractor or designer turn inspiration into something that actually works in your Scranton or Pocono home.
5. Think About How Construction Will Fit into Real Life
This part gets skipped a lot, and then people are shocked by how disruptive a remodel feels.
Before you sign anything, ask yourself:
Can we live here while this is happening?
If the kitchen is down, what’s our plan—grill, slow cooker, hot plate, takeout?
If the only full bathroom is being remodeled, what’s Plan B?
Are there times of year we really want to avoid? Holidays, busy sports seasons, peak rental months?
Sometimes it makes sense to phase the work:
Phase 1: main living areas and floors
Phase 2: kitchen
Phase 3: baths and bedrooms
Phase 4: exterior / deck
There’s no one right order. The best plan is the one that upgrades your most-used spaces without completely blowing up your daily routine.
6. Choose Materials for the Life You Actually Live
Here’s where people often get pulled in by trends.
Before you fall in love with a super light floor or a high-maintenance countertop, be honest:
Do you have pets? Kids?
Is this a forever home or something you might sell in a few years?
Are you a “wipe it down every night” person or more of a “weekend deep-clean” person?
Is this full-time living or more like a Pocono weekend place with guests in and out?
A few general rules of thumb:
High-traffic homes usually do well with quality vinyl plank, tile, or properly finished hardwood.
Smooth drywall + good primer + washable paint is boring on paper and fantastic in real life.
Slightly textured tile can be safer and easier to live with than glass-slick surfaces.
Simple, sturdy fixtures are usually better than super delicate ones.
You don’t need to know brands and product codes. Just be clear about what matters: easy to clean, hides scuffs, kid-proof, pet-proof, rental-proof, etc.
7. Talk to Contractors with a Simple, Clear Brief
By the time you call someone out to the house, you want that visit to be useful—not a vague, “We’re thinking about doing something someday.”
Here’s a basic “brief” you can jot down:
Rooms we want to tackle: “Kitchen + first-floor flooring,” or “Main bath + hallway + stairs,” etc.
Top three problems in each space: “No storage,” “Too dark,” “Tight layout,” “Floors are uneven,” etc.
Budget range: “Ideally between X and Y; not over Z.”
Timing: “We’d like this done before school starts,” or “We can’t have the house torn up over the holidays.”
A handful of photos showing style + layout we like.
You’re not expected to have all the answers. But this level of clarity helps the contractor give you a quote that’s more than a wild guess.
8. Look at Estimates the Way a Pro Would
It’s tempting to compare bids by sliding your finger straight to the bottom line and circling the cheapest number. Totally understandable—but not always the best move.
When you compare:
Scope Are they all doing the same things? Same level of finish? Same demo and cleanup?
Details Does the estimate spell out what’s included:
Demo and disposal
Subfloor or drywall repair
Electrical/plumbing updates
Painting and trim
Final cleanup
Timeline When can they start—and just as importantly, how long will they be in your house?
Communication Do they answer questions clearly? Do they listen, or just talk? Do you feel rushed?
Sometimes a slightly higher bid from someone who plans well, shows up, and cleans up can be cheaper in the long run than the lowest number with a fuzzy scope.
9. Remember: The Stuff You Don’t See Matters
A lot of the value in a remodel ends up behind the paint and pretty finishes:
Framing that’s done properly so walls don’t crack later
Subfloors repaired before new flooring goes in
Plumbing and electrical brought up to current standards
Ventilation handled correctly in bathrooms and kitchens
Drywall seams and prep done right so paint looks good for years
These aren’t glamorous line items, but they’re the reason one remodel still looks solid ten years later and another starts showing problems after a year.
It’s completely fair to ask questions like:
“What’s your plan if you find water damage?”
“Will you handle permits if they’re needed?”
“Who’s actually doing the drywall and paint—your crew or someone else?”
You’re not being difficult; you’re protecting your house.
10. Plan for Life After the Remodel
Once everything is done and the dust is gone (literally), a few small habits can keep the place looking new longer:
Learn the care instructions for your floors and counters—what to use and what to avoid.
Touch up caulk and grout when you see small gaps instead of waiting until it’s a project.
Keep an eye on high-use areas (stairs, deck boards, entry flooring) and deal with little issues early.
Patch and spot-paint dings in drywall before they turn into big, noticeable scars.
You don’t have to turn into a maintenance pro. Just treat the remodel like the investment it is.
When It’s Worth Calling in a Pro
Some projects are perfect for DIY: painting a bedroom, changing hardware, swapping a light fixture if you’re comfortable.
It usually makes sense to bring in a professional when:
You’re changing layouts or taking out walls
Plumbing, electrical, or structural work is involved
Multiple rooms need to tie together (floors, trim, paint, flow)
You want the house to feel cohesive, not like five separate DIY experiments
When you do talk to a remodeling company, a few simple questions go a long way:
“Have you done projects like this in homes similar to mine?”
“Who will actually be here day to day?”
“How do you handle dust, debris, and cleanup?”
“What does the final walkthrough look like?”
You’re basically asking: “What’s it going to be like to live through this with you?” That matters just as much as the after photos.
The Bottom Line
A remodel doesn’t have to be a mystery or a horror story.
If you:
Get clear on what’s really not working
Choose one or two high-impact areas to tackle first
Set a realistic budget with a little breathing room
Choose materials and layouts for real life, not just the internet
And work with people who communicate well and respect your home
…you’re already doing more homework than most homeowners ever do. And that’s what leads to projects that actually turn out how you pictured them.
Whether you end up calling PA Renovations & Remodeling or another local crew, this is the framework that will keep you grounded: fix real problems, spend intentionally, and aim for spaces that feel good to live in—not just to photograph.
