The kitchen is packed for a holiday gathering, and the dining table feels like a squeeze. There’s nowhere to put overnight guests. As families grow, something has to give.
Remodelers hear a common request all year long: Homeowners need a rework of their home in time for a special event. But most of the time, they pick up the phone too late.
“The most annoying thing as a designer is a client will say, ‘I have this party in two months, and I need to redo my house. I need to redo my kitchen.’ Just to select the materials and order them will take two months,” designer Bob Zuber of Chicago-based Morgante Wilson told Homes.com.
Most homeowners are unaware of the steps it takes to transform a kitchen or whole home. Homes.com spoke to three remodeling professionals to hear tips on when a homeowner should reach out to begin their dream project — and have it done in time to make the next round of holiday hosting extra special.
A plea from professionals: Try to enjoy the process
The time it takes to complete a remodel — whether a small powder bathroom or major whole-home project — will vary greatly depending on the design, materials and location. But professionals offer similar advice to make the experience the best it can be: Give yourself more time than you think.
“What's better than changing your environment to tailor your custom needs? It's a privilege to be able to do that, and I think people should enjoy the process and be able to give themselves the space to do it,” said Zuber.
And when homeowners give themselves a long leeway, it opens up the possibility of expanding the project scope and reimagining more than just the kitchen or dining area, which is something that happens often anyway.
“I had a client that wanted me to come either paint or reface [their cabinets]. Now we’re in the middle of a $1.5 million remodel including a Jacuzzi pool out back, outdoor patio covers — everything,” said San Diego-based project director George Lofland with Jackson Design and Remodeling.
With a holiday-focused project, Lofland often sees homeowners discussing the kitchen, then wanting to spruce up the fireplace, then maybe renovating the powder bathroom and entryway flooring — and that can lead to wanting to change all the flooring and even the front door.
“You never know where it’s going to end up,” he said.
The traditional construction process, which includes planning, design, material selection and installation, takes months traditionally, but renovating an existing home brings a level of complication that nobody can truly account for, even if they’ve been in the business for decades: what’s behind the walls.
For project manager Derek Gilroy of Chicago-based Arete Renovators, there’s a 75% chance that the demolition process will unearth some kind of headache that will impact project timelines.
How long will a remodel take to be ready for the holidays?
Gilroy advises reaching out for a whole-home remodel between 15 to 18 months ahead. Zuber and Lofland agreed: Anything major requiring permits and a significant project scope will require 12 months minimum but often leans longer.
An addition, for example, would take Morgante Wilson roughly 18 months, according to Zuber.
If you’re reading this now and desperately want to remodel your home in time for the holidays in 2026, it could be too late.
“Why don't we look at this a little bit differently? Why don't we look at this year as being the before party? And then next year we'll have the after,” said Lofland. “And that way it'll give you enough time to plan it, get the construction going and not rush and end up with the end product that you really want.”
If considering a major gut kitchen renovation or living room-kitchen combination project, that would run between 10 to 12 months for Jackson Design and Remodeling, which includes major changes like a new floor plan, new cabinetry, countertops, flooring and appliances.
For a project with a more basic layout and cabinetry change, Morgante Wilson’s Zuber suggests an eight-month timeline.
Consider what materials you might want in your new kitchen, though.
“The material dictates everything,” said Gilroy.
The availability and lead time of a material can delay a project, shifting the entire schedule. Gilroy points to custom cabinetry as an example: The cabinetmaker could be booked for four months and then take another two months to construct the cabinetry and then install, adding six months onto a project.
A small powder room with just new tile and wallpaper could wrap up in two months, but for a more complicated project, two months could be how long it takes to simply pick materials, sign off on design, and another two months to receive a permit.
Can the timeline be shortened?
If working with a designer and contractor separately and not a design-build firm where the two functions are under the same company, Zuber says nailing down a contractor before the designer can save a few months and maybe shave off more time with helpful value-engineering conversations.
If Morgante Wilson were to bid and search for a contractor for their client, it would add two to three months, said Zuber.
Preparation is also key, especially with design and materials, which take three months or more. If a client wants a rendering of a proposed design, that adds even more time.
Compiling a folder of photos representing the emotion and aesthetics of a project will help guide the team and help narrow down wants. Making quick material selections will also streamline the process.
And if the cheaper quote for a remodel and the timeline sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
“Don’t only look at the price of what you’re paying, but the value of what you’re getting,” said Lofland. “So many people will go for the lesser cost at the initial consultation and end up paying more and it takes longer.”