Finding a reputable contractor. Living without a functioning bathroom for weeks while it's being remodeled. Buying land and starting from scratch. Paying two mortgages while a new house is being built.

The process of upgrading your living situation, whether through a remodel, an addition, or a completely new build, can seem overwhelming at best. We've put together a few resources to help you get the numbers and navigate the uncertainties of home improvement and construction in Indianapolis.

Remodeling

While any room in your home can be ready for a remodel, the most popular rooms to tackle are the kitchen and bathrooms. The median amount homeowners spent on renovations in 2023 was $24,000, with the top 90th percentile spending $150,000.

Remodeling your home will require you to submit a floor plan for the project scope, indicating location of smoke detectors, locations of all doors and windows, etc. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services has a handy checklist to help with the residential permit process.

Adding on

Accessory dwelling units (or ADUs) have become extremely popular in recent years, with ADU construction increasing by an average of 8.6% per year over the last decade. In order to build an ADU on your property, you’ll need to research your home’s permit history and make sure your ADU dreams align with the city’s zoning codes.

You can learn more about costs, financing options, and shopping for contractors with our guide.

Buying land

You probably already know that if you want to buy land to build on, you better be looking outside of the loop, because finding an undeveloped homesite in Indianapolis-proper is about as likely as winning the lottery.

According to LandWatch, the average price of Indiana land listings and ranches for sale is $380,347. The average cost per acre is $43,800.

A slightly less traditional way to secure land than using a real estate agent is by buying a lot at auction. The state, which currently owns approximately 425,000 acres of land, also auctions off surplus real estate from time to time. You can keep an eye out for active auctions here.

Building a house

After you buy land, the fun stuff begins — but so does the expensive part. On average, it costs $369,300 in total to build a house in Indiana, which is $119,600 more than the statewide median sale price.

In addition to baseline construction costs, consider the cost of running electric from the road to your home, installing a sump pump, constructing a driveway to reach your new home, cutting down trees, leveling the land, and much more. You can expect to spend upwards of $100,000 on these costs before building begins, which can take between nine months and one year.

Best of luck with your home projects, Indy. If you have tips or information we missed, ring our doorbell.