Some houses are worth saving down to the frame. Across Tampa's older neighborhoods, from Seminole Heights bungalows to Hyde Park classics and South Tampa homes built generations ago, the bones are often excellent while everything inside has run out of road: tired wiring and plumbing, closed-off kitchens, cramped baths and floor plans that no longer fit how families live. A whole-home gut renovation lets you keep the house and the street you love while rebuilding the inside around your life.
Sixth Sense Studio leads gut renovations as a single design and build effort. The same team that imagines the finished rooms stays with the project through demolition, framing, rough-ins, finishes and the final styled install, working alongside appropriately licensed trade professionals for the construction itself.
A renovation of a decades-old house is never just new cabinets. Opening walls often reveals framing that was altered over the years, outdated electrical, aging supply and drain lines, or past repairs that were never done properly. Florida conditions add their own layer: humidity, termites, roofs and windows that have to meet today's wind requirements, and in some areas flood elevation rules that affect how much work can be done before the whole structure must comply.
None of that is a reason to avoid an older home. It is a reason to plan for discovery. We design with contingency in mind, sequence decisions so surprises behind the walls do not derail the finishes, and keep you informed when conditions change what is possible.
We start by understanding the existing house: its structure, its quirks and what is worth preserving. Original millwork, floors, windows or a front porch may deserve to stay. Then we plan the new layout, often opening the kitchen to the living spaces, rethinking the primary suite and finding storage the original house never had.
Cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, tile, stone, appliances and lighting are selected and specified before the first wall comes down. Deciding early keeps lead times from stalling the job and lets rough-in work be placed exactly where the finished design needs it.
Whole-home renovations in the City of Tampa require building permits, and the permit drawings and inspections shape the schedule. Homes inside one of Tampa's designated historic districts may also need design review before exterior changes such as windows, rooflines, porches or additions. We plan for those approvals from the beginning rather than discovering them mid-project.
Once permits are issued, the interior is taken down to the studs as planned. This is when hidden conditions appear, framing is corrected, and new electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems are installed and inspected.
Drywall, millwork, cabinetry, tile and stone go in, followed by fixtures, lighting and paint. We then procure, deliver and style furnishings so the house is finished and livable, not just complete on paper.
Our full-service projects begin at $80,000, and most whole-home gut renovations we take on are $150,000 and above. Where a specific project lands depends on the size of the house, how much of the structure and systems need replacing, the finish level you choose and what is uncovered once walls are open. We will not quote a number before we have seen the house; the consultation is where that conversation becomes real.
Timelines are driven by design decisions, permit review, material lead times and conditions found during demolition. Making selections before construction and planning historic or permit review early are the two biggest ways to keep a renovation on schedule.
When designer and builder are hired separately, every unexpected condition becomes a negotiation. With one team accountable for design and construction coordination, the person who knows why a niche is placed where it is is also the person deciding how to handle the pipe found behind it. Read more about our Tampa design-build renovation approach and our luxury interior design in Tampa.
We serve South Tampa, Hyde Park, Davis Islands, Bayshore, Palma Ceia, Seminole Heights and across Tampa Bay, including St. Petersburg gut renovations.
Our full-service projects start at $80,000, and most whole-home gut renovations we take on are $150,000 and above. The actual investment depends on the home's size, condition and finish level, which we assess at the in-home consultation.
Yes. Whole-home renovations require building permits and inspections. Homes in designated historic districts may also need design review for exterior changes. We plan for both from the start.
Usually not. A gut renovation takes the interior to the studs and disconnects major systems, so most clients plan to live elsewhere during construction.
Where it makes sense, yes. We identify original features worth preserving, such as millwork, floors or windows, and design the new interior to complement them.
We lead design and coordinate the build as one team, with construction performed by appropriately licensed trade professionals.
The right first step is a walkthrough. At a $199 in-home consultation we look at the house together, talk through what you want it to become, and give you a candid read on scope, sequencing and investment before anything is torn out.
Book your $199 in-home consultation
Sixth Sense Studio · 1646 West Snow Avenue, Suite 64, Tampa, FL 33606 · (813) 727-7293 · hello@sixthsensestudio.co