Mistakes To Avoid While Renovating Your Home |
Posted: June 24, 2019 |
Even when you do everything right home renovating is hard. You can make it easier by being prepared and doing things right the first time. Here are a few mistakes you can avoid to save yourself both time and money in the long run.
Are you the sort of person that just goes with the flow? You just jump into a project without planning, ready to wing it all the way home? That can work for a lot of things but renovating is not one of them. A well thought out plan can save you time and keep you on budget. It’s also important to get into very specific details with your contractor and have everything planned out in writing. You should have a clear idea of how things will play out every step of the way and when those steps will take place. 2. Purchasing before you’re done planningIt’s an easy trap to fall into. You see your dream bath at Home Depot and you need it. It’s love at first sight and without a second thought, you’re swiping that credit card. Unfortunately, this can very easily blow up in your face. If it’s the wrong size, it might not fit at all. It could leave the rest of your bathroom cramped for space. It could just be something that doesn’t function in your house entirely. It’s better to have everything laid out so you know exactly what it is that you should be buying. It’s hard to design an entire room around one item. And while that may be the most amazing bath you’ve seen in your entire life, there are so many out there that are comparable that will fit the design you end up deciding on. 3. Buying cheap materialsRenovating is hard. Watching your budget being eaten up with every purchase can be stressful. It’s natural to want to save money anywhere that you can and unfortunately that often means people will opt for the cheapest materials that they can find. What you don’t realize is that this mistake will cost you more in the long run. These cheap materials aren’t nearly as durable as materials that cost just a little bit more. If you get the cheapest of everything you’re going to be looking at a whole new renovation much sooner than you would if you opted for materials of better quality. Now, that doesn’t mean you should go out and find the most expensive material either. Find something that’s on the lower end, while still being good, sturdy material. 4. Failing to have a budget for contingenciesIf you’re really digging into the bones of your house you will almost definitely find something else that needs fixing. If you don’t have extra money set aside in case this happens there are one of two routes you can take. You can ignore the problem, which is a massive mistake, or you can cheap out on your renovation which also isn’t ideal. And sure, maybe there are a few extras you were planning that you don’t really need, but if you’re spending this much money on a renovation shouldn’t it be exactly what you’re looking for? It’s better to put off the renovation just a little bit longer so that you can secure this contingency budget than to settle for something less than what you wanted after all of the money you’re pouring into it. 5. Cutting cornersCutting corners is one of the main reasons that people need contingency budgets in the first place. Because the people who previously worked on the house cut corners. Maybe you’re saving a few dollars now but not doing things right the first time can cost you a lot of money in the long run. Or worse, it could make your house less save and it could cost you everything. 6. Going the DIY routeThere are times when DIY is the best option. Refinishing that old dresser? Fantastic DIY. Doing a big house renovation? Not so much. It won’t be as easy as you think it is. Even if you’re the handy sort of person. Let’s be honest, would you ever let someone with no experience do renovations to yourself? You are that person. Your DIY can easily go wrong and it could cost you a lot more to have them fix your mistakes and finish that job than it would have cost to just have them do it to begin with. 7. Hiring someone who isn’t qualifiedHiring someone who isn’t properly certified to do the work is a terrible idea. They likely don’t have the training to safely to the work. It can be easy to accidentally hire the wrong person if you aren’t asking the right questions, so make sure you know the people doing your work are in fact licensed to do it. Things can go horribly wrong if you leave your house in the wrong person’s hands.
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