Are you planning on making home renovations?
Have you got all your home improvement financing in line and are looking to break ground?
If the answer to both those questions are yes, chances are good that you are chomping on the bit to get started on your renovations.
That being said, it is quite important to not only do your job right, but not do the job wrong. Here are some of the most important common home renovation mistakes to avoid:
Setting an unrealistic budget
Renovations often cost more than expected, but that does not mean you should set an unrealistic budget and try to pick up the pieces later. To avoid this from happening, build a cushion of around 20 percent of the total expected cost to make sure that you are prepared for any additional costs and surprises.
Sacrificing function for form
We can all be enticed by something that is beautiful looking, but that doesn’t mean we should value beauty over function when it comes to home renovations. Think about how a particular renovation will impact the way you function and enjoy the space. Details to consider include doors, windows, outlet placements and traffic patterns throughout the house.
Getting something that is overly trendy
It might be enticing to make an incredibly trendy renovation to your home, but that is a major mistake that many people make. The reason why it is such a big mistake is because trends invariably fall out of trend. That not only means that you will likely enjoy the renovation much less in the near future, but it could also hurt the value of your home if you ever try to put it up on the open market.
Buying cheap materials
This is a major mistake, even though it can save you some money in the short term. Buying cheap materials will not only ensure that the finished product will look somewhat cheap, but that it is also much more likely to break after heavy use. If you have to choose between small and better material versus bigger and cheaper material, go with the smaller option everytime.
Choosing contractors on a whim
There is are certainly a lot of contractors working in your city or town who would be happy to take your renovation job on, but that doesn’t mean that they’re all the right fit. You should do some diligent work to make sure that the right contractor is being hired for the job.
Do some internet research to find contractors who have done similar jobs in the past and have tons of positive reviews on Google or Yelp. Once you do that, you should set up some one-on-one interviews to meet with the contractors at the top of your list. From there, you’ll want to make sure to discuss time frames, costs and more.
After having all the information you need, you will then be able to make an educated decision on which contractor is best for the job.
