Everyone wants to do home remodeling a few years of living in it. This is common, maybe remodeling needs to be done before you move into your new home.
Whatever the case may be, it is important that you learn from these 7 home remodeling don’ts otherwise it can cost you extra time and money.
1. Don’t Work Without A Safety Net
This is really important because once you start ripping things out of the house to remodel, it can uncover nasty things. These fixes need to be repaired right away otherwise it could cause your problems down the road. That’s why it’s important to be working with a safety net when you are home remodeling.
Other expenses may come up. If you were planning on spending X amount of dollars on a renovation you may be surprised how quickly you can go over budget.
This is more apparent when remodeling is not done by a professional contractor. Not having an oversight of the overall budget, can lead to extra expenditures. These include spending more on fixtures and materials than what is allocated.
An experienced contractor will know the budget and showcase products that fit within the budget. This will allow you to stay on track when you are remodeling. Their experience is also beneficial considering they will know what materials to use for that particular situation.
2. Don’t Start Home Remodeling Without A Design
A sense of direction is really important before a major remodel is done. This may include hiring a professional designer, architect or multiple builders. This is an extra expenditure that people do not want to pay but it is critical in having a unique looking house.
When figuring out the home remodeling cost, it is important that the design is laid out in detail. This gives you a visual of what the finish line is going to look like. No one wants surprises. Having a designer will make space look beautiful and functional.
3. Don’t Buy Your Own Materials
Many people might have told you to buy your own materials and it would be cheaper. In short, this is very untrue. Unless you have accounts with various companies and get a discounts on products, you are probably spending way too much.
Yes, it is true that a builder will buy materials at a discounted price and mark up the price before they give it to you. Even if builders do that, you are still saving money over buying it yourself.
Why would you want to waste your time calling around and trying to save a buck or two? It is not worth the time to call around to get materials. Especially when are not as knowledgeable as the builder.
4. Don’t Stay In The House
A lot of people make the mistake of living in the house while remodeling is taking place. This is okay if the project is small, but if it involves remodeling a kitchen or knocking down walls, do you really want to be home?
The added clutter, noise and even mess that you would have to deal with on a daily basis. It is not necessary to come home to a house that is a complete mess. Also, getting in the way of contractors doing work is another issue. The amount of time you interrupt them or talk to them (even for 5 minutes) could distract them from doing something productive to get the job done faster.
If possible, try to schedule time away while renovations are taking place. This includes living with someone else for a bit or renting a hotel room (depending on how long the renovations are going to take place). If that is not a feasible option, just try to have a clear area in your house that is available to you whenever you need it.
5. Don’t Let Pets And Kids Get In The Way
If you do decide to not leave the house while it is being renovated it is important that you give the contractors some space. Even though most people can accommodate this, it is just an extra thing for them to deal with.
There is also a safety concerns when it comes to kids and pets. Unlike adults, some kids have the tendency to play around and they can end up injuring themselves.
6. Don’t Ignore Major Fixes
This is without saying but people with a small budget may ignore these fixes. Previously mentioned, if you have a budget and major fixes are needed it might cost more to fix.
For instance, if you wanted to remodel the kitchen and make it look more contemporary. Yeah that is a good place to start, but what about the foundation or structure of the house? You need to evaluate these things before your pour money into a project.
Especially when you don’t know what the house is constructed of to begin with. For instance, if a home had poor insulation and you wanted to change the furnace to a high-efficiency one, it wouldn’t make sense to do so. You would have to change the insulation to gain the benefits of the new furnace.
7. Don’t Change Your Mind
Too many changes during a project will delay the project and add unnecessary costs. Small changes throughout the project may not look like a big deal but it could be. It is like a ripple effect, if you want to change materials, it might not work with another object and could end up delaying the whole project.
While doing home remodeling, looking over the design to ensure that the appliances or materials will fit with your vision is important. This gives you a clear picture of what the end project will look like. Designers can also offer you mock up images of before and afters that could help you decide what would looks best.
Ask your designer if they offer this type of service.
Research should be done beforehand, such as reviewing magazines and online sources to see the latest trends.
A timeline should be created to ensure that you are not falling behind on the tasks. The start and finish times of each project should be noted down just in case they need to be reviewed at the end.
