Whether your growing family needs more room in the house, or you want to breathe some new life into your stale, outdated kitchen, a home renovation can be extremely exciting. It presents so many wonderful opportunities to put your personal stamp on your house, and the end result will make you love your home even more. However, it takes proper planning, time, and patience to reap the rewards that a renovation can offer.
Even if it’s a minor remodel, you want to make sure that you are prepared. Unfortunately, many homeowners make some pretty big mistakes when they are renovating; mistakes that can make the process a lot harder, longer, and much more expensive. If you want to ensure your renovation is a success, make sure you avoid these seven common mistakes.
Not Having a Solid Plan
Of course, you’re going to have an idea of what it is that you want to achieve with your renovation; however, many homeowners make the mistake of not creating a solid plan. When it comes to renovations, things can definitely change at the drop of the hat, so being flexible is important. However, you definitely want to make sure that you establish a plan of action before you get started.
Determine what it is that you want to achieve, what look you are going for, your budget, a time frame… If you don’t have a real plan, things will likely get out of control very quickly and completely derail your project.
Using Cheap Materials
The old saying “you get what you pay for” is one that definitely applies to home renovations. A cheap price tag is usually a good indicator of the quality of the tools and materials. For example, while you might save yourself a few bucks by going for cheaper plumbing materials, in the long run, you’ll end up spending more. Why? – Because the lifespan of those cheap materials is much shorter than more expensive, higher quality items. Imagine having to tear down your walls, replace your vanity, or install new fixtures a year or two after you complete your renovation? Not only will you have to spend more of your hard-earned money to replace them, but you’ll also have to deal with the hassle of more work!
Not Sticking to a Budget
While you definitely don’t want to use cheap materials, you also don’t want to blow your budget. Unless your financial resources are unlimited, establish your budget before you get started. Make estimates for all renovation-related costs, even the little things, like light bulbs, spackle, and paintbrushes. Determine what materials are an absolute must, and what items aren’t necessary, but would be nice to have.
If you find that your estimates are more than you can comfortably afford to spend, you might want to consider pushing the remodel off until you can save enough to get the results you want. You want to be happy with the outcome, not end up hating it or wishing that you could make changes right away.
Not Putting Safety First
Those safety goggles might seem “dorky”, but do yourself a favor and make sure you put them on. Should a piece of wood or a renegade nail go flying toward your eye, you’ll be glad you had the protection.
Make sure you take the time to ensure your job site is safe. Check for power lines before you start knocking down walls, make sure that cords are taped down, turn off the main water source before playing with plumbing, have someone spot you while you’re climbing a ladder, etc. A lot of homeowners think that they will use caution and avoid getting hurt, but then end up sustaining an injury that lands them in the emergency room – an injury that could have been avoided had they simply taken the time ensure their safety.
Not Prepping Before Starting
You want to get your renovation done as quickly as possible, so you decide to skip out on the prep work. While it might shave a few minutes off of your timetable now, not prepping could actually add more time to your project. For example, you might think that drop cloths or taping are unnecessary before you paint because you have a steady hand and you’re going to be super cautious; however, even if you have the steadiest hands and you think you have wiped off all the excess paint to avoid drips, guess what? – You can still make mistakes! Trying to get paint out of a carpet (if you’re going to keep your existing carpet) or repainting your ceiling because your paintbrush slipped while you were edging will definitely add time – and money – to your renovation.
Not Being Prepared for the Chaos
A renovation can put a real damper on your life until it’s complete. For instance, if you’re renovating your bathroom, you’re going to want to make sure you have a designated place to get ready, or if you are remodeling your kitchen, you want to ensure that you know how you are going to feed your family.
A lot of homeowners don’t anticipate the upheaval that comes along with a renovation. Then suddenly, they realize that they don’t have anywhere to cook food and quickly grow tired of ordering out every night. Make sure you’re ready to deal with the disorder so you can get through your renovation with your sanity in-tact.
Not Renting a Roll-Off Dumpster
Here’s a little secret for you: home renovations create a lot of trash. From sheetrock to old tiles and everything in between, there’s going to be a lot of garbage to get rid of. Sure, you could just pile it all up on the curb, but do you really want to deal with that eyesore? And, what happens if your town’s waste management won’t take all of that trash?
Save yourself a headache and rent a dumpster! You’ll have convenient spot to throw out all of that waste, and the best part is this: You just have to call the dumpster rental company and they’ll unload it for you! Talk about a win-win!