We believe most of us are familiar with the phrase “it’s too good to be true”, which is based on the fact that there are always changes and surprises in life and almost everything never goes perfectly.
Also the same with major renovations or home improvement.
So how can you still make the renovation the best it can be?
We have gathered some significant tips for you to help you avoid the most common mistakes in such projects.
1. Forgetting the permits / Rejected home Inspection
In order to save a lot of time and money in advance, we strongly recommend finding some time and approach the “Permitting Center”, explaining exactly what the desired renovation is and thus obtaining all the necessary details and procedures required to carry out the work under the law and the renovation codes.
In addition, if this is a big project, you can order a professional for “home inspection” to find out all the problems at your home, and thus avoiding unexpected surprises in terms of time, money, your desires, and most of all headaches.
2. Focusing on aesthetics only
One huge mistake is focusing on the aesthetic details and appearance, without any regard for functionality and usefulness.
It is clear to all of us that appearance plays a very significant role for us, but do not forget how comfortable and efficient your home can be for your daily use if you do not forget to underline the functionality as well.
3. Using cheap materials
It is not a secret that using cheap materials will be a bad choice for the long term and will cause additional costs in the future, although you can still find a way to make your project a little cheaper and affordable for your pockets. The main issue is don’t try to save on your daily-use areas. For example, your kitchen cabinets and handles, while it may look like you can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars on a small change in material type, but in the long run, this addition will be a nice reminder every time you enter the kitchen and you can really feel the quality and finishes. In contrast, in the case of cheap materials, as a result of the daily use of the area, the beautiful look disappears very quickly between the scratch marks and wear. If you are still looking for some additional savings, it can be obtained in places where there is less touching or daily use.
4. Not asking enough questions
It is important that you are comfortable with your contractor, that you can trust him, and that you have confidence he will complete the project as promised and according to the specific plan. This is the reason that it is important to carefully check potential contractors to ensure that you’re working with a reputable professional.
When getting a construction bid, you have to meet with professionals to understand their credentials and the scope of the work they will be performing. Try to test their level of reliability, communication, and desire to provide you the best service by asking a lot of questions and talking about details.
If you don’t feel 100% secure with the person, you probably shouldn’t hire them.
5. Not making timeline / setting an unrealistic one
Everybody thinks that their home renovation is going to be completed on schedule, and of course, it is always the goal for both ends, but, even professional house-flippers who have significant experience in renovations can get it wrong. So your timeline needs to reflect the realistic estimates that you’re hearing from contractors, and it also needs to include a little bit of time extra in case something unpredictable occurs.
6. Making too many changes along the project
Changes that seem simple to you may require a lot of work on the back end, so be sure you check with your contractor on even slight adjustments that you may want or need even before starting the project. Most changes do not require a high cost of additional materials, but time is the main part and as we all know, time is money, so try to think of everything before the project starts and thus reduce the changes that will occur during it and so does the cost.
7. Not budgeting correctly
The biggest mistake that can be made is not to calculate the budget correctly, thereby causing unexpected costs or concessions during renovations. Notice that you have included all the expected costs, materials, labor, costs you did not expect, home inspection costs and etc, above that it is usually recommended to add 10-20% to leave additional space, note that this extra scope may seem like a lot but the peace of mind it will give you during the project will be worth everything.
Hope we helped you get some more knowledge in the field and that your upcoming project will be free from mistakes.
You are welcome to send a message to our professionals, we are here for any request or help,
SK Houston Constructions
