4 Common Home Renovation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Hiring a general home renovations’ contractor can help you avoid costly and timely mistakes when attempting to do a project yourself.
Your home is your sanctuary. Not only do you want your home to be light and airy, with just the right touch of modern and/or traditional design, you also want privacy and a place to escape from the rest of the world. To achieve this, we often need to make an investment in our homes, and that often includes a renovation or remodelling project. There are so many things to consider — building codes, budget, layout/design, functionality— when taking on any renovation project; it’s easy to make errors when you don’t have the know-how. Here are 4 of the most common home renovation mistakes to try and avoid.
1. Not Hiring a Professional Renovation Contractor
DIY is fine when changing a light bulb, but when it comes to a major renovation project, you may want to leave it to the professionals. At Rafter 4K, we often see mistakes made when people are in a rush, untrained, and not considerate of their budgets when doing interior renovations themselves. Besides being experts in design and construction, a professional contractor offers knowledge and expertise in a number of other areas including:
- Building permits and codes
- Managing timelines
- Providing accurate estimations
- Connecting to suppliers and sub-contractors (plumbing, electrical etc.)
- Being properly insured
2. Cutting Corners with a Low-Ball Estimate
It’s human nature to always look for the least expensive product or service, but when it comes to home renovations, cheapest is not always the wisest. It’s important to do due diligence when getting estimates for your job. When looking for home renovators, make sure to shop around, ask questions, and compare notes with other clients that have used the company’s renovation services (review sites are handy for this), and make sure to get everything in writing. That low-ball quote may not offer everything you need or are looking for.
3. Expecting Everything Will Be Hunky Dory
As the saying goes, stuff happens. Unavoidable incidents can take place when going through a renovation project. Half the battle is finding the right professional for the job, but it also helps to realize that other extenuating circumstances that can affect the timeliness and sometimes the cost of a job.
To avoid these incidents, it helps to consider:
- How long it will take your municipality to issue a building permit and/or conduct an inspection if your home
- The time of year you want to renovate — three weeks before Christmas may not be ideal
- What the weather will be like — a basement finishing or anything with an outdoor component during rain or snow could slow down your project and increase your basement renovation cost
- Not changing your plans midway through the reno – make sure you are happy with the design from the get-go
- How many subcontractors will be needed — things can slow down if a subcontractor is not available on a particular date
4. Spending Too Much Money on Unnecessary Things
If you’re on a limited budget, you may want to forgo investing in some of the items that can really add up: This includes such luxuries in a bathroom renovation such as heated towel racks, self-flushing toilet and other fancy fixtures, or a kitchen renovation with high-end appliances. Consider what you really need and what you can live out, and look for the alternatives.
For more information, read on our blog: 4 Home Renovations Kelowna Residents Should Leave to the Pros.
From kitchen renovations Kelowna homeowners covet, to bathroom, legal suite, living space as well as exterior renovations and home additions, Rafter 4K Contracting has the expertise, knowledge and connections to see your renovation or remodelling project come to life. Visit our project gallery to see some of our work.
