In most homeowners life there comes a time when you feel the need to add your personality to your house. This purpose leads you renovating or upgrading your home. Whether you want to add space, upgrade material or add more functionality. Knowing what to do is as important as knowing what not to do.
Below are some things to keep in mind while renovating, whether you have hired a contractor or not:
1.Unrealistic budgets
While we all cover our grounds in terms of the material, labor and miscellaneous remodeling funds but never assume it wont go over budget. Always have an over budget funds period. Many unforeseen circumstances or rather plumbing and wiring surprises will come up while opening up those walls. Older homes can also unveil molds, rotting wood and leaking pipes etc. Keeping these in mind creates a budget lower than what you think you will need.
2.The power of pictures
If you choose a contractor rather than taking on the project yourself, communication and conveying your intention is key. Pictures of those beautiful cabinets and kitchens you collect from pinterest or some magazines helps tremendously. Most people ignore this fact and we all know how that ends. Don’t delay the pictures and rely on your contractors’ interpretation to get the results you want.
3.Don’t start until everything is on sight
Before you start taking down those bathroom or kitchen walls, make sure that all the materials and appliances you need are on sight. Oftentimes our anxiousness to start puts us in jeopardy. Reason being the delivery dates could get confused or delayed leading to your kitchen or bathroom being inoperable for days.
4.Installing the items last
Installing appliances last causes the age old problem of design not accommodating the huge or the very tiny appliance you have ordered. Always install the appliances first to help you understand how the overall design accommodates them or if at all. One more recommendation would be to wait on buying the appliances till you are ready to get them installed.
5.Don’t ignore what the house wants
Some people can pull off wearing a high top sneaker with a tuxedo but it can horribly go wrong for others . Houses are like this as well. Can a modern kitchen work in a Victorian style home?. Absolutely, but make sure the house can pull it off. Not to say that the house hasn’t evolved in all those years. We recommend living in it for a few months and getting to know the style before pulling out a sledge hammer.
6.No friends and Family
While friends and family’s help can come in handy while moving belongings, cleaning furniture and other household chores but when it comes to renovation bad idea alert. Some home owners in the hopes of saving money ask friends and family to help them. This can lead to not only very disastrous and expensive mistakes but is also a health hazard to you and your house literally. Only let experienced acquaintances help you with the renovation.
7.You cant handle every remodeling project
Do your homework !! While you might think oh this is just a light fixture change, take out the current one and add the new one. One little mistake of turning off the electricity and other necessary things and boom goes the dynamite. Now you have an entire electrical disaster on your hands. Determine what kind of expertise and experience is required for your project before you start, whether you hire a contractor or DIY
Last but not the least, always be open to change. Renovation projects cant work on hard and fast rules. While you may have one thing in your mind but the functionality and the design could suggest a completely different thing. Let us know about some of your experiences of home renovation disasters in the comments below.