Whether you want to refurbish your kitchen, bathroom, basement or your entire home, there’s a lot more that goes into renovating a space than most people think. A successful renovation needs design and concept development, three-dimensional renderings, space planning, interior floor plans, CAD drafting and much more.
Renovating can be a daunting process if it’s not done right and there are several mistakes homeowners commit that make it a challenge. To ensure you are making the right moves while planning a renovation, we’ve listed five of the most common mistakes that you should avoid when renovating your home.
1. NOT TAKING THE TIME TO DO YOUR RESEARCH ON CONTRACTORS.
Lack of time could be a factor, or it could be a price driven error. However, you should care about this detail because you need to know that the person you are hiring to do the work is a qualified professional and that you won’t be left to pick up the pieces if something goes wrong on the project.
You should look at multiple contractors before you get started on any renovation. Check with the Better Business Bureau and read up on their accreditations and their track records. Make sure they have a website and a portfolio as well as past clients that you can talk to for references.
2. NOT HIRING AN INTERIOR DESIGNER.
This is a common mistake because most people want to try and design everything themselves not realizing the work involved with all of the design details required to make a renovation run smoothly. You may opt to do it on your own for budgetary reasons or to try something new because you like the idea of a DIY project. However, you should care about the end result of your renovation and hiring an interior designer is the best way to ensure your vision aligns with the end product.
An interior designer will help you narrow down your needs and wants to help create your dream home and they will help you with all of the details required to make that happen. Hiring an interior designer will allow you to save time and money during the renovation process and they will help guide you efficiently to your end goals.
3. NOT FIGURING OUT A SUFFICIENT BUDGET.
Make sure you take the time to figure out exactly what you want to renovate, then think about exactly what you can afford to spend. Once you have determined your needs and wants and relate it to a budget, a contractor can then help you designate where to allocate that money based on the scope of work.
The contractor will be able to give you a rough estimate initially, but you will want to make sure you have extra money in a contingency fund just in case anything comes up during the length of your project. This process of being proactive in the planning stage of a renovation will save time in re-selections down the road as well as headaches and stress that may come from sticker shock if you are not prepared.
4. NOT MOVING OUT.
If you are thinking of renovating your home partially or fully, it is highly recommended to move out while the renovation is happening. Some home owners will choose to do a project in phases per level to try and live in their home while it is being renovated. This is never recommended for many reasons, the noise, dirt, dust, and trades that will be coming in and out of your home will take its toll and could potentially prolong your finish date if the project cannot work continuously.
Make a plan to find another place to live in your area or close by so that you can be near your project and not living in it. This will allow your contractor and all of the trades involved to work as much as they can and potentially will speed up your project end date.
5. STRESSING ON SMALL STUFF.
Don’t stress the small stuff, focus on the end results. It is inevitable that things will come up during a renovation such as unexpected expenses to fix unseen items, subfloor or structural details, items not in stock or having to re-select items that have been discontinued. Let your contractor and designer help you with anything that comes up during your renovation. They are there to guide and help you. It is not your responsibility to try and solve the problems that may arise, and it’s best to leave it to the professionals and let them guide you towards the best decisions based on their experience.
Focus on the end game and try not to let the in-between items that come up stress you out. Renovating can be a fun process once you start seeing the transformation happen and in the end, you will not think about those little items you couldn’t control when you are sitting back and enjoying that glass of wine in your new kitchen!
To avoid these and other potential mistakes, reach out to the experts at Inspired Interiors. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding customer service while making the design process as trouble-free as possible for our clients. To learn more about services we provide, have any questions about home renovation, please get in touch with us by contacting us.