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Eight Mistakes You Should Avoid While Renovating Your House

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There comes the point in our lives where our houses need extra loving. The paint starts chipping, the staircase creaks, and the pipes begin to leak. When you start noticing these subtle adversities around the house, you know it’s time to renovate.

Renovation is not a straightforward process. It requires you to be attentive about your house and know what you’re doing. It also requires careful planning, budgeting, and allocation of resources. The internet has many DIY videos on home improvement. Although most of these videos may seem simple enough, they may not always be practical or affordable. You may end up doing a project that provides temporary relief, but it may still have a high chance of failing. Therefore, when it comes to house renovation, you can’t cut corners. There are some common mistakes people make when they are working on their house. These mistakes can be very costly and require extensive work to repair the additional damage.

So, if you’re just about to do some house reno, here are some mistakes you should avoid while you fix your home:

1. Setting an unrealistic budget

You may think you can get away with a renovation job for the lowest price possible, but that is not the case. When you finally dissect your house, you realize how much work your home truly needs. Renovation projects always extend beyond the surface view of existing problems. Therefore, when you design a budget, keep a margin for unexpected renovations, such as installing a new patio when you merely started off fixing your garden.

2. Not consulting professionals

When it comes to pipes and electrical wires, it is best to leave them for professionals. Suppose your water pipes burst and caused a significant amount of damage in your basement. In such cases, find a water damage specialist to help you fix the mess. If you’re not careful, you can damage the walls and the structure of your house even more. It can also be dangerous for your family since a poor renovation job can lead to injuries. So without a professional’s guidance, never try your luck with elaborate projects.

3. Going for looks and not functionality

You may think that your house needs to look more stylish than functional. To a certain degree, you’re allowed to make your place look trendy. However, when it comes to doors and windows, you have to consider being more functional. You can’t have a heavy wooden door barricading the entrance or window shutters so large they cover the wall. You also can’t have furniture blocking the outlets. The best course of action is to decide how to make your house look functional. Invest in windows, doors, and furnishings that look good but are easy to use and maintain.

4. Incorrect measurements

When you measure your house, it is always best to run the measurements twice. That is because you need to account for human error as well. It would be helpful if you ask a professional contractor to run their sizes and compare values. You can then take note of the difference and make adjustments accordingly. If you choose to proceed with one measurement alone, chances are you may end up purchasing less material. In some cases, you may have modified material such as wood shorter than what is needed. And this brings us to our next point.

5. Not ordering extra materials

When it comes to house renovation, you should always have backup material. Ideally, you can draw up how many packets of cement or planks of wood you may need if you plan and measure correctly. Realistically that is not always the case. Sometimes during renovation, you work on additional areas of the house that you didn’t consider earlier. You may have made a mistake while working on your home and need to redo a place in some instances. So always keep a margin of ordering extra material, so you never fall short. Besides, if you order less and the material runs out of stock when you need more, you might have to wait longer or scrap the design altogether and get new stuff. What a waste of time and money!

6. Not thinking about the workflow

It would help if you considered how the workflow of the renovation should look like. Where should you start, and where should the process end? Deciding this will also help you deduce a timeline since you can predict the extent of the project depending on the amount of work. If you choose to start all rooms at once haphazardly, you will never get your house renovation done on time unless you can afford a large team of workers.

7. Wrong updations

While you upgrade your house, you need to consider where a large chunk of your money goes. You want to upgrade areas of your home that require immediate attention, such as a broken toilet. Or the sites that will last you longer, such as storage. If you have to choose between the flooring and the wall, go for the flooring. After all, the floor goes through severe wear and tear while walls are barely touched.

8. Choosing the wrong contractor

You can’t choose the first contractor you see. The market may have many contractors, but you need to find someone who is highly referred and works within your budget. You don’t want to risk getting ripped off. So, while you search for contractors, don’t hesitate to ask questions and get estimates. It would help if you compare prices and market rates and decide which option is feasible for you.

Wrap Up

While working on renovating your house, these are some factors you need to be aware of. Don’t keep an unrealistic budget and consider all expenses. Use professionals to handle all technical aspects of your house. Always choose functionality over style. Ensure you keep a margin for extra material. It would help if you also planned how the workflow should go. Purchase the right updations for your house, especially items you’ll use for the long term. Be extremely vigilant about who you hire. Here’s a bonus tip; spend a good fortune on paints to ensure they last a long time and look good.

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