Home renovations are messy and costly, but inevitable when you’re moving into a new place or planning to sell your house. It’s not an easy task too – even the most experienced homeowners make mistakes when it comes to renovation planning. Here are some mistakes that you should and can avoid:
1. Planning Without Electrical Appliances And Furniture In Mind
With an unfurnished new home, Martha Stewart says that you should always plan renovations by visualising the layout of your home along with furniture and electrical appliances. Where are you putting the bed? Will there be a lamp beside it? Where’s the air conditioner going to be placed?
Planning your renovations with these in mind will help you avoid insufficient power points, messy wiring, and awkward furniture placements.
2. Measuring Selected Areas Only
Measure EVERYTHING. When we say everything, we mean everything. Be it the walls, doors, walkways, stairs, ceiling, you get the picture. Every inch counts, and every missed centimetre may cost you a lot more than you’ve already budgeted. This will also help you choose the right furniture to go with the room so that nothing looks out of place.
3. Choosing Contractors Based Only On Pricing
While you should work within your budget, it’s always better to research into the quality of materials used and the workmanship. Speak to the contractors to learn about the materials they’re using, the suitability of the materials, and the amount that they’re buying. While price is an important aspect when it comes to choosing a contractor, quality is more important. The cheapest contractor isn’t always the best choice.
4. Not Preparing For Budget Overage
Anything can happen during a home renovation, whether it’s a large scale one or a minor one. Just like planning a project timeline with buffer time, renovation budgets should always be planned with overages.Vogue wrote that you should include 15-20% in overages for your renovations, just in case something goes wrong.
5. Going The DIY Direction
Yes, we understand this could save you a lot of money if done right. However, contractors are the experts in this area and sometimes their skills and knowledge are required, especially when dealing with a major renovation. DIY is good, but some things are best left to the experts. Installing a feature wall isn’t just about tiling it or polishing it, wiring needs to be looked into as well.
So if you’re planning on renovating your home, get on Kaodim for a list of trustworthy and skilled contractors that you can choose from. Just click on “Request Now”, fill in a short questionnaire, submit your request, and you’ll receive free customised quotes from our service professionals. We’ve pre-screened the contractors for you for experience, professionalism and credibility, so all you need to do is choose!
--
