5 Mistakes You Could Be Making with Your Remodeling Project
Remodeling your home is both exciting and scary at the same time. It’s a huge investment that can feel a lot like a gamble. To stack the deck in your favor and avoid big losses, a remodel takes planning and forethought.
Here are 5 of the most common mistakes that homeowners make when planning to do a remodel. Any one of these can cost you thousands.
Rushing into your project
You’re understandably excited to get started, but slow down. Take the time to plan your project well. You need to look at all kinds of factors, such as the time of year you want to do the work, the types of materials you want to use, and how much of the work you want to do yourself. Rushing into a project is only going to guarantee that you make poor choices. Unless you’re repairing something like a leaky roof or a window that fell out (because those aren’t remodels; they’re emergencies), take your time and know you’re making the right choices.
Making too many changes as you go
This relates back to the ‘not rushing’ and ‘taking your time’ bit. You might see this remodeling mistake made in silly TV commercials or even movies. A remodeling contractor will clap his hands and smile gleefully when they find that the homeowner will allow them to make yet another change to the project plan. Every change you make is like starting all over again, because the work that’s already finished will likely need to be redone along with the new work, leading to extra costs and time. Prevent this mishap by planning well enough that you can carry through with your original plans.
Buying building materials at high prices
Prices for building materials can vary throughout the year, so if you want to save money, buy materials in the off-season. For example, roofing materials are much less expensive in late fall versus spring. Furthermore, early summer might be a great time to look at installing new cabinets and flooring. Another way to save is to keep an eye on sales throughout the year. If you’ve planned ahead, you will know what materials you want and can watch for them to go on sale. Also, look for closeouts and discontinued materials throughout the year.
Choosing the first contractor you talk to
The first remodeling contractor you talk to about your project might seem like the nicest person in the world. Heck, they might even be related to you. But never immediately hire the first contractor you speak to. You might end up going back to them, but shop around. Different contractors offer different pros and cons. For example, some have larger crews (either to cost you more or to finish the job faster, or both), while others work by themselves (potentially saving you money yet dragging out the timeline). No matter what, get formal bids from at least three different contractors. Each contractor should show up at your house, look at the project, and give you a thoughtful and binding proposal. If they don’t do that, don’t hire them.
Being too cheap
It’s great to be frugal, but there is a fine line there. Sometimes buying the cheapest items can cost you more in the long run. One common example is garbage disposals. Simple machines, they are great to have in kitchen sinks. Just don’t buy the cheapest one you can find. If you do, it’s likely to break in a year or less and you will end up buying three or four of them in the time it would have taken you to break a higher quality, mid-priced one. Try to balance quality with price. If you don’t have enough money to do your remodeling project with well-made materials, scale back the size of the project or simply wait a while longer to save up. Another thing to do is to stretch out your purchasing period for materials and look for sales. Look for the better stuff to go on sale and then buy it.
No matter what you do, take your time and try to enjoy the remodeling process. Renovating is never easy, but it can be an awesome way to increase the comfort and value of your home. Simply take your time and make sound decisions. If you want to work with a company that will educate you through the process, patiently guiding you through your remodeling project, contact our team at (973) 874-0463.
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