The desire to avoid renovation frustration is a high priority for every person who embarks on a home improvement project, minor or major.
If you’re thinking about a renovation project for your home, then you could be setting yourself up for a stressful time. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be doing it, of course! It simply means proceeding with informed caution. Here are some common errors that could hep you avoid renovation frustration.
Avoid Renovation Frustration by Not Changing Your Mind
Once your renovation work is underway, calling “halt” to everything can be a major cause of stress. Thinking of something new for the design – or, even worse, wanting to change something that’s completed – becomes very expensive and time-consuming. Ensure you are extremely thorough during the planning process before builders even step foot into your house. Sure, minor changes during the project are probably inevitable – but try to keep them to an absolute minimum.
Avoid Renovation Frustration by Spending Time Away From Home
A lot of people are pretty reluctant to stay elsewhere while major renovation work is being done at home. After all, renovation is expensive – why add to the cost of the endeavor, right? But the fact is that you’re probably just going to get in the way. At the very least, you’ll be a distraction. At worst, you’ll be placing yourself in unnecessary danger. Try to spend at least some of the time living elsewhere, if possible.
Avoid Renovation Frustration by Being Practical
When you renovate any area of your home, it should be a practical renovation. A lot of homeowners make the mistake of starting a pretty frivolous renovation project just because they think it will add to the sale value of the home. If you’re renovating, the result should be something you’re actually going to use and enjoy. New kitchen designs, as well as bathroom renovations, conservatories, and decking are among the most popular in this area. There are loads of other types of renovations that you may end up regretting once the bill is handed to you and the value of the house doesn’t skyrocket in the way you thought it would.
Avoid Renovation Frustration by Hiring The Right People
So you’re looking to save some money. You’re hunting around for builders who can do the work quickly and at a good price. And bingo – you find people who are much, much cheaper than the competition, and they’re ready to start immediately! While this may sound good, both those things are actually warning signs. You need to research builders thoroughly, ensuring that they have experience with the required task and have a backlog of satisfied clients.
Avoid Renovation Frustration by Keeping To Your Budget
This is one of the most, if not the most, common errors that people make when renovating. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible not to make it! Renovations basically always end up being much more expensive than you thought they were going to be. And this can be fine, as long as the end amount doesn’t actually bust through your available budget. Work with a builder to get an estimate, but be aware that it’s very rare that the figure you receive will be an actual quote. It’s just an estimate – and the more accurate you can get that estimate, the better.
A common tactic is to add 25% to the budget you think your renovation will cost. Those cans of trendy paint and a little extra for up-grades really add up; so be budget tough.
Image courtesy of Taubmans, styled by Three Birds
Home Styling
Are you embarking on a renovation? Do you need help to choose colour combinations, fixtures, new furniture, or unique pieces? Then we can help.
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