Are you a DIY-enthusiast? Do you love to take up DIY projects, especially small renovations and remodelling ones because they enable you to spend quality family time and show-off your handyman skills? Well, who doesn’t?
As much fun, a remodelling project is, it is tedious and expensive as well. What people don’t recognise is the fact that a house renovation will often take more time and money than they can afford; leaving the project either unfinished or unsatisfactorily finished.
While some people prefer doing it themselves, others hire the contractor next door. They both may seem like a good idea, and sometimes, they are; however, not every time you can afford to take that risk though. Be it a Victorian style flooring option or an Italian design bathroom finishing; you need to know your pockets and needs before you take the final decision. Think twice before you spend a penny to ensure smart decisions!
Photo by Henry & Co. on Unsplash
No matter how experienced you are or how skilled your contractors are, you may still make silly mistakes that may cost you a fortune. Read ahead to learn about some ignorant mistakes that people make while remodelling their house:
1. No research
In simple terms, remodelling means to improve your lifestyle by changing a few (if not all) essential items of your house with modern items, like high-end wooden floors, smart kitchen appliances, gaudy mouldings in the living room and whatnot. Instead of being a know-it-all, it is advisable to conduct comprehensive research about your options to make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into. Being ignorant about the truth that you may not be aware of the best products in every aspect of the project will lead to unnecessarily expensive or disappointing remodelling. However, it can be avoided with an open mind and the desire to know better.
2. Unrealistic budgets
Being generous or frugal will not help you with the renovation because the correct approach is to find a middle ground between the two. Neither can you spend with both arms nor can you fight for pennies needlessly. Setting up a budget is usually the primary step of a remodelling project; however, the idea is to set up a realistic budget, which can incorporate everything that is needed and everything that is desired. It would help if you did not punch a hole in your pockets because not every item is supposed to be bought right at the moment. Spend slowly, spend wisely!
3. Putting desires in front of needs
Getting overwhelmed by your desires and lost in the hundreds of options available in the market will provoke you to spend all of your money on your desires; leaving little to none for your needs. Many people make the mistake of not planning what all is required before the project starts, which leads them in the wrong direction. When you don’t have a plan, then you may purchase expensive furniture for the living room, and not have enough left to furnish the basement or the garage. A better approach is to assign a strict budget to every aspect of the house that falls under the remodelling project and spend accordingly. It would help if you always kept your needs in front of your wants, no matter what.
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4. Claiming for every small damage
Yes, your house may be insured perfectly; however, this does not mean that you should submit a claim every time something is damaged because submitting small claims in a brief period can trigger an increase in your premium. The insurance should be claimed in a catastrophic event to make the most of it, while small damages should be paid in full right away. Remodelling projects invite small damages; from broken floors to falling ceilings, but you should not panic and take a bad decision that you will regret in the future.
5. Thinking the cheaper, the better
The philosophy of choosing the cheaper option is not always a good choice. The contractor, which is offering the lowest bid or the appliances, which are low-cost or tools, which are not as expensive as branded ones may push your remodelling dreams into the grounds. Quality triumphs price at all times! Instead of looking for an experienced contractor, who has a clean, satisfactory record or modern high-end appliances and tools, which can offer better functioning and value for money, if you choose the cheaper option, then you may be shoving your money in the gutter. The remodelling is supposed to enhance the aesthetic beauty of your place, not to make it look cheap and ugly or temporarily beautiful. So, think about the future, and invest(spend) accordingly.
6. Ignoring paperwork and receipts
Never throw away the paperwork or receipts that you have because they can help in repaying you. Yes, remodelling is challenging, and you may forget some small essential practices, like keeping the bills with you. What if your heating system stops working in a couple of months or your oven breaks down? If you don’t have the relevant paperwork, then how will you claim their warranty? The paperwork of some renovations (improvements) will also help boost their prices in the future when you plan to resell them. So, don’t be the person who threw away a few documents and lost the chance of earning a couple of hundred bucks. Sounds grave, isn’t it?
Beauty comes from within! Even the smallest of remodelling projects require attention, money, time and whatnot. So, don’t ignore the issues or the facts mentioned above because a small mistake can cost you more than you can imagine.
Stay alert! Stay wise! Have a beautiful home!
Feature Photo by Milivoj Kuhar on Unsplash
© 2018 THE IDEALIST
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