When many people move into a older home, they usually can’t wait to get started with renovating and quickly start turning this new house into their very own home. However, even though redecorating may not seem like too much trouble, there are actually some major errors that many new homeowners end up making when they start redesigning a property. Here are the main traps you need to be careful not to fall into.
Starting Too Soon
Moving house and getting to work turning it into a home is a very exciting prospect for most people. However, it’s crucial that you give it a couple of weeks after moving in until you start working on your new property. This gives you the chance to get a good feel of the house, and you’ll have time to discover how the light falls in each room, and you how you naturally use each one. That way, you will be able to use all of this information when it comes to drawing up your designs.
Running Out Of Time
There is nothing worse than a home renovation project that drags on for many more months than what you had expected. This is especially the case if you have taken time off work to get everything done. One way to ensure your home renovations don’t overrun is to draw up a timeline for the work with built in contingencies and try to stick to it as much as possible, checking back in at the end of each week. If you factor in some time for a few common delays such as weather and supply snags, and catch up when needed or get ahead when there's extra time, then your project should be able to stick to this plan no matter what happens.
Mistakes With The Budget
There are also lot of homeowners who end up going over budget while carrying out home renovations. One way to prevent this is to bear in mind that most projects will end up over budget no matter how well you plan them. So, to deal with this, add on 20% to your final budget. That way, any additional costs will have been factored into your budget before they even occur. Keeping to the timeline will help you stay within budget.
Using The Cheapest Contractors
When you are looking for builders, plasterers, and other contractors to help you with your renovations, you will need to get quotes from a few different companies to see how much the job will cost you. Even though you may be inclined to go with the cheapest quotes, that isn’t always the best strategy. Good professional work and reliability can come at a cost, so there’s a good chance that you might have to pay slightly more for the better workers. Generally speaking, the middle range quotes are usually fair, but be thorough in your comparisons and due diligence, and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions - the right contractors will have no problems answering them.
I've been planning to write a post about our cottage rental renovation from a few years ago.
Comment below if you'd like to see it!
And what's your best reno tip?! Let us know.
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