7 Common Home Renovation Mistakes to Avoid
Whether big or small, home renovations can be uniquely tricky. For most property owners, they’re carried out alongside everyday life. So, unless a family has the money to move out and direct the project from afar, it has to be neatly slotted beside their regular routine. This is no easy feat and it makes the importance of clear, well organised plans even greater.
If you’re considering a home renovation, you need to know exactly what your goals are before any work begins. The most common reason for derailed renovations is a lack of direction and clarity; homeowners are not sure what they want, so they don’t know how to get there. You also need to think about how you’re going to source the necessary equipment, because remodeling on this scale is a complex process.
This guide to some of the most common home renovation blunders will help you get it right first time and create something truly special.
- Failing to Get Permits
There are some important decisions that need to be made before you even think about picking up a hammer or a paintbrush. For one thing, you need to find the right equipment hire specialists in Melbourne like Hire Depot. With support from a reliable provider, starting work will be much easier. You also need to check whether the project requires a permit. If it does and you fail to apply for one, you could be hit with a serious penalty fine.
- Having No Tools for Hire
It’s really no good setting a start date for your renovation project if you’re not going to put the work into preparing for the launch. Once you have a contractor in place and ready to help you transform the space, you need to make sure that builders have everything they need. If specialist tools are required, you may have to hire them from a local equipment provider.
- Making the Budget Too Small
It’s certainly not impossible to complete a home renovation project on a tight budget, but it is an extremely difficult task. You should only proceed with the plans once you’re sure that you can finance the project right up to its end. It’s surprisingly common for homeowners to start renovations and then have to abandon them halfway through, because they run out of money.
- Settling for Cheap Materials
One of the most exciting things about renovating is that you can often try your hand at haggling with contractors and suppliers. This is a great way to grab amazing deals on incredible materials. While it’s not always possible, it’s still important to aim high when it comes to the quality of your resources. Always remember that cheapest doesn’t necessarily mean the best.
- Using Inaccurate Measurements
This is a huge faux pas, so avoid it all costs. It can be tempting to rush measurements and plans, but it’s a guaranteed road to failure. If you’re renovating a space with a fixed layout, like a bathroom or kitchen, it’s imperative that you use accurate figures. Sometimes, even an inch of sloppiness can mean the difference between success and starting over.
- Removing Absolutely Everything
Many homeowners assume that a renovation has to mean ‘from scratch.’ In some cases, gutting everything is necessary, but it’s worth taking the time to think about it first. Kitchens, especially, lend themselves really well to cost saving measures like the retention of floorplans. You can save yourself a lot of cash by keeping the original layout and arranging new appliances on top.
- Stepping Too Far Back
If you have a contractor, on site, directing the project each day, it can be tempting to just step back and let them get on with it. And, this is useful in some ways, but only if you don’t step too far back. As the homeowner, you interest and engagement with the project is vital. If you’re not around, checking on progress and asking questions, there’s no way to know if things are going as planned.
Starting Strong with the Right Equipment
The life or death of a renovation project can often be predicted before it has even began. It’s easy to tell if a renovation is going to run smoothly on a site that doesn’t have the right tools or equipment, for example. Without the right starting blocks, it’s almost impossible to get large scale construction projects off the ground, so don’t rush into yours too quickly.
