If you’re a DIY enthusiast then fully renovating a house is the dream project – breathing life back into an old house, adding unique features and bringing your personality to the very structure of a building. Just writing about it is thrilling. But renovations are hard and sometimes we bite off more than we can chew, but we’re here to stop that happening. Here are the top 3 mistakes to avoid when renovating.
Living In It
Yes, living slap-bang in the middle of a building site. So many people decide this is the best way to save money on a renovation and oversee everything, but the stress this causes is often not worth the pennies saved.
Have you ever lived in the middle of a building site before? Have you had no heating or hot water? Have you lived with dust on everything you own? No interior walls, bare floors or even bits of the roof missing? No? Then it’s really not the time to start. People often underestimate the value of having a peaceful, safe and clean space to live in. it’s true that some people can handle it, but most of us are creatures of luxury and need an actual home to live in. Not to mention, if your renovations take longer than planned or for some reason, you have to stop them, the stress levels will triple if you have live in it as well.
Overspending
It’s all about the money, money, money. Unfortunately, most of us have to stick to a budget when remodelling, even if we pour our heart and soul into the design, because of this, it can be easy to justify spending more to get the exact thing you want. A little here and there can lead to costs spiralling out of control, but you need to remember – the budget was the number it was for a reason.
And did you build in some money for extra costs? Even if you’re strict, and don’t give in to your every whim, costs can build because of delays in materials being sent or complications being found, such as rotted floorboards, bad electrics or even asbestos in the walls. So whatever your budget, make sure you have an extra bit tucked away for the almost inevitable renovation rainy day.
Poor Planning
Poor planning is the final, biggest and most common mistake people make when renovating. There’s a lot that needs planning and a lot of tasks that fall under the planning stage as they’re all preparation for the big work.
First of all, getting designs drawn up is essential for a big project. It will give your tradespeople insight into what you want and avoid any misunderstandings. These can cost quite a lot, as you’ll have to get someone qualified in to get all designs drawn to scale, but the expense is worth it to have a smoothly run project.
Next, make sure you get the house surveyed in detail as it will catch any hidden problems, such as asbestos. Tradespeople are particularly likely to walk away from a job where you’ve not dealt with asbestos removal as diseases related to it are very prevalent in their industries (you can check out how asbestos affects workers on yourlegalfriend.com). Dodgy electrics or rotten floorboards are irritating issues but can be dealt with relatively quickly alongside other tasks; asbestos needs specialists to remove it and will most than likely halt any other work until it’s removed and the all-clear is given.
Lastly, if you’re not using a project manager, should you be? If you need several different specialists come into your home to do work, and their jobs rely on work being completed by others, then you need be extremely organised or hire someone who will do it for you. Hiring someone is an expense you may not want, but a smoothly run project completed on time is the most satisfying feeling in the world.
