According to HomeAdvisor, the average home renovation or remodel costs $46,662, with most ranging from just over $18,000 to around $76,000. A kitchen alone averages $25,000 while a bathroom runs an average of $10,000.
No matter what your home renovation plans, perhaps making upgrades to get the maximum dollar when putting your home on the market among Los Angeles homes for sale that you can click here to see, or anything else, the price tag is going to take a big chunk out of your budget. With that in mind, the last thing you want to do is make any mistakes.
To help prevent a potential financial disaster and wasting a ton of time, be sure to avoid these common home renovation mistakes.
Rushing
While those home improvement shows may look like you can give your entire home a total makeover in just a week, that’s not real life. One of the worst things you can do is rush the job. Be sure to allow enough time, and then add a few extra weeks for cushion time for the unexpected so that you can work through any bumps along the way with a lot less stress. Planning it all out, researching each step is going to take time too, but it’s necessary for a job done right. There might be some renovations that are urgent, like if a part of your home is seriously damaged, but other than that, why do you really need to do anything right away? Take your time to be sure that any renovations you do are exactly what you want.
Setting Your Budget Too Low
When you’re renovating your home, it’s important that one of the first things you do is set a budget that you’ll need to stick to. Of course, most people are looking to spend the least amount they have to, especially with how expensive most home renovations can be. It’s fine to try and not spend too much on a home renovation, as long as you aren’t sacrificing quality, but you do need to be careful not to go too low.
Any home renovation should have some wiggle room in it, so this is something you should account for before you start. Things could end up being more expensive than you had planned, or something may go wrong, and you need to pay to fix it. No one wants these things to happen during a home renovation, but they do, and you need to be sure that you have room in your budget to afford additional costs. If you end up not needing it, that’s great, but it’s important to have just in case.
Going Too Trendy
It can get easy to get carried away with the current trends. Getting small, inexpensive accents are a great way of modernizing your home, but you shouldn’t make major changes based on trends. While updating your home’s interior is a great way to increase its value or simply make it more enjoyable to live in, it’s better to choose a timeless look – otherwise, you may end up having to redo it all again in just a few years.
Home renovations are too expensive to choose a style you’re going to hate in a few years. If you plan to resell in the future, it’s always a good idea to skip those current design trends, sticking to neutral hues and classic looks that will stand the test of time. When you’re getting ready to renovate your home, think about how long the style you’re going with will be relevant, so you don’t end up making a mistake.
Not Carefully Consider the Paint Going Beyond the Color
Many people spend hours and hours looking at paint colors to find the perfect shades to use during a renovation, but they don’t think much about the different types of paint. There are various kinds for every surface throughout your home, and which you choose can make a big difference, so you’ll want to understand each type before you begin the project.
Gloss and semi-gloss paints work well for walls in kitchens, bathrooms, and other high-traffic rooms, providing a nice shine. Flat paint doesn’t have a shine, and it’s not easy to clean and will show any marks, so it’s best for walls in low-traffic areas and on ceilings. You should also make sure that the paint colors you choose match everything that you already own unless you plan to update everything to match later.
Not Doing Your Research and Choose Contractors Carefully
Your home renovation will only be as good as the contractors you hire. It’s a must to do plenty of research to ensure you choose the right contractors. Ask friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers for recommendations, and be sure to read through reviews, check references, and be sure they’re licensed and insured.
Once you have a shortlist, you’ll want to interview each contractor, along with any other professionals you need. When meeting in person, pay attention to your gut – you don’t want to hire anyone who seems rushed, unwilling to answer your questions, is condescending, or even rude, as it’s only going to get worse once the project gets underway.
Only Focusing on How Things Look
Most of us don’t really understand the work that goes into many home renovations, so we might only worry about how things look. There are so many behind the scenes details that keep our houses standing and safe. Things like the foundation of your home aren’t something you really see but are more important than any paint color or aesthetic choice.
For example, if you want an open floor plan, you can’t just knock down any walls you want, as they may be load-bearing. This is why hiring a professional who understands safety and what your home needs is so important. Of course, if your home is all up to date and you only want minor interior design changes, this isn’t something you have to worry about as much, but you need to consider for serious renovations. For more open floor plans check TheHousePlanShop.