Remodeling a house can be intimidating especially when you don’t know how to actually start. If you have decided to do it your own or hire someone, here are the things you need to avoid to make your remodeling project successful:
- Starting a Project without Plans
Take time to plan. Make a list of your projects and designs with corresponding price estimates. In the list, you can start with the major house repairs down to the minor fixes. You can revise your designs multiple times depending on what comes up while you are looking forward to possible issues that may come your way.
Your actions should be synchronized and systematic. Do not jump into one project right away just because you have thought of something out of impulse. Once you are done with the revisions, you will find out you have put together a project that is well thought of and fail proof or at least has a very minimal margin for error.
- Hasty Choice of Contractor
The common mistake of those who are doing it for the first time is choosing the first contractor they interview. You should get a few bids and make comparisons before deciding. Check the contractor’s references and feedback from other clients. Make sure the contractor has business liability insurance that covers all its workers and subcontractors. Its company should have never been reported as being unethical in your local Better Business Bureau.
Choose a contractor who fits your personality well and is open to communicate with your ideas—someone who sits down with you to talk about the plans, considers your ideas, presents a contract, discusses it with you, and makes you sign before the work starts.
- Setting Unrealistic Budget
Do not make your budget too tight. Make some allowance of around 20% higher than your estimate calculation. This will serve as your wiggle room should you encounter any unprecedented situation during the renovation process.
Stop being overly frugal spending too little money than what’s needed. You still have to make decisions with practicality. For example: vinyl flooring could be cheaper than ceramic tile but the difference in price is not that much. However, the quality you get when you pay a little more for the ceramic is way much better than when you try to cut the budget and choose vinyl.
On the other hand, do not spend too much as there are many ways to save money. Alternatively, you can look at the garage sales, moving sales, estate sales, or flea markets, to buy the materials you need. You may also be able to get them from salvage stores, or some friends. You can even get damaged drywall sheets directly from drywall companies. With the skilled and competent contractor, they can be used and transformed into something looking like its brand new.
- Overdoing Renovation
You don’t want to sour your relationship with your neighbors because you have overdone you home’s size in contrast with theirs. This in turn will harm the potential resale value of your home because people don’t want to buy and live in a home clashing with the neighborhood.
If you are living in a community with traditional houses, bungalows, and cape cods, you might want to think first before transforming your house into a modern contemporary design isolating yourself from the rest. You have to consider any additions you want to make so they don’t overwhelm your house. Do your best to blend with others.
- Changing Your Mind Too Many Times
Once the work has started, stick with the agreed plans as much as possible. Changing your decisions in the middle of your project can end you up spending more. A good contractor considers this and performs walk-throughs with you before doing major changes, like for example hanging up the drywall, to avoid you from changing your mind, starting over again, and spending more in the process.
There are times that you get persuaded by other members in the family or your architect to change your mind and then later on, you end up regretting it. It is best that once the plans are laid from the start, you stick with it until the end. Or if making an alteration is necessary, at least be firm and don’t change your mind a lot.
Remodeling a house is really a huge task to take on. You have to consider a lot of things. But should you want to skip all these hassles and just sell your house instead, we recommend Candid Property Solutions. They are a top rated company. They can help you if you need to sell home for cash Los Angeles.