Don’t Be One of Those Homeowners Who Goes Over Budget on a Renovation

demolished her built-in bookshelves as part of a living room DIY, she found it gave the room some much-needed space. Unfortunately, she also found a hidden subfloor made from asbestos(!) tiles. She hadn’t budgeted for a new subfloor — or for the removal of a toxic substance. Yikes

Reconsider DIY

“If you don’t have the expertise, you could end up paying between 10% and 40% more,” says. Why? While your DIY labor is technically free, your lack of know-how can be costly.

And then there’s hiring and scheduling. A task like moving a wall could mean hiring an engineer and an architect, not to mention coordinating permits. A general contractor knows who’ll do the best work for the best price, and they’ll know when to schedule them to avoid wasting dollars on inefficient use of time.

Hire the Right Experts

If you decide to forgo the general-contractor route and hire individual workers yourself, it’s best to get at least three quotes for each service performed. Talking to professionals isn’t just about finding the most competitive price. It’s also an opportunity to figure out what services each individual contractor includes within his fee.

Map Out the Project Step by Step (So You Don’t Miss Anything)

So, you’re planning to put up a backsplash. What do you need to put into your budget? The tile and adhesive, right? And that’s about it?

Things to consider before starting your home renovation

When it comes to home renovations, there are two unassailable truths: It’s going to take longer than expected and it’s going to go over budget – sometimes way over. Oh, and given the number of nightmare stories out there, chances are you’re going to loathe your contractor. (They probably won’t be too thrilled with you, either, a lot of the times.) If you are thinking of undertaking a renovation this spring or summer, spare yourself the migraines and the moping and the complaining to friends about how awful it has all been. Get going now on the most important step of the process: proper planning.

THE TIME IT TAKES

The biggest mistake would-be renovators make? “Not doing enough homework up front,” he says. Even small renos, such as redoing a kitchen or bathroom, take 30 to 60 days of planning. That’s the time you will need to find a contractor, create a design and make more decisions than you can imagine. Meanwhile, you’ll have to decide how you want to use the space, visit stores to price materials and comb through design magazines for the look you want.

HOW TO PICK A CONTRACTOR

To find the right contractor, you need to do more than ask for a few references. “We’re all going to give you references, and we’re going to give you the best ones we’ve ever had,” says. For all you know, those references could be friends or family. “What you should do is go and look at one of the jobs [the contractor] is halfway through right now.” Talk to the client. Is the contractor reasonable to deal with? Is the job running on time? Has the contractor been going over budget?

recommends going to where contractors shop for their supplies and asking a few questions. Do the suppliers know the contractor? How often is he in buying materials? An electrician who has been purchasing thousands of dollars worth of material week in and week out for years is probably a lot more reputable that someone with a spotty shopping history.

HOW TO BE A GOOD CLIENT

There’s no shortage of complaints about bad contractors. But know this: Even the good ones are frustrated by clients sometimes too. “Whether you like it or not, I’m part of your family, and it’s going to be a love-hate relationship,”

Your Complete Guide to Home Renovation

In this guide, we will share the essential steps of home renovation and everything you need to know about making your dream home a reality. From finding your interior style to budgeting, furnishing, extra little tips from our own personal experiences and more, we got you covered

Choosing your interior style is a great way to kickstart your renovation journey. If you have no idea where to start, Pinterest is one of the perfect inspirational sites to go for! You can do a general search for popular home interior designs,

Sharing some inspiration, one of the increasingly popular options is the minimalist style. Going by the “less is more” approach, think clean, modern lines and simplicity, The lack of clutter is pleasing on the eyes and helps ease the mind

Now that you have settled on your home interior style, next up is determining how much it will cost to make your vision a reality. Factors that you need to consider when budgeting are:

Professional fees for interior designer or contractor

Size of home

Type of home (HDB, condominium, or landed house)

Type of furniture, appliances and materials

Moving costs

Buffer for extra charges or last-minute changes

To get a budget estimate of your home renovation project, you can start by using Qanvast’s useful renovation calculator, with costs based on $20m worth of past home renovation contracts. Either that, or the traditional approach of picking a sample style from your Pinterest board or anywhere online and send it along with a request for a quote from interior designers and contractors

Reasons to Renovate Your Home

Home renovations are costly, time-consuming and messy. Still, many people choose to renovate their homes for a variety of reasons. There are almost as many reasons to fix up your home as there are projects to choose from. Here are the top reasons for renovating your home.

To increase your comfort or enjoyment of the home.

This one comes first for a reason. Although there are many good reasons to renovate your home, your own comfort and enjoyment are important factors that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you renovate solely based on how it will impact the future sales price down the line, you may end up living in a showplace that doesn’t feel like a home. Your comfort and enjoyment are more important than what improvements will make the most money when you eventually sell.

To fix a safety issue.

Some home renovation projects just can’t be put off. Electrical problems, roof leaks, or a crack in the foundation are some problems that must be taken care of to keep your family safe and prevent catastrophic or total loss of the home.

To improve the home’s value.

If you plan to sell the home within the next few years, you may want to renovate some or all of it with an eye toward getting the most you can when you put it on the market. Some projects that have the best immediate return are opening up the main living space, replacing the front door, and updating the kitchen or bathroom

To upgrade the home’s function.

Maybe you need more space, or a second bathroom would make things a lot easier during those busy mornings. Maybe your husband wants a man cave, or you would like a deck or a patio for outdoor entertaining. Renovating so that the home functions better for the residents is a good idea, as long as the upgrades don’t hurt the home’s value or decrease usable space.

Things You Need to (NOT) Do For Your Next Home Improvement Project

Yet, there are still very real pains homeowners feel in the midst of a home improvement project. If it looks so easy on TV, how can remodeling be so difficult in real life? Sure, those snapshots of the before and after paint a beautiful picture, but what you don’t see is the all of the time and stress involved. Not to mention the real-life aggravation of living months without a functional kitchen.

Don’t Wind Up In Project Purgatory

The home improvement journey is a wild ride that has the potential to produce some truly stunning results, but it is easy for projects to stall or take an unexpected turn for the worse. So, don’t start without a plan, and coincidentally, don’t expect everything will go according to plan.

Don’t Think You Can Do It All Yourself

But, “I don’t need any help.” Yes you do. Even if you’re an ardent do-it-yourselfer, it is wise to consult an expert prior to demo day. When hiring professionals, do your due diligence in research. It’s great you’re asking for help, but make sure you find GOOD help. Dive into whether they have ample experience, are licensed, and have past client references. But just because they’re a good architect, interior designer or general contractor, doesn’t mean they’re right for you. To choose the best person for your project, also consider if they are paying attention to what you say. Are they asking the right questions? Do they seem curious about your needs, wants and the way you live?

Don’t Try to Tackle The Unknown

“You don’t need a professional for that.” Whatever you do, don’t believe this lie. Sure, you can take on painting your living room, but when it comes to structural changes, electrical, plumbing, roofing and windows, leave it to the pros. It isn’t uncommon to discover structural problems as you tear down walls, replace cabinetry, or re-tile a floor, especially in older buildings (but new construction doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing either). This can make your ‘weekend project’ a ‘whole life project’.

Don’t Be Cheap or Lavish. Be Smart With Your Renovation Budget

While it can be easy to want to go all out and spare no expense when remodeling or building a new space, price tags do matter. Quality is certainly crucial, so by no means should you settle for shoddy materials over trusted brands, but you want to keep the big picture of your project in full view. This includes long term maintenance, energy loss, and repairs. Those expenses add up quickly, so consider them in your plan when comparing prices.