April 29, 2019
5 mins read
A whole home renovation can bring joy to your family, giving you back the pride you once had for your living spaces. Planning changes can be exciting, but with a lot of money tied up in a whole home renovation, you’ll want to avoid all the common mistakes that homeowners make.
Before you get started, learn from the experts at HomeWorx Iowa. These are 6 mistakes to avoid when you begin your whole house renovation project.
- Skipping Preliminary Inspections
Before you even begin to make changes in your home, you should go through the process of basic inspection. This could help you to identify any potential trouble points, and you could go ahead and get things remedied before you start home renovation.
Some of the most common inspections performed before renovations include:
- HVAC System inspection. Make sure your system if fully working before you start renovating.
- Structural inspection. General contractors Des Moines won’t be able to make your desired improvements if there are structural problems in your home.
- Roofing and Chimney inspection. Gas fire conversions are popular during renovation. Before you can do this, you’ll need to have your chimney checked for structural damage, and the chimney should be fully swept to remove any creosote buildup. You can also have your roof inspected to identify damage or potential points of failure.
- Electrical inspection. This will be necessary if you are making changes to wiring or adding any large appliances to your kitchen or other areas of the home.
- Plumbing inspection. A whole house renovation is a fantastic opportunity to check your plumbing and winterize your pipes.
Inspections will give you peace of mind before any work begins.
- Ignoring the More Expensive Problems
Let’s say that inspections reveal damage, deterioration, or even minor problems that need fixing. If you’re on a tight budget, you might be tempted to just brush off some of the problems that aren’t critical. If the problem will be costly to repair, you could be even more reluctant to have the work done.
Don’t ever be tempted to overlook problems in favor of spending money on renovations. This will only result in bigger problems in the future. You could risk damage to your home, and you’ll end up spending more overall.
Even if it sets your project back, you should immediately take care of problems that are identified during inspections or while renovation is underway.
- Beginning Whole House Renovation Without a Budget
Every whole home renovation has a budget… right?
You would be surprised to learn how common it is for people go into a project without a budget or a real plan. Some homeowners simply chip away at small projects and end up stuck in an endless loop of home improvements. This is stressful, disruptive to home life, and usually costs more than starting with a budget for all improvements.
Talk to your chosen general contractors Des Moines about your available budget and ask for a quote that includes all your design requirements. This will give you an approximate figure of how much you’re likely to spend, and that way you’ll be able to manage your finances throughout the project.
When you work with experts like the team at HomeWorx Iowa, you’ll get professional design assistance and project management to ensure that your renovation stays on budget and within schedule.
- Not Having a Plan for the Unexpected
Starting with a budget and a plan will shield you from most cost overruns. However, there will still be cases when things don’t go according to plan. Most experienced renovators recommend budgeting at least 20% over your initial quote for anything unexpected.
Some problems might not become apparent until work begins. By over budgeting, you’ll be ready to meet the unexpected without delaying the project.
- Failing to Vet Your Contractor
It would be great if every contractor was just as good as the next. Sadly, most homeowners have experienced a dishonest or unreliable contractor at least once. For a large project like whole house renovation, you should not leave anything up to chance.
Customer testimonials are excellent for vetting a contractor’s work and professionalism. You can also talk to subcontractors and other local businesses about the company that you are considering.
- Rushing into a Home Renovation Without a Rendering
Design is everything when it comes to home renovation. Whether you are replacing your flooring, modernizing your kitchen cabinets Des Moines, or refreshing your master bathroom, you’ll need a design that incorporates all your functional and aesthetic preferences.
A rendering can show you what your home will look like before any work begins. You can experiment with materials, colors, and layouts using advanced 3D modeling software.
Always insist on a 3D rendering before you hire a contractor and designer. A rendering helps you visualize the project and serves as a point of reference should you have any concerns with the final renovation.
Work with the Best Whole House Renovation Team in Iowa
Learn from these common renovation mistakes and ensure that your project is a success.
If you’re looking for advice, a quote, or would like to discuss design ideas, you can talk to the team at HomeWorx. We’re standing by to help turn your home design concept into a functional, beautiful, and long-lasting retreat for you and your family.