Four ways homeowners sabotage their own home remodel

Many home remodels are doomed from the very start. Often, it’s the homeowner’s own fault that this is the case. Here are four different ways that homeowners often sabotage their own remodel without knowing it.

Hire the first contractor that can start

There are several factors homeowners need to consider when hiring a remodeling contractor. How soon the contractor can start is certainly one of those factors, but it definitely shouldn’t be the only one. In fact, if a contractor can start the very next day, that’s an indication they don’t have any other projects and that could be a bad sign.

Selecting a good contractor is one of the most important parts of a successful remodel so homeowners need to take their time to thoroughly research potential contractors and select one who is experienced, one who will communicate effectively with the homeowners, and who will be professional and punctual.

Fail to plan

Having a mental list of all the things you don’t like about your home in its current state does not constitute a plan. You might be surprised how many homeowners go into a remodeling project with virtually no plan at all. There are contractors who will be more than happy to start even without a firm plan in place because they need the money but there’s no way the outcome will be a good one for the homeowner. One of two things will happen, the project will go way over-budget in order to accomplish everything the homeowner wanted or the homeowner will have to settle for less.

No budget at all

Closely related to the above mistake is when the homeowner will take the contractor at his word when he throws out a low-ball estimate for the project after a quick walk through the home and a list of gripes the homeowner wants fixed. This estimate is sure to be way off and homeowners who are counting on that very rough estimate to be their budget are sure to be disappointed.

A good contractor won’t throw out an estimate without a firm remodeling plan in place. The contractor will have to crunch some numbers and estimate the cost of all materials and time on paper before making a realistic estimate.

DIY

DIY remodels aren’t always doomed to fail but they fail more often than not. The key to successful DIY remodeling is for homeowners to be realistic about their own abilities and call in the pros when necessary. There are plenty of home upgrades that homeowners can safely do themselves. For instance, baseboard radiator covers that simply snap into place can be installed throughout the home in no time at all and it’s virtually impossible to mess it up. Larger projects, though are almost always going to go wrong and the homeowner will end up spending more than if they had just called in a professional to begin with.

Source: Newsok

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