If you’ve decided to redecorate your home you know how the excitement takes over and everything seems to be easy at first. A couple of tools, some materials and a few extra hours and you should have your dream home, right? Wrong. Unforeseen changes and expenses almost always interfere.
Here are a few common surprises that can sneak up on you and wreck your budget:
1. Problems with the Walls and Floors
New floors change the look and feel of any room. With so many options at hand (hardwood, carpet, laminate, tiles etc.) you might be tempted to just strip out your existent floors and get to work. However, if you have an older home, you can’t really predict what is underneath the old flooring. You might find rotten wood, termites (or other pests), mold, holes or other random things that can affect your budget.
The same goes for walls. Tearing down a wall may expose water damage, mold, electrical wiring that is not up to code, corroding pipes and many other issues that can really put a dent on your budget. You might be thinking there is no point to open walls or floors anymore, however these problems left unresolved can easily become health hazards and will eventually have to be addressed. The best option would be to fix them while renovating when everything is already exposed. We advise to always assume something will go wrong and keep an extra 20% for your renovation budget for unexpected surprises.
2. Structural Issues
Most people don’t even consider structural issues when renovating, they just start knocking out important walls like there’s no tomorrow. However, tearing down load-bearing walls can affect the entire structural integrity of your house. There are ways to work around this and have the look you want without compromising the whole property. It is essential to hire a pro to find the best solution instead of attempting to do it yourself just because it might save you some money.
3. Poorly executed fixes and renovations
When renovating you might discover things the previous owner did that will leave you (and your contractors) wondering “what were they thinking when they did this?”. You might find questionable electrical wiring, badly wallpapered walls, or poor plumbing. You should always prioritize bringing your home up to code and preventing further damage. If you are thinking of selling the place in the future, make sure you are paying particular attention to rooms that impact future buyers: kitchen, bathroom and living areas.
Other aspects that can affect your budget when renovating:
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Additional paint and supplies
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New floor vents and light switch covers
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Increasing utility bills
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Bringing your home up to code
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Custom blinds or curtains
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Additional cleaning supplies
Even though many home improvement projects will come with inevitable surprises if you catch these ahead of time you can still get on with the job and keep your project on budget. Contact HandyHumans today and we will give you the best solutions for your home of dreams within budget.
