Common Home Renovation Mistakes You Should Try to Avoid

All renovation projects require varying levels of financial investment. But this can often be hard to charge for individuals who have never gone down this path before. Even when projects go smoothly, many times calculating final costs isn’t easy.

A common issue many homeowners experience is “scope creep”.

This typically happens after projects already start, and you may not even realize it until it’s too late. For example, a homeowner might decide to tear down a wall to open up a kitchen, but they find out there is outdated electrical wiring that is no longer up to code.

Now, suddenly, a simple demolition project turns into a complete home-rewriting job that can cost thousands of dollars before you can finish the original project.

It’s important to consider all the potential costs that are likely to contribute to your final renovation bill and have a clear plan in place on how to stick to them. Financial experts recommend setting aside about 15% of your total estimated renovation costs to cover potential surprises.

Most people can’t wait to get more use out of their living space and are often tempted to start their renovations as quickly as possible. However, no different than when constructing a brand new home; there needs to be a solid plan in place before you get started.

Imagine tearing up a bathroom in preparation for a retiling project only to find out that the custom tile you ordered is on backorder for several weeks. Now, you no longer have a usable bathroom, and you have to suffer through a construction zone until the materials arrive.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning on a large kitchen or bathroom refresh or simply knocking down a non-supporting wall to open up a living space; you need to make sure you know what you’re getting into before you start.

Having a construction plan in place with necessary timelines will make sure you get the most value from your time and resource investments.

Not everyone has the same “handyman genes” as everyone else. This can sometimes lead some people to jump into a project too quickly, thinking they have the ability to complete it themselves, only to realize they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

Although a DIY project might make sense for easier projects like applying new paint to a wall, making any type of structural changes to your home is a very different story. In fact, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 80% of homeowners reported they’ve made major mistakes during a DIY project, while 45% admitted to “completely butchering” the job.

The problem with the DIY approach is that if you discover midway through a project that the approach you’re taking doesn’t work, all the extra costs are on you to manage. For example, you might take it upon yourself to put in a new shower or bathtub. However, if you don’t waterproof correctly, water can seep beneath the tiles, rotting the framing and causing mold to grow and go undetected for years.

It’s important, before you get started on a renovation, that you research the requirements of doing everything DIY versus hiring a professional. While it may seem like you’re saving money if you handle everything on your own, there may be a lot of value in hiring someone who can make sure the job is done right the first time around.

When starting a home renovation, the good news is that you don’t need to splurge on every element of the project. There are plenty of lower-cost alternatives to certain materials that can help to keep your project costs lower.

However, investing too much in lower-quality materials can actually have a reverse impact on budgets. For example, choosing a cheap laminate flooring for a high-traffic mudroom or a bathroom might save you some money today. But, unlike vinyl plank or tile flooring, cheaper laminate is known to swell when exposed to moisture, and you might find yourself ripping up that floor in just a couple years’ time.

Hiring a contractor is another expense you’ll need to consider when taking on larger home improvements. This, of course, eats into your total budget and often is a step some people try to avoid or look for cheap alternatives.

But choosing the lowest cost contractor available isn’t likely to lead to great final results. Remember that in most cases, you’ll get what you pay for in regard to general experience and professionalism. In fact, 45% of homeowners experienced contractor mistakes that cost them $1,000 or more to fix.

Regardless of your budget for a contractor, make sure you’re taking the time to check references, read through customer testimonials and ensure they are licensed and insured.

While smaller home improvement jobs don’t require much in the way of permissions, most larger projects will mean getting special permits and city approvals. Unfortunately, not everyone considers this when starting a project, but it can lead to major issues down the road if you ignore local building codes.

A homeowner might build a beautiful new deck without a permit, only to find out when they list their house for sale that the structure is illegal. In many cases, city inspectors can force you to tear down the work entirely, resulting in a total loss of investment.

Not only are building permits a legal requirement for many home renovation projects, but they are also an important part of keeping residents safe. The last thing you want is to damage the foundation of the property and create a safety hazard for the family.

Of course, there is no point in living in a home you don’t enjoy now. But you also want to remember that your current needs are likely to change over time. You might decide to start a family, care for aging parents, or simply decide to move after a while.

Remember, though, that the design choices you make today can affect your options later. For example, creating a wide-open floor plan by removing walls might make it harder to add a bedroom or home office in the future. This could impact how a potential buyer values the home.

A renovation is the perfect time to make your home more energy-efficient, but it’s an opportunity many homeowners miss. It’s common to skip things like upgrading insulation because of the cost or to choose cheaper windows and siding.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for 25%–30% of residential heating and cooling energy use. This can make a significant difference in annual home utility costs.

It’s important to look for other ways to incorporate energy-efficient options into the home as well. This could mean updating your HVAC system, adding or replacing poor insulation, installing better windows, or switching to energy-saving appliances and lighting. The initial investment can often pay for itself in lower energy bills over the next decade.

Sometimes it can be easy to get swept up in the excitement of transforming a living space, only to start losing focus on why you started the renovation project to begin with. You might start noticing some aesthetic changes you could introduce halfway through a redesign, and before you know it, you start to completely change the original ideas you had for the space.

It’s important to always keep in focus the functionality needs you have for different areas of your home and how the changes you’re making complement those needs, not detract from them.

Many times, working with a qualified designer can be a great investment to ensure that your original vision is realized in the final product after the renovation is completed.

An important element of home design is making sure you have adequate lighting in each room of your home. Renovation projects are a great way to reevaluate this feature and introduce improvements. However, it’s important to remember that creating good lighting in a home doesn’t mean you should only rely on one type of lighting source.

Best practice when designing various living spaces is to have multiple layers of lighting available. This can include general lighting from overhead fixtures, ambient lights around furniture or cabinets, natural lighting from skylights and windows, or even accent lighting around artwork and centerpieces.

All of these lighting arrangements coming together can help to keep your living space more flexible and make it feel much more inviting to guests.

In the excitement of picking out paint colors and flooring, the impact on acoustic and sand dampening is often overlooked. Whether you’re creating a quiet home office, have a multi-story home, or live next to noisy neighbors, forgetting about soundproofing can seriously impact the comfort of your home after the work is done.

As you plan your renovation, think about where noise might be an issue. You can integrate sound-dampening materials by adding insulation to interior walls or installing double- or triple-pane windows. A relatively small investment in sound reduction during the build can have a huge payoff in this area.

Waiting too long to order materials, fixtures, or custom items is a recipe for disaster when handling a home renovation project. Supply chain holdups are really common now, and if you’re ordering things like custom cabinetry or special-order tiles, there’s often a strong possibility that you’ll need to wait longer than you expect.

Well before you start demolition work, communicate with your contractor to finalize and order all long lead-time items. This is especially important for anything custom-made or imported. Having all your materials on-site and ready to go is one of the single best ways to keep your project on schedule and on budget.

Renovation mistakes can cause a lot of stress and wasted resources, while putting you in a panic-inducing project that feels never-ending. However, by taking note of these common mistakes and avoiding them, you’ll ensure your next home improvement project is a success.