Top Mistakes to Avoid When Remodeling Your Home

Advice from Expert Northern Virginia Remodelers Slate Design & Remodel When Remodeling Your Home

You’re excited to start the remodel of your Northern Virginia home. That’s great! Before you sign a contract with the first construction company that comes along, though, make sure you know these common mistakes when remodeling your home. In the long run, knowing what to avoid can save you a lot of wasted time, money, and effort.

4 Common (and Costly) Home Remodel Mistakes

Remodeling your home constitutes a significant investment—of time, energy, and financial resources.

Avoid these common home remodeling mistakes to save yourself a lot of heartache and stress.

1. Underestimating Budget

You’ve received a quote from the home remodeling team. You know the ballpark estimate for how much the project is going to cost. You know how you plan to pay for the project. (From HELOCs to cash to loans, you have a lot of home remodel financing options.)

You assume you have all your financial bases covered.

But there’s one thing most homeowners fail to do: plan for the unexpected.

In a home remodeling project, something unplanned almost always comes up.

You open up that wall and find dry rot. You come across a wiring issue that needs to be brought up to code. In the middle of the project, you have a change of heart about that tile and want to order something different.

Whatever the specific situation, make sure you’ve set aside an extra 10 to 20 percent of the project budget for older homes. If you’re in a new construction, allocate 5 to 10 percent.

Maybe you’ll end up needing that money; maybe you won’t. Either way, it’s always better to have it as a safety net.

If your initial budget is the absolute maximum you’re willing or able to pay for that project, one unexpected extra expense could derail or delay the entire undertaking.

Give yourself the peace of mind of having a financial cushion.

2. Not Thoroughly Vetting Your Design and Build Team

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking all remodeling teams are created equal.

Your experience will vary drastically based on the company you decide to partner with for your project.

Different companies will offer varying:

• Price points.
• Quality of workmanship.
• Professionalism.
• Industry knowledge and know-how.
• Attention to detail.
• Communication levels.
• Day-to-day experience.
• Project follow-up.

Here are some important questions to ask before agreeing to work with any company:

• Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?
• What would you charge for this project?
• What’s your expected time frame for this project?
• Do you have reviews or testimonials we can see?
• Do you have photos of your previous work?

Carefully vetting your design and remodel team helps ensure you not only get a professional, legal, compliant team but a company that’s the right fit for you and how you want the project to unfold.

3. Not Having a Clear Vision for Your Home Remodel Project

There are two significant ways homeowners can fall down when it comes to clarity of vision.

One, they don’t know exactly what they want the project to be. When you go into a home renovation, you might not have every fixture picked out or every grout color finalized. That’s OK.

What you should have is a clear idea of what you want the big-picture project to be. Like what walls do you want gone or what problems are you trying to solve with this remodel?

Failing to have those ideas can lead to lots of costly change orders. It can also easily lead to disappointment in the final product. If you can’t fully communicate to the remodel team what you want, the team can’t be expected to deliver.

Two, you want clarity of vision from your chosen construction company.

Before work begins, get expectations on the following:

• Project timelines.
• Scope of work.
• Budget.
• Any other project-related expectations.

4. Minimizing the Role of Design

Choosing a remodel team that handles both design and build responsibilities can have a hugely positive impact on your final product.

Lots of remodel companies can come in and execute your plans.

A design and build firm has specific expertise in that design piece. They can use that expertise to guide you through the process of creating a remodel that’s going to serve you well for years down the line.

Design is about a lot more than just picking the finishing pieces and fixtures that look nice. Design affects:

• The flow of the space.
• The look of the space.
• How you can use it.
• How many people can comfortably interact in the area.
• Logistics, including storage options.

The right design and build firm is a partner. They actively listen to you, your wants, and your needs. Then they use their expertise and experience to guide you to the ideal project.

Are You Thinking about Remodeling Your Kitchen, Basement, or Bathroom?

Is it time to revamp your Northern Virginia home? Have questions about the remodeling process?

Don’t hesitate to reach out!

We’re Slate Design and Remodel, and we specialize in custom full-service kitchen, basement, and bathroom transformations. As a trusted name in Northern Virginia home remodeling, we’re always happy to answer questions!