Top 10 Common Home Improvement Mistakes

Top 10 Common Home Improvement Mistakes
1) Underestimating your Budget.
Let's say you plan to redo a bathroom. You have $10,000 and 1 month to complete the project from start to finish. The first thing you do is take $2,000 of that and place it under "unexpected and miscellaneous expenses". You now have $8,000 to work with. Many contractors will tell you not to worry about it because anything unexpected is covered under your contract, but if the basement floods and you can't stay there until it dries out because of allergies or the smell - that contractor is not going to pay for your hotel or to compensate the people you end up staying with. Also, if you have 1 month to complete the project tell your contractor you have 3 weeks - especially if they are new or very inexpensive you can guarantee they will run late.

2) Trying to do everything yourself.
While some things - like fixing the leak on the toilet - are easy and acceptable to do yourself. The problems arise when plumbing and electrical systems come into play. Unless you have had more training than the quick lessons at your local hardware store you need to plan to hire a licensed and insured (and fully bonded) specialist to come in and do the work. It costs, but at least your stuff will be up to code.

3) Not interviewing several contractors.
Just like everything else in life, you need to make sure you have lots of option. What if your first choice is no longer available, what if someone is grossly underbidding but you don't realize it because you don't have someone to compare it to. Most underbidding means that they don't have a license, they are not bonded, and they are certainly not insured. It also probably means they don't have much experience or they have a complaint against them at the BBB.

4) Taking classes and expecting to know everything.
Classes are great to learn quick and simple tasks like tiling, installing an outlet, or painting techniques. But you can't learn how to install new plumbing, most fixtures, and especially full electrical systems at a weekend workshop. Unless you've had experience before count on a professional to do the setup and you and your spouse can have fun adding the glitter and glam.

5) Buy all materials on sale or second-hand.
On sale isn't bad when it comes to "end of season" sales. But you want to avoid overstock, out of stock, or clearance (due to new version) sales. Do your research, search for recalls and customer reviews for problems. Make sure that your "sale item" isn't a "blowup" item. Spend the extra money to get the good stuff when it can really hurt you, but save money by doing what you can yourself or on non-critical items.

6) Ebay is a great place to shop for home improvement.
NOT! You never know where these items are from - they could be from a failed project that can transfer over to your home. Just flat out avoid anything from an Amazon partner seller, ebay, yahoo auctions, etc.

7) Buying everything ahead of time - when you find it on sale.
There are some things you can get ahead of time, tile, paint, wallpaper, etc. But don't buy the counters, sinks, or fixtures until you are 100% sure it is going to fit. If you have something you must fit buy it so your contractors know what they have to work around - anything that is negotiable don't buy it (if you can wait) until you are sure it will continue to work.

8) Micro-managing your contractors.
When you are at work don't you just hate it when your boss is constantly looking over your shoulder? Trust me, your contractors feel the same way. Don't be over their shoulder and constantly asking questions. They have a job to do, let them do it.

9) Not managing your contractors at all.
Of course, you want to make sure they are actually doing their job. If you see them sitting around doing nothing don't hesitate to ask what is going on. If you see something and your instincts tell you it's unsafe, or just not right, don't hesitate to ask.

10) Argue with your spouse over every detail.
They say that money is one of the biggest reasons for married couples to divorce - and remodeling is a money issues as much as a taste issue. There are some decisions that you will have to make - colors, styles, textures, flooring, etc. My advice is to not discuss so much detail until you have chosen your contractor and had a planning discussion with them. Often many choices can be eliminated based on your contractor's recommendations which helps to avoid disputes. Anything you can do to make this time in your lives simpler will make the whole thing happier for everyone.