Sydney Home Renovation Guide: 6 Avoidable Mistakes
Home renovation is an art form… it should be completed by professionals whose skills and knowledge have evolved over decades. Most people think it is cheaper to Do It Yourself but they end up making costly mistakes that cause headaches and even damage their closest relationships.
Here are the 6 most costly mistakes you can avoid if you are aware of them:
1. Underestimating the complexity of the project.
Before starting the actual renovation of your house, ask yourself if the project can be completed in a reasonable time frame. Put everything you want to accomplish on paper and analyse if the project’s timeframes are realistic, so you don’t underestimate the scale and level of difficulty. One way to do this is to think through scenarios where the program (project duration) blows out and what the impacts would be.
2. Not having a realistic budget.
The budget you or your bank manager assigns to your home renovation project is a key issue to consider for ‘stress potential’: unless you are a professional builder, you and your bank manager do not understand construction methods or materials. Even after a thorough analysis of the costs involved in your renovation project, make sure you increase the final budget by about 15%-20% of the amount to cover unforeseen problems or underestimation of costs. The ‘fluff-up factor’ can get you out of very unpleasant situations, such as having a mess in your house and not having enough money to fix things fast.
3. Not anticipating various incidents.
Aside from the costs that may occur independently of your plan, it is important to anticipate other incidents that may occur during the renovation. For example, if you live in an old house, keep in mind that it might have asbestos, rising damp, rot or other unforseen issues. Undertake a thorough examination and then take up the work. We recommend you use professionals who really know what could go wrong.
4. Unrealistic goals.
It is a common mistake to allow enthusiasm about the changes to go to your head and then plan to do more than you can afford. The project then goes far beyond the budget or timeframes allowed and leads to the failure of home renovation projects and considerable personal financial cost. The best solution is hiring a home renovation company that already has the expertise in this field.
5. Choosing inappropriate products and materials.
You should choose materials that fit the aesthetics of your home. For example, you don’t opt for a futuristic living room if your house’s architecture is Federation or Victorian.
When it comes to materials, you should pay attention to quality, as if you want things to last, the assigned budget has to be realistic. Also, do not combine very expensive items, like granite kitchen countertops with very cheap items, such as linoleum flooring.
Design and ideas is something we have plenty of experience in at Classic Quarters Group.
6. Setting up an unrealistic deadline
Everybody wants to complete their home renovation as soon as possible. This does not mean that you have to rush into things. Classic Quarters Group runs our projects on time and to budget. This is one less thing for you to worry about when you select Classic Quarters Group as your builder.
If you live in Sydney area, you are very lucky, as Classic Quarters Group is the home renovation company that can turn your house into your ‘forever home’.