Living in Pittsburgh is nearly on everyone’s list. After all, the city has a flourishing economy with countless career prospects. Alongside that, it’s full of cultural attractions, historic sites, and entertainment venues. However, living in Pittsburgh comes with its share of challenges. During the cold weather, water pipelines can freeze and burst, resulting in plumbing problems. Similarly, the moisture can lead to foundation cracks and roof leakages. In other words, the city’s weather conditions make it imperative to renovate the house.
Renovating the house gives you an opportunity to update your home according to the climate. Besides, it allows you to enhance your house’s functionality and align it with your tastes and preferences.
Even though revamping the house can be exciting and fun, it’s not an easy task. From setting a realistic budget to choosing professional and experienced contractors, there are many things to handle. The idea of managing so many tasks becomes overwhelming and homeowners make unintentional mistakes, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Here are five mistakes to avoid to make renovation hassle-free:
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DIY-ing Renovation Projects
Many homeowners try to save money and DIY their home renovation projects. However, DIY-ing the entire project can create numerous problems. Many renovation projects demand professional knowledge and skills. In addition, DIY projects can take longer, disturbing your routine for a long time. It can also prevent you from getting access to high-quality materials and experienced contractors that professionals have. Therefore, it’s recommended to let the professionals handle it.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t DIY any aspect of the project. Instead, DIY simple tasks and hire experts for complicated ones. For instance, you can fix kitchen faucets, paint walls, or replace doors. On the other hand, call professionals for complex projects like repairing roofs. You can search for experienced Pittsburgh roofers near me on your preferred search engine to find the best options. Similarly, ensure you’re hiring HVAC experts to repair ventilation or heating systems.
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Creating an Unrealistic Budget
According to the 2020 Houzz & Home Report, about 30% of homeowners fail to create a realistic budget and go overboard during the renovation project. Hence, homeowners don’t calculating the project’s total cost and arrange funds beforehand, which adds financial stress to their plate. An unrealistic budget might force you to skip some parts of the remodeling you wanted, resulting in incomplete renovation. In addition, you may compromise on the quality overall. For instance, you might select an inexperienced remodeler or cheaper materials.
Therefore, creating a realistic budget is recommended to ensure a smooth and hassle-free renovation project. You can create an accurate budget by determining your goals for the project. For instance, ask yourself, what parts of the house need immediate attention? Identifying your priorities allows you to distribute your budget wisely. After that, you need to divide your project into categories like plumbing, flooring, and electrical and estimate the cost accordingly. Above all, it’s crucial to include an emergency fund to cover any unforeseen costs. It allows you to prevent delays and financial burdens if any last-minute surprises occur during the project.
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Not Setting Up a Timeline
Many homeowners often assume that renovations can be completed as quickly, as shown in HGTV videos. As a result, they overlook the importance of setting a timeline for their project –one of the most common mistakes. This results in confusion and uncertainty as homeowners don’t know when to return to their routine. It also increases the possibility of missing crucial deadlines like inspections and permit forms, failing to meet the requirements, and creating legal problems. Therefore, ensure you’ve set a realistic timeline before starting the renovation project.
If you’re unsure about how to set a timeline, here’s what an ideal renovation timeline should look like:
- Dedicate 4-9 weeks to planning your renovation project.
- Allocate 1-3 weeks to clear the area and arrange a temporary living place.
- Demolition can take about 1-2 weeks.
- Devote 2-4 weeks to structural, plumbing, and electrical work.
- Allocate 3-4 weeks for painting, installing fixtures, and final touch-ups.
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Skimping on Quality
You must have heard the famous saying, ‘You get what you pay for.’ Most homeowners choose low-quality materials to save a little upfront. Even though it looks cost-effective, it can result in countless problems and disappointments. Low-quality items have a shorter lifespan than high-quality ones, forcing you to replace them soon and spend additional money. Besides, you may compromise on the appearance of your house as these materials aren’t very aesthetically appealing. Hence, you need to choose high-quality materials for your remodeling project.
But what if you’re on a tight budget? You must make thoughtful and wise decisions if you’re on a budget. Remember, there are some things you can’t compromise on. For starters, ensure you use high-quality wiring and electrical components to prevent accidents. You must also get proper roofing materials to ensure a guaranteed result.
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Focusing Too Much on Aesthetics
Undeniably, the visual appearance and aesthetics of a house are crucial. However, prioritizing just the aesthetics throughout the remodeling project can result in numerous problems. Firstly, it can lead to design selections that might not be functional or practical. For instance, what’s the use of a gorgeous but impractical bathroom? In addition, some attractive and appealing materials might not be strong or durable, forcing you to replace them frequently. Even though a marble countertop adds a luxurious touch to your house, it can get damaged or stained instantly.
Moreover, some aesthetic renovations can result in serious safety problems like poor ventilation or improper insulation. Besides, focusing a lot on appearance can result in exceeding the budget, putting you under debt or financial stress.
Final Thoughts
If you want to ensure a stress-free and smooth renovation project, try to avoid the above discussed five mistakes. Firstly, don’t DIY everything. Instead, hire professionals for the complicated tasks and handle the easier ones yourself. Besides, remember to create a realistic budget that includes an emergency fund. You also need to set a timeline to prevent uncertainties. Moreover, pay attention to your house’s functionality instead of focusing too much on aesthetics. Avoiding these mistakes will guarantee you a less stressful renovation journey!
