Whether you’re planning to DIY your renovation or hire the experts to make the upgrades, mistakes waste money, cause delays and lead to disappointment. From choosing the wrong home renovation supplies in Whitby to miscalculating measurements and costs, here we share 12 common home renovation mistakes and how to avoid them.

1.Underestimating costs

Knowing your numbers is the best place to start, as poor budgeting is the number one mistake you can make for your home renovation. By setting a budget and ensuring you accurately estimate costs, you can avoid unexpected expenses.

2.No contingency fund

Adding to budget woes, many homeowners fail to include a contingency fund for unexpected expenses. Regardless of what area of your home you’re renovating, once you start tearing out old materials and pulling down walls, you’ll likely find at least one unexpected problem that negatively impacts your budget.

Including a 20% emergency fund in your budget ensures you don’t have to sacrifice anything and end up with a renovation meeting your expectations

3.Going rogue and ignoring the house’s natural features

Getting ideas of modernizing a lovely heritage home or doing the opposite and adding overly ornate Victorian features in a modern townhouse are common rookie mistakes homeowners make in the renovation process. You have to respect the architectural style of your home and make changes that bring out the era’s charm. Otherwise, you’ll find your home feels disjointed.

Your renovations should create harmony in your home so it makes sense and doesn’t feel out of place when you approach the exterior and then step inside. Going rogue and ignoring the house’s original design can also cost you when you sell.

4.Ignoring function

It’s easy to get excited about various materials and design ideas. However, if you put form over function, you’ll find your home just doesn’t work. You might long for a massive picture window at the side of your house, only to discover you have nowhere to place furniture. You might decide to knock down walls only to realize you’ve sacrificed all the storage space and closets you desperately need to keep your home organized. Always consider function first, so you improve flow in your home, then consider how you want that new layout to look. You won’t be disappointed.

5.Not finding ways to repurpose materials

Renovations are expensive. This fact is not a secret. However, one of the easiest ways to save money is to look for opportunities to repurpose or sell materials. Pulling out perfectly sound kitchen cabinets costs thousands of dollars you could have saved by refacing them instead of completely replacing them.

Considering what items you can salvage and what things you need to replace provides cost savings and opportunities to make environmentally friendly choices throughout the renovation process.

6.Poor material estimations

Poor material estimations are more common for DIY projects where you determine the amount of materials to order. If you come up short of something significant like a flooring installation and return to the store only to find they are sold out or, worse, discontinued the product, you’re left in a real jam.

As a rule of thumb, always order 20% more than your measurements tell you you’ll need. This way, you’ll have enough. Remember, if you’re doing the installation, this is even more important because chances are you will make some miscuts that will eat into your supplies.

7.Going cheap on important materials

Cutting corners on the wrong items costs you more money in the long run. Always invest in the best home renovation supplies in Whitby that you can afford to get more life out of them.

8.Ignoring long-term value upgrades

Even if you don’t have plans to move soon, it’s always best to put your money into the items that will provide long-term value. It includes a new HVAC system, eco-friendly bathroom fixtures, stairs, and flooring. These upgrades offer value over the longer term, whereas investing $1,000 in the latest wall treatment trend will be outdated in a few years and must be replaced.

9.Skimping on details

Details like opportunities to increase storage, improve task lighting, install closet and pantry organizers, etc., all contribute to a more functional and organized home. If you skimp on these details, it a) costs you more to install later and b) creates disappointment and regrets once the renovations are complete.

Considering how to improve your home and make it work better for your needs during the planning and budget stage ensures you include those little details for a more successful reno.

10.Procrastinating on the finishing touches

Things like not finishing the baseboards after flooring installations, not painting your new door frames, or forgetting to replace the covers on outlets and light switches are the details that tend to get permanently put on the back burner.

You want to make a checklist of these finishing touches so you don’t live with those annoying unfinished projects that will likely never get done. The longer you put them off, the more likely you won’t finish the job, which gives your home an uncared-for appearance. Unfinished work completely distracts from the significant investment you just made. Do it all, do it well and do it now.

11.Getting caught up in fads

Whether it’s that ridiculously over-designed statement lighting, an impractical bathtub that looks like art but feels like torture, or a backsplash in crimson red “everybody” is crushing on, you have to be careful not to get too caught up in design fads that won’t last. These are the types of investments that waste money and lead to regrets.

If you love to embrace home decor fads, leave them to the items that are easier to replace, like paint colours, area rugs, throw cushions, artwork, and accent chairs. Anything “nailed down” should be less impulsive and lean towards timelessness to avoid buyer’s remorse.

12.Not using the right home renovation supplies in Whitby

Your DIY projects should be done using the right home renovation supplies in Whitby. Otherwise, you are likely to damage materials, leading to waste. You’ll also find installations are less durable and that aesthetically, you might notice things are out of whack.

With the right tools, you complete each task like a pro, making you more satisfied with the results.

Renovations are exciting but can also become nightmares without proper planning. Avoiding these common mistakes will help things run smoothly and produce the results you desire.

For more information, start shopping from our collection for the right home renovation supplies in Whitby or contact us here.