5 Common Remodeling Pitfalls That You Should Avoid

Inexperience makes first-time homeowners commit avoidable mistakes. If this is your first time having your home renovated, check out these common remodeling pitfalls that you should avoid.

1. Starting a Renovation Too Soon After Moving In – It helps to stay in your new home for at least a few months, just to get a feel for how you move around the house. Starting a renovation project too early can result in changes that you may find out later to be unnecessary.

2. Underestimating the Project Cost – Committing to a project without knowing the project cost is risking failure. Take the time to research, and ask around for a ballpark price. This should give you enough information to decide how you want to finance your project. In addition to cash, credit card and refinancing, new addition contractors like us offer financing options.

3. Not Having an Emergency Budget – Sometimes, structural issues that require repairs get revealed in the middle of a remodel. In almost every case, repairs need to be conducted before remodeling can proceed. Unforeseen repair costs are not included in the estimate. This is the reason why you should have an emergency budget. Usually, 10% to 20% of the cost estimate is enough to cover such repairs.

4. Going DIY – There’s a certain attraction with doing DIY home improvements. Yet, you shouldn’t attempt this with a remodeling project. Many types of remodeling work, particularly home additions, require permits,as well as compliance with residential building codes.

5. Choosing the Contractor With the Lowest Bid – Unscrupulous contractors often give a lower bid, but you should consider how they arrived at that price. Cutting corners, substituting materials, buying surplus materials instead of from manufacturers: these are just some of the many ways they can reduce the bid price. A legitimate contractor should be able to provide an itemized list of materials, which you can verify to make sure they’re using the materials as discussed.

Design Build Remodeling Group of Maryland is your leading provider of remodeling services. Give us a call at (443) 230-4070, or fill out our contact form. We serve customers in Baltimore, MD, and surrounding areas.