When you are doing your first remodel you have a million things going through your mind. You want to make sure you pick the perfect materials and get your look exactly the way you want it. You see the perfect version of what you want, and you begin to make the changes. Before you begin though, read this post to make sure you don’t make some common remodeling mistakes.
Room Rut
What happens to some people is getting into a room rut. You look around the room and see where the original fixtures are and do not think that you can completely change things around if you want to. You see the current placement of the bathtub but think it might be better on another wall. Who says that you can’t move the tub? Check with the remodelers to understand all of the changes that will need to happen to move the tub. Maybe the plumbing will need to be re-routed, or you can exchange the sink and tub with minimal changes to the wall or plumbing.
Going Cheap
You figure if no one is going to see the materials why do you need to spend more? You need to spend the correct amount because cheap materials will have a cheap lifespan. If you have pipes that will not be seen, make sure you get quality materials. It will not save you money in the long run if the pipes begin to leak and you need to rip out the wall to replace them. Additionally, use the correct tools for the job. If you use what you have laying around instead of the correct tool, you could end up damaging the new materials you want to use. How will you feel if you scrape or crack the tile you are using as the backsplash for your kitchen? Extra cost will be added to replace the broken tiles.
Blowing Your Budget
Another area you need to keep an eye on is the total cost you are incurring to finish the remodel. You could be making changes on the fly without realizing how high the bottom line is getting. Make sure before you make any changes that you realized and work out how this will affect the total cost of the project, and how close you are to reaching your budgeted amount. The general rule is to pad the cost with about 20 percent overrun to cover the last minute or incidental things that could come up that will raise the bottom line.
