Important Remodeling Don’ts

Don’t Overestimate Your Own Abilities

Yes, you may be able to save some money on the total cost of your remodeling project by doing a bit of good old fashioned do-it-yourself work. However it is important that you look at the big picture. The most important thing about any home remodeling project is the end result, not how much you spend to get there. If you end up with a remodeled bathroom with wonky tiles, a new shower stall that leaks and a floor that is far from even there was never much point in starting the project at all.

Be realistic about your D.I.Y. skills and, unless you are 100% sure you can get the job done right, hire a professional instead. There may very well still be parts of the job as a whole you can do yourself, like agreeing to clean up the debris at the end of each day yourself rather than have the remodeling crew stay and do it, to get a little money taken off the final cost of your project.

Don’t Remodel The Wrong Feature

You have a limited remodeling budget. Your kitchen and your bathroom could both do with a facelift. However your bathroom is perfectly functional and does not look too bad, you’d just like a little more luxury. On the other hand your kitchen is a disaster area full of outdated cabinets, vintage appliances and lino that went out of style in your grandmother’s day. Yet you choose to remodel the bathroom because it’s cheaper.

Yes, a bathroom remodel is going to probably be cheaper but why not upgrade the room that needs it most? If you ever come to sell up and move on your horrible kitchen probably means that buyers never even bother to go upstairs to see your nice new bathroom.

Don’t Go With The First Contractor You Meet

The rule of thumb in the remodeling industry is that the best thing to do when considering hiring a remodeling contractor is to get at least three different bids and then evaluate them all before making a final decision. Even if you really like the first contactor you meet – and having a good rapport is important – you should still keep those appointments with the others on your list, just to be sure.

On a related note do not let price alone be the deciding factor when choosing a remodeling contractor. In most cases the contractor bids you receive will be fairly similar so if one is significantly lower than all the others you really need to start asking yourself why that might be before you sign on the dotted line.