Timing Mistakes To Avoid When Remodeling Your Home

When it comes to remodeling a home, most of us can’t afford to make more than a couple of remodeling mistakes along the way.

Of course, mistakes tend to happen whether you anticipate them or not—what matters is how prepared (or unprepared) you are for them.

Remodeling is potentially a very expensive process. But it’s often cheaper than buying a new house!

With a few structural changes and a dash of finesse, even the oldest and most dysfunctional house can undergo a transformation.

If you’re considering whether or not to remodel your home, there are a few tricks to avoid. It will prevent bleeding out your bank account and preventing long-term damage.

Timing is often the issue with large scale remodeling projects.

The weather conditions at the time of remodeling have the potential to make or break your home transformation. Avoidable misjudgements of time management can also throw a spanner in the works.

If you’re looking into remodeling your home, take a look at these commonly made timing (and other) remodeling mistakes to avoid.

Obtaining Materials Too Early

Although it’s tempting, containing your excitement and waiting until the right moment to buy your materials can save you a lot of drama down the line.

Practising patience will mean that you have all the time you need to determine the right sizes, colors, and fitments for the final plans.

If you obtain your materials too early, you could make some regretful purchases that are no longer refundable by the time you’re ready to remodel.

Your materials may get damaged while you’re storing them, or they could degrade in quality. Broken tiles, solidified bags of cement or wood that’s starting to rot are no joke.

Besides, who wants to have boxes, bags, and crates of building materials lying around their house for months? No, thanks!

Focusing Too Much On Current Trends

Focusing too much on trends can mean you invest in remodeling supplies that don’t hold up for longer than a year or two.

You might think you like peach-colored walls today because you saw them on Instagram. But a year from now, the trendiest wall color will have changed to periwinkle. Or that a textured screed floor is the height of chic. But in reality, it’s cold and cracks easily.

Instead of following fleeting internet trends, rather set your gaze on décor and structural choices that reflect your and your family’s personal preferences.

Remodeling At The Wrong Time Of The Year

Never underestimate the influence that the weather can have on your remodeling plans. If you pick the wrong time of the year to remodel your home, serious consequences can follow.

The best time to remodel your home would be the time of year most moderate in temperature for your region. Essentially, you’re “in between” seasons, such as spring or fall.

Extreme temperatures are not good for building projects. They can complicate the chemical and structural components of construction and wreak havoc with setting times, drying, and installation.

Time is of the essence!

Time Mismanagement

Although it does depend on the scale of your remodeling project, having a tight grasp of time management is essential for a successful home renovation.

If the projects in mind are big, you will need to put a considerable amount of effort into planning and scheduling the times for starting certain aspects of the remodeling process.

For example, you can’t install newly painted cupboards until the flooring has been sealed, and you can’t go ahead and knock out a wall until plans for restructuring have commenced.

Time management is a critical part of home remodeling that you must commit to if you want the best results. Just don’t forget to give every project a buffer.

Remodeling often takes longer than you’d expect it to as you uncover the secrets your house has been keeping.

Not Measuring Properly

The saying “measure twice, cut once” is a rule to live by.

Accurate measurements are absolutely integral to the outcome of your home renovation plans.

Make sure to always keep a tape measure handy and compile a list of important measurements for when you discuss plans with contractors.

Be sure to mention any weight considerations too, especially if you’re adapting rooms for family members with special needs or requirements.

If you don’t have the right measurements on hand, you might purchase the wrong materials.

While cutting down to size is sometimes an option, making things bigger while retaining integrity is almost always impossible.

Spending Beyond Your Capacity

Staying on budget is never easy. Especially when it comes to home renovation projects.

You’ll need to flesh out an initial budget, inclusive of everything you intend to buy. Then add at least a 20% increase to cover unexpected deviations from the plan.

Even if you don’t end up needing to use that extra 20%, knowing that it’s there will give you peace of mind throughout the remodeling process.

If you have money left over at the end, you can add it to your decorating budget!

Buying Cheap Materials

While we’re on the topic of budgets, it’s good to remember that sometimes you need to spend a little more to get quality products.

You don’t want to end up with a string of additional expenses to cover poor quality materials that seemed like a good idea at the time.

As they say, cheap is expensive, and remodeling is not an area that you should cut any corners on.

Make sure that you run a quality assurance check with a professional before committing to any sale items that you’re tempted to buy.  

Prioritizing Appearance Over Safety

It’s always important to remember that what looks good isn’t always the safest or smartest choice for a home investment.

When it comes to major structural or foundational changes, you’ll need to seek the advice of a seasoned builder or contractor. Your own ideas may look good on paper, but they may not be safe.

It’s better to have something that’s safe and sustainable but looks underwhelming. You don’t want to go full steam ahead and put yourself, your family, and everyone who enters your home at risk.