3 Renovation Mistakes To Avoid

Planning on renovating your home? It will save you time, money and stress to know the common renovation mistakes to avoid. We list our top three.

3 renovation mistakes to avoid

Going for cheap materials

It might seem like you are saving money when you select cheap materials and finishes but you need to ask yourself one important question- is going cheap now going to cost me more in a few years time?

Usually the answer is YES.

Cheap materials will not likely last as long or hold up for as long. They are subject to wear and tear easily so you may have to spend more money on repairs and replacements than selecting a high quality finish first time round.

The good news is, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend thousands of dollars more. It just means you should do your research better and aim to source high quality materials at great prices.

Ask your builder for help in sourcing materials as they have established relationships with trade suppliers. This means they can generally get you better discounts than you purchasing them yourself.

Getting the measurements wrong

There is nothing worst than buying 20 metres of tiles only to realise months later you actually need 22 metres and the store no longer sells them. Yes, it does happen! Or you may purchase way too much meaning you are stuck with wasted and costly materials.

Every measurement is crucial to ensure you buy the right quantity of materials and save money in the process.

A couple of ways to reduce this risk include:

Always get it measured by the professionals- e.g. the tiler, painter, builder
See if you can return or change materials or get a refund
Purchase the materials right before the job is due to start, meaning if you need to pop back into the store and buy extra, it is likely to be on hand.

Taking short-cuts

It may be easy for you (or certain tradies) to propose taking short-cuts in order to save some dollars, but these could end up being costly long term or simply result in a poor quality job.

Some watch-out short-cuts include:

Painting. Not filling in gaps and cracks, removing mould or doing an undercoat
Bathroom: Not waterproofing or tiling over existing tiles instead of stripping the old tiles out
Roof: ignoring cracked tiles and holes.

Only work with professional tradesmen who are unlikely to take short-cuts and understand the importance of getting the job done right, first time round!

3 Renovation Mistakes To Avoid