Building or renovating a home is a large task with many factors to oversee. Because of this, it is easy to stumble into a situation or overlook a certain element of the project that will lead to major problems down the road. Luckily, we have prepared some tips on how to avoid the most common (and serious) mistakes that are made when setting out to create a dream home.
Firstly, make sure that plans are set in stone and clearly visualized before work commences to avoid changes later down the line. Although this sounds like a common sense step, it will also pay dividends to hire an experienced project manager or a home builder Winnipeg to double check each aspect of the work that needs to be done. As they say, ‘measure twice, cut once’. By making sure that everybody is on the same page before work begins, you will avoid potentially wasting a substantial sum of money down the road to correct any errors.
A second mistake that people often make is to add features that are massively out of keeping with the existing structure or neighborhood. Try to avoid mixing disparate architectural styles; an adobe roof, for example, would look very out of place on the garage of a suburban house in New England. As well as potentially aggravating the neighbors, this will only make it harder to sell the house due to the polarizing effect that this will have on buyers.
Don’t DIY major features such as plumbing and wiring. Hire professionals unless you yourself have the relevant skillset. A professional tradesman may seem like an unnecessary expense at present, but that pales in comparison to the costs of damage you could cause. They will also have a wealth of experience to draw on and will be able to avoid many issues that, although maybe not immediately apparent in your plans, could cause major headaches down the line.
Skimping on materials is another major mistake that many people are all too happy to make. Although the potential savings are attractive, using low-quality building materials will cause problems down the line. From being potentially unsafe to just looking shoddy, the cons massively outweigh the pros when it comes to using bargain-basement supplies on your home. A far better idea is to ask your contractors for advice and recommendations on which materials to purchase. Most likely, they will offer to sell you the materials themselves. Although this may at first glance seem like profiteering, bear in mind that when buying from contractors, they will most likely be able to get stuff from wholesalers at a reduced rate. This means that even with their markup added, they will offering a competitive rate.
Perhaps the most tragic error that people commonly make is using the wrong finishes. Even with the best building materials, the value and appearance of a quality house can be betrayed by using cheap paints, paneling and countertops etc. Although these things may seem relatively minor compared to the massive undertaking the actual building work, it is vital to remember that these will be the most immediate indicators of quality that a buyer will see when viewing the house.