Home Renovation Mistakes That New Homeowners Make (and How to Avoid Them!)

Getting the keys to your first home is exciting – it’s the first step towards attaining your dream home. However, what many new homeowners neglect to understand is that your first home is very rarely going to be your ideal home. They will spend too much time and money on trying to perfect it, without acknowledging that it isn’t going to work out due to its layout, architectural designs and even the placement of the house. 

Live in your home before starting renovations

Starting renovations without a clear understanding of how the home works is a blunder that many make. New homeowners rush to fix up their homes so they can move in at the earliest date, but a better approach would be to move in for a few months and figure out what are the best improvements you can make. 

Without having the experience of staying in the home, you will not be able to account for the flow of your home. For instance, your ideal placement of the kitchen might not work for the new house you’ve just bought simply because the door is at the wrong angle and it would be a hassle to bring your groceries in. You want to figure out where things eventually end up – books, laundry, clutter. When you get a firm sense of how things work, you will be able to integrate your renovations more seamlessly to accommodate for these little lifestyle quirks. 

You will also be able to have a better idea of where your EcoTech Windows should go and which rooms need heavier drapes due to the amount of sunlight each room gets. 

Skimping on professionals

DIY on home improvement hardly ever goes right – there’s a reason there are professionals to design and build houses. Unless your profession deals with construction, it’s best to leave it up to those who know what they are doing. What might look like a great idea to you, could be a nightmare for designers. 

Skylights, for one, are something that designers try to avoid because it’s a hassle to clean and can create more problems for the house when it contracts in winter and expands in the summer. They are pretty, but impractical. Skylights are prone to breakage, leaks and are not energy efficient. 

Work closely with your interior designer so you can understand why a daybed is not suitable for your bedroom or what is a better alternative to your kitchen island – you might find some new inspiration along the way as they present better ideas that you haven’t thought of. 

Being afraid to ask questions

It’s your house and you’ll have to live in it. Make sure you ask all the questions you need to. There are no such thing as a dumb question and you are paying for their services. You deserve the right to know what they are doing, how they are doing it and why they are doing it that way. Staying silent and allowing them to “do their job” can lead to frustration and it might cause future problems when you want to revamp your home due to plumbing or electrical issues. 

Recommended: Eight Renovations that Add Value to Your Home