Thinking about renovating your home? Looking for some innovative home renovation tips? Let us read about some of the most common home renovation mistakes to avoid.

Buying cheap materials

Benjamin Franklin rightly said, “The bitter taste of low quality lingers long after the sweet taste of a low price.” You must take this quote to heart while outlining your home renovation budget. Undoubtedly, it may be extremely tempting to cut corners and buy less expensive materials. However, you must always be strategic to carefully decide which elements to cut or replace with less expensive options.

For instance, you should cut down on things that will not have a big say in the space's overall design and appearance if you want to save money. These may be things that can be added at a later point in time by you. Let's say, cabinet hardware, high-end marble tile, a kitchen backsplash, or a hidden water bubbler. Conversely, you should preferably never cut down on the most "important things" such as hardwood flooring or cabinet construction.

Avoid the “Measure Twice” Rule

Whether you are ordering hardwood flooring or painting a wall, you must always measure the space twice. This holds good especially with custom products or accessories that require a minimum order. This will help you save on setup fees for small orders in the future. Let's say that you want to order flooring. You should factor in the right cutting allowance (8-12 percent is a good number), depending on the quality and type of flooring.

Trying to do Everything DIY

There are certain things that are ideal for a do-it-yourself enthusiast, such as hanging wallpapers, painting walls, light wood staining or finishing, or moving furniture. After all, it is a great way to save some money and make your own contributions. However, they are some specialized tasks that are best left to experienced professionals. For instance, plumbing, roofing, or electrical tasks should be best handled by experienced and qualified professionals.

Be Timeless, Not Just Trendy

Most homeowners commit the mistake of buying everything that is popular today. Think entryway chalkboards, shag carpet, or mint green appliances. However, you must always ask yourself, are the things really needed and timeless so you love all your selections five or ten years from now. Undoubtedly, small things such as wall colors or furniture can be trendy but bit things such as kitchen cabinets, non-painted walls, wood floors, and other "hard surfaces" should always include products that are timeless. For instance, white kitchen cabinets and distressed hickory floorings are timeless, while pendant lights,  the island seating, and hardware can be quickly updated to change up the look.

Avoiding Green Products

According to Re-green Residential Remodeling, Americans spend approximately $250 million every year remodeling their homes. A decade ago, green building products were synonymous with high costs. However, these products have become the mainstream these days, making them more accessible.

Buying green building products can help you significantly cut down on eco-footprint and bring down the costs of running your home in the short run and the long run. Small things such as water collection and preservation or depending on solar energy can help you save a fortune on utility bills. Moreover, eco-friendly insulation can help you keep your home warmer or cooler, depending on your geographical location.

Picking The Wrong Architectural Elements

There is no denying the fact that the most common structural elements you will select for your home renovation project will be doors, floors, and windows. Since they will be hard to replace down the road, it is important that you spend a while to invest in quality. 

You should choose high-quality windows styles that blend with the interior and exterior design of your beautiful home and surrounding space. Similarly, you should choose door styles that provide function, elegance, and beauty to the space. Furthermore, you should ensure that the doors are wide enough to accommodate many people at a single go, especially if it is a throughway or primary entry to the home.

Underestimating your Home Renovation Budget

Two of the biggest factors that you must focus on while renovating your home are the kind of remodeling required and the value of the home you are about to remodel.

After all, you want to invest wisely in a renovation that adds great value to your home but you should also be conscious of not increasing the value so much that it doesn't fit anymore with the neighborhood's value. For instance, it will be good not to spend too much on the cabinet and sink hardware and more on choosing the right flooring.

Expecting Everything to Go Smoothly in your Home Renovation

When you opt for a home renovation project, it is always best to “plan for the worst and hope for the best”. Some people commit the mistake of planning down to the last day of the home renovation project and then planning things around it, like a holiday gathering or ski vacation.

Cut down your level of stress, to make your renovation more enjoyable. Things may go wrong or out of proportion and it is completely okay to make mistakes. Remodeling will likely be a little messy and noisy as it is the nature of renovations.

Choosing the lowest bid

When you are considering design-build companies, it is obviously easy to get tempted by the lowest bid. However, you must always remember that a bid may be drastically kept low by the contractor in some cases to keep costs hidden until later on in the project.

There may also be a possibility that the contractor doesn't have sufficient expertise to accurately estimate or budget a project or the contractor may be planning to cut corners to save money. Remember, unskilled and cheap doesn't always equate to great work but it can and therefore you must perform comprehensive research to understand who you are hiring and what to expect.

Making too many changes during the process

It is always recommended to have a detailed consultation with the contractor beforehand to make sure that everyone is aware of things to be performed and at what costs. Making too many changes during the home renovation project can dramatically escalate costs while also putting pressure on the contractor or you to make compromises on the quality or type of construction resources.

Skimping on sustainability

As much as 30-50 percent of typical construction goes to waste, whether it's poor planning, rework, wasted materials, or transportation of materials. Working with a reputed contractor will ensure that a streamlined process is followed to focus on sustainable remodeling while cutting down on costs.