Common Mistakes People Make When Renovating Their Home

Whether you’ve purchased a new house or wish to make a few changes to your existing home, a home renovation can give it a new look, upgrade its functionality, and increase the value of your house.

By hiring the services of an interior designer, you can ensure that your plans come to life and that the results do justice to the time, money, and energy invested in the project. Unfortunately, homebuyers often underestimate the importance of an interior designer during the planning process of the project, and without expert guidance, they end up making mistakes.

To help you avoid poor design, unnecessary expenses, and dissatisfaction, Beaulieu Design has compiled a list of the common mistakes people make when renovating their home.

1. Not hiring a designer from the start.
What makes your space amazing? Design! By hiring an interior designer at the beginning of a renovation project, you can ensure that your ideas convert into a well-structured plan. They can help you make decisions regarding various product materials and select the right appliances, furniture, and decorations for your new space. Moreover, they know where to get quality material at lower prices and have an abundance of contacts that will be at your disposal when sourcing the components of your design. With their expert consultancy, they can help you save both cost and time.

2.Hiring a contractor offering the lowest quote. 
Choosing a contractor is one of the most crucial steps of a home renovation project, as the execution of the design can make or break the overall look and quality of what you’re trying to achieve. While it may be tempting to select a contractor offering low-cost services, it increases the probability of ending up with dissatisfactory results. Before hiring a contractor, do your research, ask for references, review their work, make sure that they are fully insured and provide top-notch services. You will be investing a ton of money into your home, so consider spending it on a professional who can turn your vision into a reality. 

3. Expecting the project to go according to plan.
During a renovation project, there may be factors that lead to changes in the design of the project. Clients are often not prepared to handle these changes and end up fretting about the project, and for this reason, working with professionals you can trust is essential.

For example, we once worked on a project where we provided the client with a beautiful design for a laundry room renovation. Once the project started, and the walls came down, we were surprised to discover that one wall was indeed structural, although this was not evident during the pre-renovation stage. That area was to house well-designed storage and a charging station. Within that day, we redesigned that area to accommodate two structural posts. The client now loves the new design even more, and we are happy to say that the issue was quickly resolved. That design also won industry awards. To summarize, when you surround yourself with professionals, you can ensure that the small challenges during work do not put a halt to your renovation project.

4. Not setting a timeline.
Renovations can be stressful. To help relieve some of that stress, ensure all your selections and designs are completed before the start of a project. Once your contractor sets a start date, order all of your fixtures, cabinetry, and interior finishes so that their delivery date fits within your renovation schedule. This will also help you avoid delays if some of the items are back ordered. However, before making any purchase, you need to have a clear sense of your space and design plan. 

5. Basing your purchases on appearance and not quality.
When renovating a house, people often compromise quality for style. While the appearance of your surroundings is essential, in the long run, purchasing low-quality items can turn out to be a costly mistake. To avoid additional expenses, before making a purchase, make a wish list and divide it into two components: must-haves and dream list. Add the items that you use every day and require substantial investment in your must-haves and those that can be negotiated upon in the dream list. For example, the hardware, cabinetry doors, fixtures, etc. are items that need to stand the test of time and will come under the must-haves, whereas, the curtains and cushions can be changed without digging a hole in your pocket.

To avoid these and other mistakes, reach out to the experts at Beaulieu Design.

We are an interior design company in Ottawa, Ontario, and are passionate about reinventing spaces by creatively articulating the goals and realities of the project. From conceptual space planning and construction drawings to project management, we support our clients in their renovation projects from inception to completion. We serve clients across Westboro, Kanata, Nepean, Ottawa, Mississippi Mills, Almonte, Perth, Rideau Lakes, Toronto, Ontario, and Gatineau.

For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about interior designing, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.