For
most people, a home construction project is a major undertaking. It’s not
something you do often, it’s expensive, and the average person does not know
much about it. I thought it might be helpful and interesting to hear from the
experts about mistakes that homeowners often make so that readers can avoid
those issues when planning their own projects. Nobody knows as much about home
improvements as the contractors, the people who spend their days doing this
work. Here is what they have to say:
From Josh Mushell of Denbrook Kitchens
I think the most common home
improvement mistake people make is underestimating the time, planning,
execution, engagement, and cost of a remodel. In
fact, you should expect the cost of a construction project to double. And, as the poet Robert Burns wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men
often go awry.”
Time: Projects almost always take more time to
complete than anticipated. Supply issues, weather, and labor
all play a part. However, indecision, misunderstandings and the unexpected, can
chew up days and, sometimes, weeks.
Planning: If your plan can cover all the details
of the project, you will save time and money. This means a written plan,
drawings, material lists, finish specifications, etc.
Execution: Having everything picked out, a
dependable contractor, decorator, and suppliers
lined up will help bring your project in near your timeline and budget.
Cost: The cost of basic materials has skyrocketed
in the last 18 months,
and shortages still abound. The unanticipated issues that inevitably arise need
to be tackled and dealt with immediately, not overlooked or put off. Often
there is more than one solution;
choosing the least expensive or most expedient one can come back to haunt you.
Engagement: Do not assume you can go on
vacation and come back to a completed project! There are always issues that arise. Your input, decisions, and flair will go a long way to
meet your expectations and make the project a
success. However, remember that, just as baking a cake is a messy business and you cannot
judge the finished product until it’s done, so,
too, is your home improvement project. So let the professionals do
their work, and don’t nitpick while
they are applying their craft. Having a prepared 3D rendering of what your home
will look like in the end is a great way to help everyone visualize and compare
the concept to the finished product.
From
Vito Simone of Today’s Home Renovations
Common mistake #1: Not
planning ahead. It’s best to consult with contractors ahead of time and
plan your project at least a season or two before you want to get the work
done. It is less stressful, and you have enough time to shop around for
materials.
Common mistake #2: Trying to
save money by getting a labor-only price from a contractor and buying the
materials themselves. Homeowners do not always get a better price or a better
project in this way. Most licensed contractors will not want to do this as it
creates management and efficiency issues. It also creates issues with
coordination of deliveries and scheduling installation.
Common mistake #3: Buying
from various “auctions” and “warehouses” is risky for both the contractor
and homeowner as it is not always easy to see deficiencies. Any deficiency
would wipe out potential savings if you don’t know exactly what you are looking
at and how to evaluate if the materials are good or not (doors out of square,
windows defective, flooring from different lots, etc.)
From
Shmuel Yaakov Sauer of Ideal Remodeling
The least expensive contractor is not always the best choice. It
is very important to check references and to go see the contractor’s work
yourself. Ask people you trust for references because some work is invisible. For
instance, you can’t see if the plumbing was done correctly.
From
Eric Symonds of Budget Blinds.
With regard to window treatments, I have seen
people trying to be proactive by ordering custom window treatments when the
windows aren’t totally done and the walls around them are not
finished. During the construction phase, no one thinks about the
treatments that go in once the job is complete. Things often change in
a kitchen or bathroom remodel. Cabinets might change location and now
encroach on the window, affecting our installation. I often tell people to not
put the cart before the horse. It’s more important to do it right the first
time instead of doing it twice because they were in a hurry. If the
customer is looking at doing soft treatments, I recommend that they move in before
they select treatments, so they see how the drapes will look with their
furniture.
From Ellene Newman of Design 613
Planning, planning, planning! Call
in pros – architect/engineer/space planner, designers, and even decorators – at
the beginning. Homeowners have
called me in after construction has started on a huge addition to do major
layout changes and design their kitchen. All decisions now have to be made
quickly, everyone is stressed, and cabinets will have to be stock cabinets
because semi-custom or custom cabinets will take too long.
The grass is greener: You
need what is best for you and your family, not keep up with the Schwartzes.
Their beautiful project does not mean their choices are right for you.
Magazines and design websites can be very helpful in clarifying your taste and
giving you ideas. But they can also blur the lines between “wants” and “needs,”
and can lead you over a steep budget cliff.
You have to live there: Layout,
traffic flow, lighting, sightlines, and color palette all contribute to
creating a place you want to come home to. Unfortunately, some homes look like
they are ready for a magazine shoot but are unpleasant to actually live
in – though, yes, it is possible
to have both!
Plan for today and plan for tomorrow: Do you have multiple
cooks? Do a lot of entertaining? Need a good play area or homework spot near
the kitchen? Or a home office with a door on it? In the future, will you have
children and grandchildren visiting from out of town? Might an older relative
come to live with you? Personally, we
made sure to have a bedroom on the main floor of our house — which is just what
we needed when my elderly mother, a”h, came to live with us.
Changes after you begin construction will increase costs: Change
orders increase costs and mistakes. As you get farther into the actual
construction, your choices become more and more limited, and changes become
more costly.
Project bloat: You know the joke: We needed a new doormat
and $100,000 later....
Communication: Significant changes should be in
writing. Stay in communication with your contractor and designer.
Many mistakes happen because verbal instructions were misunderstood or were
never relayed to the right people.
Expect delays: Fixtures,
windows, cabinets, and appliances may be backordered. I have seen delays in all
of these since Covid and am still seeing them. Supply chain delays have become
normal. A family building a big
addition had their half-done project stall for three months while waiting for
their windows to come in.
Contractor is not a good fit: Being a contractor’s little
job when he has some big ones will often get you ignored. Sometimes a
contractor is simply a poor personality match for you. Get references and ask
friends for referrals. Quote from
a homeowner: “My contractor is great — when he shows up!”
Have some funding/money in reserve: Surprises happen. You may find pipes in unexpected places. The
product you wanted may be unavailable or has gone up in price. A current client found unexpected HVAC vents
in a wall being removed, and they had to be repositioned.
You get what you pay for and sometimes not even that: Going
for the lowest bid or price is a great way to also get lowest quality and poor
service. I have seen numerous
times when this is true, ranging from wall cabinets being hung upside down to
framers getting window positions off by 6” or more to plumbers mixing up hot
and cold water lines.
From Greg Little of GBL Custom Home Design
I can’t express enough that proper design
planning is a must to meet all your wants/needs but to also meet a
budget. Builders understand that this industry is competitively
based, but no builder wants to waste time bidding on a project that is
well outside of the clients’ proposed budget. Working with a comprehensive and
dynamic design firm can not only give you a proper design, but they can also
aim that design towards your budget.
The local municipalities, including Baltimore
City, have become increasingly stringent on meeting energy efficiency,
structural, and accessibility codes. Proper design will ensure that all of
these are met and avoids wasting time on getting your project underway.
Lastly, proper design takes time. If you are
going to spend a significant amount of money, and this is a project that
adds value and use to your home, clients need to know that design, bidding, permitting,
and building take time. Patience is critical
From Donny Ankri of Donny Ankri Architects
It takes longer than you think: Some people think construction can start right away, but
there are many things that go into the process. Depending on the size of the
project, drawings can take one to six months. Builders need at least a month
for pricing, and then permits can take another two to three months. If a
variance is needed, add two months.
Hire an architect: I get many clients who try to build a project off of a “builder’s
sketch.” Or they hire a structural engineer to try and come up with creative
plans for an addition or new house. Or they have a space planner design an
addition without proper knowledge of zoning setbacks or load bearing walls – plus,
they aren’t licensed, so the permit office will reject the plans. Having an architect
on the team will make the process go a lot smoother, and the final product will
be significantly better.
Do proper zoning homework: Not everyone realizes
that there are zoning limitations that affect how large a project can be. Most
common zoning restrictions are setbacks and lot coverage. I’ve had clients go
to the permit office with drawings by another company only to find that proper
zoning homework wasn’t done and a variance is needed.
You get what you pay for: Not all architects and builders are created
equal. There’s a big difference in quality when it comes to design and
construction that some people don’t realize until it’s too late. I’ve had
potential clients who hired another architect or engineer because he was much
cheaper and thought that there can’t be much of a difference as long as they get
the permit. Unfortunately, you usually don’t realize until during construction
that there was a much smarter way to lay out the floor plans. The cost to
change the walls during construction is significantly higher than the
difference in cost in hiring the right architect from the beginning.
Have a clear contract: Many
issues can be avoided if there’s a proper contract between the client and builder.
Things change prior to and during construction, so it’s important to make sure
the changes are properly documented as opposed to relying on verbal agreement.
Take lots of photos: It’s important to document the construction progress,
especially at major milestones, for your own records. Specifically, after the
electrical wires and plumbing pipes are installed, prior to drywall going up.
The reason is that there may be a time in the future that you need to see where
a wire or pipe was installed; having the photos is critical in figuring those
things out.
Construction doesn’t have to be
stressful: There’s no denying that
construction can feel overwhelming. There’s a lot that goes into the process
and many decisions that have to be made. But it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to create something beautiful for your family that you can enjoy
for many years down the line. Your family members are going to love seeing the
builders do their work. If you put together the right team, a construction
project can be a very enjoyable and memorable experience.
From Shlomo Horowitz of Syata Kitchens
Of all of the specific construction mistakes that
I have seen, the vast majority of them come about from using inexpensive
products and/or labor. Always keep in mind that you cannot change those
decisions like you can a light bulb.
There is no contractor who doesn’t have a job
well done under his belt, and there is no inexpensive product that hasn’t
performed well under just the right circumstances. Don’t go by one
referral.
Don’t cross jobs. A contractor who does a
basement or bathroom well may not be able to do the same in a kitchen. A
cabinet in a bathroom will not get the same wear and tear as one in the
kitchen.
Paying more for labor or product is not a
guarantee, but it is a good insurance that the job will go according to your
expectations and will last many healthy years. Occasionally, a well-made
product meets something like a metal Tonka truck and loses the battle, or
children use doors to climb up to a sink and the hinge gives way. (Actual story:
A woman called within a month of installation saying that one of her doors was
sagging badly and insinuated that I was using cheap hinges. When I
correctly guessed over the phone that it was the right door of the sink cabinet,
she was amazed. She insisted that her kids would never climb on them like
that. I replaced the hinge and showed her the bent one – the actual metal was bent,
not the mechanism. A better product will hold up better, but everything has its limits, and
people are people.
Online reviews are written within a couple months
of the installation and give no indication of how well a product that should
last 25+ years will hold up. No one goes back after five to ten years to
update their review.
From Stuart Garbis of Housewright Company
Do your due diligence and check references. Make
sure you are comparing apples to apples. There should be enough detail in the
contract so that there are no gray areas. It makes sense to have the different
parts of the job priced separately so that if you decide to eliminate or
substitute something, you will understand how much money you will be saving or
spending.
