Skip links

7 Common Renovation Mistakes Homeowners Make

Tear your home up! By the first half of 2023, annual home remodeling expenditures will total nearly $450 billion.

Even a small renovation to your home can make it more livable and accessible. Yet a small renovation can also cause headaches. Before you dive into a renovation, you need to familiarize yourself with renovation mistakes.

What should you expect from a renovation like a countertop installation in Chicago? How should you prepare for a renovation? How can you find the right materials and people to hire?

Answer these questions and you can reap the rewards of a renovation without a headache. Here are seven common renovation mistakes.

1. Setting Unrealistic Expectations

When people think of renovations, they often think of a top-to-bottom makeover of their house. In reality, renovations are smaller than that. Many elements of your old house may be in place after your renovation, including your wiring and electrical systems.

People also think that renovations are quick. Even small-scale renovations like changing your flooring can take days, if not weeks.

Set a goal for your renovation and your home. You can change the lighting in your home so your home is more inviting and eco-friendly. You can renovate your home so you can sell it for a profit or make it more accessible for an older relative.

2. Skipping the Planning and Design Phase

Any renovation requires extensive planning and designing. Once you have a goal for your renovation, you should make a plan for how the renovation will occur.

Find a time when the renovation is convenient for you and decide how you will adjust your life to what is happening. If you are having granite countertops installed in your kitchen, you may need a new space to prepare meals and store food.

You should spend time looking at visual designs for your renovation. You can view many granite countertops in Chicago. Think about how the color, material, and texture of the renovated areas will look in comparison to the other parts of your home.

3. Completing Your Renovation Yourself

You can make small fixes to your home like replacing a cabinet door. But anything that involves heavy lifting should require professionals, even if you have DIY experience. You risk damaging parts of your home or installing the wrong materials.

Before renovators come in, you should have someone inspect your home. They can spot problems like pests that you can fix. You should then ask someone from your renovation company to do their inspection and draft a formal plan for the events.

4. Buying Materials Before You Make a Plan

It is okay to select the materials you want to put in your home. But you should not buy the materials themselves until you’ve spoken with a renovator and developed a plan for what will happen.

Think about how your materials will be brought in and stored. You should also think about how the features in your home will complement or match the materials. Metal countertops can conduct electricity, so it’s not good to install one near electric outlets.

Some companies like TCF Midwest can work with you after a plan is made. Spend some time writing a plan and then ask a company representative what they think. Take their advice and make modifications to your plan, but maintain the goal you want for your renovation.

5. Not Getting the Right Permits

You may need several permits for your renovation. Expansions to your house, electrical work, and changes to your sewer line almost always require permits. You generally need permits to build a garage on your home, install a high fence, or park a dumpster on the street.

You may not need a permit to replace your granite countertops in Phoenix or touch up the interior of your home. However, you should still check with your city just to be safe.

You may want to tell your neighbors about your renovation as well. Your crew may need to park a truck on the street or use loud equipment outside.

6. Picking Form Over Function

Whatever the goal for your renovation is, it should help your life now and in the near future. You should not add a countertop to your kitchen just because you think it looks cool. You should get a countertop that provides a sturdy surface to eat and work on for years to come.

Many durable countertops also look very good. Granite and quartz countertops can add a classy aesthetic to your kitchen, and you can prepare and serve food on them.

7. Choosing Contractors on a Whim

You may need several permits for your renovation. Expansions to your house, electrical work, and changes to your sewer line almost always require permits. You generally need permits to build a garage on your home, install a high fence, or park a dumpster on the street.

You may not need a permit to replace your granite countertops in Phoenix or touch up the interior of your home. However, you should still check with your city just to be safe.

You may want to tell your neighbors about your renovation as well. Your crew may need to park a truck on the street or use loud equipment outside.

Avoiding Renovation Mistakes

Renovation mistakes should not derail your life. Keep your project small-scale and your expectations low. Spend months preparing for your project, especially developing a plan and finding the perfect contractors.

Get the permits you need and lay out the design before you go to a renovation crew. Run your idea by them, but always focus on function over style. Your renovation should improve your life once everything is done.

An easy renovation to select is a countertop replacement. The Countertop Factory provides granite and quartz countertops in Phoenix and Chicago. Contact us today.

Skip to content