Even the smallest, lowest budget home improvement projects, has the capacity to overrun and cause homeowners to spend more money than they had planned for, or in some instances, more money than they might even have.
But while nobody wants their project to go over budget, it happens to homeowners time and time again, begging the question: what aren’t they doing to ensure that their home improvement project stays within budget?
Fortunately, with a little forward planning and plenty of due diligence, it is possible to keep any construction project, of any size, wholly within budget, and it’s as simple as following these 3 principles:
1.Set a budget that’s realistic
Before taking any steps towards improving your home, you should take the time to find an experienced construction contractor, who will help you set an initial budget matching the type of project you plan to have carried out, with the amount of money you’re able to invest in it.
However, rule number one of any home improvement project, is to never underestimate how much it all might cost, and to always, always, always have a contingency fund set aside for unforeseen problems.
2. Recognize the importance of proper design and planning
A lot of designing and planning work needs to be carried out before a general contractor can even begin thinking about the practical stages of most home improvement projects, particularly those that are bigger and will take longer to complete, like additions or kitchen remodels.
Ultimately, you must allow your chosen contractor ample time to design and plan your project, and give them as much feedback as you can about your own wishes and requirements, so that they can come up with something you will be happy with.
3. Be open to alternatives
It’s not always possible to achieve everything you might dream of when making upgrades and improvements to your home, especially if your budget won’t stretch that far, or the materials you want aren’t available. with this in mind, it’s important to always be open to alternative suggestions your general contractor may offer you. You don’t have to agree to them, but remember that they will have overseen many other similar projects in the past, and hence will have plenty of helpful suggestions based upon past experiences and their extensive knowledge within the home improvement industry. Their goal is to help you achieve your dreams within your budget, and where this may not be feasible, to find alternatives that enable the project to go ahead, within budget, on time, and as close to your original plans as possible.
These really are simple, easy-to-follow tips, but you’d be surprised how many homeowners forget all about them as soon as their home improvement project gets underway, if not before! And it’s such a shame. So many homeowners end up seriously out of pocket by the time their project is complete because they didn’t take the time to assess it properly, and as a result, often have to make compromises in other areas of their life to make up for what they hadn’t budgeted for during the planning stages.
Work with an experienced construction contractor, follow the 3 principles listed above, and you should be able to keep your home improvement project within budget.
