Kitchen and bathroom renovations are costly at the best of the times. That’s before you make mistakes that will cost you even more money. To be sure you will end up with what you always dreamed of, it always pays off a professional team to handle your renovations. But, before they get started there are some things you can be getting along with to keep costs down. But, make sure you don’t make any of the below mistakes. They will not save you money!
Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations : Cabinets
If you want to be involved with the renovations of your kitchen or bathroom, you will be busy measuring up your cabinets or suite. One of the costliest mistakes you can make here is mismeasuring of cabinets. When it comes to measuring your cabinets in your kitchen, measure them, and then measure them again. If need be, use two different tape measures to make sure! Ordering cabinets and having them fitted only to realise your fridge won’t fit is an expensive mistake you don’t want to make.
Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations : Contractors
Hiring contractors to fit your new kitchen or bathroom is definitely more recommendable than try to fit them yourself. But, you need to be careful of who you hire. Bristol Builders Network only uses vetted tradesmen, and we will not recommend anyone else to you. What this means is that you should forget searching for the cheapest tradesmen. Let BBN take the strain and find you contractors that will do the job properly instead.
Budget for your Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations
One mistake that is all too common when it comes to bathrooms and kitchens is running out of money. When deciding on your budget, you should always allow for unexpected expenditure. This is money that you may need for fixing problems you didn’t know you had. When you take away old cabinets or a bathroom suite, you may be met by rotten floorboards or bad wiring and plumbing. As you cannot budget an exact amount for these, decide on an emergency fund amount of money that you will always have set aside should you need it. At least 10% on top of your budget should be set aside for such purposes.
Trends
When you are refitting your kitchen or bathroom, you should always remember that someday you may wish to sell your property. If you fit a kitchen that is super-stylish today, but goes out of fashion tomorrow, it will not make a good selling point for your home. Island Kitchens are the fashion accessory for all modern kitchens, but also be realistic. Do not try and cram an island kitchen into a room that really is too small for one!
Asides opting for an island that really will not fit in the space you have, forget investing in a huge larder double door fridge. If your kitchen is not big enough for an island, it won’t be for a monster-sized larder either. When it comes to the bathroom, choose a colour for your new suite that is neutral. Black may look great, but you may have a big problem selling your home with a black bathroom suite. Just like your island kitchen, forget putting a freestanding tub in the middle of your bathroom if you don’t have room. It will just look ridiculous and not stylish at all.
Lastly, don’t scrimp and save on areas that won’t actually be on show. Take your bathroom for example. If you have a damp home, then you will probably have become accustomed to getting mould growth. This problem could be prevented by using a bathroom membrane. A bathroom membrane is a hidden cost, because when finished you won’t see it, but it is an investment that is really worthwhile.
These are just some of the most common kitchen and bathroom renovations mistakes that people make. There are plenty more that have not been mentioned.
Final Note
So, when renovating your kitchen or bathroom, ensure you measure correctly, do not buy items that are too big for your home, and always use the help of the experts. If you use a local kitchen fitter for your new kitchen, the whole project can be complete in just days. If you decide to try and do all the fitting yourself, days will turn into weeks and possibly months. And remember, if you alter your own plumbing and then flood your home, your home insurance will almost certainly not cover the repair costs!