The 4 Home Improvement Mistakes You Should Avoid | GreenWerks

The 4 Home Improvement Mistakes You Should Avoid

There has been a lot of hype of late concerning home improvement. Home improvement increases the resale value of your home. It is the in-thing to do. It will greatly increase your family?s comfort and it is relatively easy to get funding. Well, while all this may be true, it pays to be wise. The following mistakes made by some people in their home improvement projects make this endeavor just about the worst decision they have ever taken, forcing them to spend a lot of money in the process, which they may not be able to recover.

Lack of preliminary planning

Many homeowners just dive straight in to their home improvement projects without a solid plan. All they know is that they are tired of that cramped little bathroom, or they want more natural light to get into their homes, and they know that if they do this, then they should get up to three times the original value of the home during resale. Well, it does not always work out that way.

Know exactly what you want to do and why. Do your research. This will save you a lot of disappointment. Do not tear down your whole bathroom only to realize that a little cladding and some pieces of furniture would have created the look you were looking for, at a much lower cost and with less hassle!

Have in mind what you want. Seek some expert advice too. Be able to make a budget of exactly how much will be needed and whether the project will provide you with adequate return on investment.

Lack of permit

Many homeowners ignore this requirement because they think it is an unnecessary expense but the bottom line is before you begin carrying out your home improvement project you will need to obtain a permit from the city authorities. The last thing you want is to splurge your earnings on a project only to have it torn down because it is against the law.

Most prospective buyers will be wary of buying a house, which had work done on it without a permit. The city inspectors who will be sent to inspect your project might also benefit you greatly by pointing out some things you might not have known especially if you had not sought professional advice.?

Being too cheap

There is a thin line between being economical and plain silly. Some homeowners under the guise of saving a couple of pennies decide to do some projects themselves when clearly professional help is needed.

The bathroom for example is a very delicate room involving an intricate combination of plumbing and wiring. Unless you are an expert, a major renovation of such a room would be ill advised and would probably leave you grappling with the consequences for years. This is a classic case of penny wise, pound-foolish.

Using cheap materials is another mistake that too many homeowners make. Cheaper is not necessarily better, in fact in most cases it just makes an awful mess of things. This at times may not even be the homeowner?s fault. You might honestly believe that your contractor is using the best materials-after all you are paying the amount for good materials. However, it is a reality that some contractors are crooks. That is why it is essential that you get a reliable contractor.

Over-personalizing and over-building

If ever you are going to sell that house, here are some of the greatest mistakes you could make. You may love some particular personal touches in the house, but no buyer wants to buy a house that will always feel like a stranger?s house to them. Keep it simple and functional, unless you intend to stay there forever.

Over-building on the other hand refers to going over the top with your renovations, making your house the most expensive house in your neighborhood. While most houses by the beach would require a swimming pool, if you were living in an ordinary quiet suburb, it might not be a good idea.

If houses in your neighborhood have an average asking price, your potential buyers will probably know it and anything you tell them that is above that will reduce your chances of getting a willing one.

This post is written by guest blogger Mark Ben, home improvement expert. He authors home improvement blogs for Talk Solar Panels, online solution providers for solar panels.

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4. Wilmette Home Renovations
5. Winnetka Home Remodeling Company

Source: http://www.greenwerkspro.com/the-4-home-improvement-mistakes-you-should-avoid/

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