What To Expect When You Are Renovating
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Congratulations! You have decided to renovate, but what should you expect? This is an exciting time for you. When your project is complete it will bring you much joy and help you live the life you envision for yourself. Whether it is a small renovation, or a large one, there are things you need to know to get through it.
#1 Renovating is very messy...
Don’t be shocked when you see your beautiful home destroyed. It has to look worse before it can get better.
#2 You will probably find something nasty while renovating...
When things get ripped apart or moved out of the way, you will see what has been hidden. There may be damage, faulty wiring, disintegrating materials, evidence of creatures, mold, pipes in the wrong places,etc. Once in a while you might uncover a nice surprise like original hardwood in good condition under a carpet…But don’t count on it.
#3 There will be delays while renovating...
Delays can happen for a variety of reasons.
- The weather may prevent work being done or items to be delivered when they are needed. I had to wait for snow to melt at my current project so we could start on the outside work.
- Supplies may not be available when you need them. When I went to buy some panelling, there weren’t enough left in stock.
- The supplies you need may be discontinued. When I went to order the shingles that I needed for the weekend they didn’t have enough. Therefore, I was forced to go to another supplier.
- Accidents happen…When my new stove was delivered the delivery guys dropped it and it slid down the porch stairs, scraping the side of it. It took almost three weeks to get another one delivered. When I had my countertops picked up, the corner got broken somehow on the way there. And it took another three weeks to get a replacement.
And more delays...
- The wrong supplies are delivered. The patio door I bought for my current project came with the opening on the wrong side. I also bought a new entry door and specified I only wanted one hole for the doorknob – I got two! Now I have to find the extra deadbolt that matches the lock …which leads to the next possible delay.
- Supplies will get lost, misplaced in the clutter of other supplies and junk. Where did I put that deadbolt?
- Miscommunications will happen.
- Someone will get sick and not be able to work.
- People’s schedules will not line up so the work or delivery can happen when you want it.
- Poor planning may cause delays. A friend informed me that the day finally came for her granite countertops to be installed and they didn’t have enough strong men to carry in the largest piece.
- If you are doing anything that requires a permit, you will have to wait for inspections, and nothing will get done until the inspector shows up and passes the work being done.
…And the list goes on.
#4 Your contractor will think you mean one thing when you mean something else and vice versa...
When doing my kitchen renovation last year I had to wait a few weeks for my countertop to arrive at Rona. I instructed my contractor to temporarily use my old countertop by cutting the sections on either side of the sink. He thought I wanted the old sink re-installed. EEEK! Fortunately, I happened to come home on my lunch break and clarified that I wanted the new farmhouse sink put in. What I hadn’t realized was that he had put small sections of the countertop on either side of the sink. I actually meant for the corner section to remain basically intact, and the other side cut straight where the original mitre was.
#5 Even if you carefully cost everything out and budget for a contingency fund, it will cost you more...
For all the reasons for delays already listed above, it will undoubtedly cost you more. If you estimate the cost of supplies when they are on sale, but don’t buy them right away, the cost will go up. You may know the cost of the main item – such as the sink, but how much will all the extra plumbing parts cost? There is always going to be some garbage to get rid of. Recycle as much as possible for free and donate as much good usable stuff as you can. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of disposal – renting a big bin or taking trailer and truck loads to the dump, and the extra labour to do so. If you are renovating for investment and planning to “flip” the house, you will have extra carrying costs for all the delays until it is sold.
#6 You will learn things while renovating that you didn't know before...
I learned that when referring to left or right openings for windows and doors, it is always from the outside looking in. I also learned that I have to be patient and be flexible when things don’t go as planned. Don’t sweat the small stuff. What have you learned?
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