Home remodeling problems are more common than you think. Between ordinary obstacles and unexpected woes, homeowners should prepare for the inevitable. They need a clever crew to mitigate challenges and reduce their stress. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to develop a contingency plan.
Understanding why issues happen can help keep your cool when things don’t go as planned. It also eliminates some of your worries and gives you a chance to learn more about your property. In the meantime, you can hire the Cornerstone Remodeling Design/Build team to ensure efficiency, come what may.
Here is a brief overview of what they’ll tell you.
Why Home Remodeling Problems Happen
Home remodeling problems aren’t rare, even for the experts. That’s because each property is unique, with a rich history of wear and tear. Previous homeowners could have done things to the house without disclosing it to buyers. Meanwhile, some details can remain hidden until the work begins. So, problems during a home remodel don’t necessarily mean the crew is clueless.
Renovating a house requires several steps, and each step can be risky. If designers and contractors don’t know something, their trajectory could change. Alterations to home remodeling projects might also increase the cost of completion, especially if the obstacles are significant. Unfortunately, these are things that neither side can avoid.
Avoidable home remodeling problems typically include paint color discrepancies and ultra-tight deadlines. However, you can usually prevent both with an intuitive team and excellent communication. Most issues while remodeling a house begin because of misunderstandings, misinformation, and mystery details. So, hope for the best and plan for the rest.
What Do I Need to Know Before Remodeling?
Get ready, get set, and go with a comprehensive home remodeling approach. Your team can help you figure out which steps to take first while providing guidance to avoid common problems. Contractors, designers, and engineers will access your property for the project duration. And if your design is unique, they might also ask to take pictures or conduct interviews.
Home remodeling professionals like to spend time in the space to gain first-hand perspectives. They often show up on-site while the work is paused or when the homeowner is absent. So, many people invest in a lockbox to allow impromptu access and secure the parameter. If having uninvited professionals on your property is a problem, speak to your crew.
Usually, design/build teams will request a final walk-through before marking the project “complete.” That’s when you should ask any pressing questions or address additional concerns. You can use the time to provide extra details about the design or criticize the work. However, try to be realistic about your timelines and expectations. For the best results, compare their finished product with other homes in your neighborhood.
Each city requires different building permits. Yet, getting permission to remodel some houses can be challenging and expensive. Expect delays if you live in a historic community or have a home with multiple code violations. Avoiding home remodeling problems like these often means shorter deadlines and decreased spending. So, find out what you can do to streamline goals and manage the budget.
Common Home Remodeling Problems to Expect
It’s your home. Make the most of it. But try not to get carried away on non-critical elements while you do. Home renovation projects can take a long time and cost thousands of dollars. Thus, frugal homeowners will let the design/build team take the lead and provide valuable feedback when prompted.
Learn to love your house whether the project runs smoothly or not. Then prepare yourself for these common setbacks:
- Creating Unrealistic Parameters
The budget could be too tight to accommodate some of your wishes or address newly discovered issues.
- Choosing Form Over Function
Nonfunctional or impractical elements could cause disruptions to other parts of the renovation.
- Forgetting the Surplus Supplies
Unforeseen issues might absorb some of the building materials, requiring additional investment.
- Picking the Wrong Design Trends
Some trendy home designs can cost more than traditional aesthetics and simple features.
- Changing the Architectural Style
Altering the original architecture could cause code violations or fees from the local government.
These aren’t the only problems that could pop up when remodeling your house. For example, buying home decorations or furnishings too soon can waste time and money just as quickly. Plus, you shouldn’t install appliances, roofing, or HVAC systems until the team finishes their work. Talk to your team for more information on how the design/build process works.
Expert home builders from Cornerstone Remodeling can help you plan and prepare for the unexpected. So, what sort of mystery problems await? The answers may surprise you.
5 Unexpected Home Remodeling Problems to Prepare For
Specific issues are far more common than others. Timing discrepancies, budget concerns, and design variations always slow down production. But unexpected home remodeling problems can make things even worse. While dealing with structural matters, lousy plumbing, and plaster walls, you might run into something you never anticipated.
Unplanned obstacles can dictate how smoothly the process goes. Plus, the work could become more complicated if your house was built before the current building codes were enforced. Luckily, your contractor can tell you more about where your property stands and how its condition might affect the bottom line.
Meanwhile, develop a contingency plan for these five unexpected home remodeling problems:
#1. Hidden Water Damage
Damage from water can cause significant cost increases and project delays. That’s because moisture can seep through the cracks in your walls and roofing without a trace. Your house may also feature leaky pipes and broken plumbing, worsening the problem even more. However, contractors don’t always realize an issue until they tear out floors or remove walls.
FACT: Water damage can cause mold, mildew, and termites, which may cost extra to mitigate.
#2. Faulty Foundation or Framing
Fixing cracks in your foundation can be a nightmare. Unfortunately, homeowners cannot complete remodeling projects on top of a faulty base. Cracks in the walls, gaps along structural edges, and stubborn doors or windows are all signs of trouble. However, issues are occasionally discovered during the renovation because some are hard to see.
FACT: Older foundations can crumble over time, even if the bulders use top-quality materials.
#3. Unsafe Building Materials
Some people say they don’t make houses like they used to, and they’re right. Past homes often feature hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead or expose workers to dangerous chemicals like Radon. Experts will have to remove the hazards and dispose of them correctly, which could cost you money or slow the schedule. Check the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for local laws and service providers.
FACT: You can have your property inspected for harmful materials before starting a remodeling project.
#4. Previous Damages
Shoddy work is why you’re remodeling your house in the first place. But someone else’s lousy workmanship could complicate your home remodeling project and drive your budget or timeline through the roof. Poorly built extensions must be removed, and uneven carpeting has to go. You can’t layer an excellent design over old mistakes from previous homeowners without paying for it one way or another.
FACT: Keeping poorly finished elements to save time or money can be counterproductive.
#5. Supply Chain Disruptions
Homebuilding companies in Baltimore suffer the same fate as everyone else during supply chain disruptions and shortages. While some belong to an extensive vendor network, global inventory issues are out of their hands. So, expect significant delays if you choose imported design elements or prefer items from a specific brand.
FACT: You can determine your remodeling allowances and estimate wait times before starting.
How to Prepare for Unexpected Home Remodeling Problems
Nobody can predict the future. But you can prepare for unexpected home remodeling problems with an intelligent approach. Most design/build teams will brief homeowners on the steps then develop a timeline and budget for the project. However, you can’t always count on the crew to read your mind.
Follow these three simple steps instead of waiting for something bad to happen. You can avoid many unplanned mishaps when you nip them in the bud.
Step 1: Form Your Team Early
Start gathering resources and choosing your contractor as soon as you can. Begin with a talented home building team and pick interior designers. Then get a home remodeling quote to calculate the budget and align it with your timeline.
Step 2: Remain Flexible
Keep an open mind while contractors complete the work. First, be adaptable to their schedule. Then complete remodeling projects based on their knowledge of municipal codes and building safety guidelines. Remember, you hired professionals for a reason.
Step 3: Leave Room in the Budget
Don’t spend every penny of your building allowance until you get the all-clear from your crew. Wait to pay for unexpected expenses instead. Then use the surplus funds to upgrade features and create more customized interior designs or floor plans.
Avoiding common issues is easy enough. However, preventing unexpected home remodeling problems requires an expert touch. So, don’t renovate your property without hiring a comprehensive crew of talented contractors and interior decorators.
Conclusion: Let Cornerstone Remodeling Hold Your Hand
Building, rebuilding, and remodeling your home can be intimidating. We also know that each step is full of surprises. But the Cornerstone Crew does more than hope for the best. We plan for the worst and prepare homeowners better than the rest.
Come see how we walk you through the process of upgrading your property stress-free. Contact our award-winning team for more information. Or find out if you qualify for our affordable financing options. Then discover why we’re Baltimore’s Best of 2021.
