In the Design Studio: The Four Remodeling Pitfalls

This is a sponsored post by Anna Gibson, owner of AKG Design Studio and an award-winning, certified kitchen and bathroom designer. AKG Design Studio is a boutique design firm specializing in kitchen, bathroom designs and cabinetry sales. Contact her at 571-989-2541 or [email protected], and check out her work on Houzz, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.

Whether you remodeled before or this is your first time at it it’s important to remember a few basic guidelines of remodeling DON’TS in order to avoid costly pitfalls of your projects. Relying on your instincts or ideas that you saw on TV/ Pinterest not always going to work best at your house, affecting your home renovation project negatively.

How do you know whether you are hurting or helping the project? Here are some remodeling pitfalls to consider:

Purchasing your own materials

Although it seems like a money saving idea, you should not buy your own materials. Your contractor most likely gets better prices then you and even though they markup the materials, you might not notice the price difference. On the other hand, it will be put the liability on your contractor in case something is wrong with the order.

Keep changing your mind or delaying decisions

In order for your remodeling project to go smoothly as possible, you should make your decisions before the work starts. Some things are out of your control and mostly involve the actual construction.

Opening walls is always like a jack-in-the-box, especially in older construction. Decisions regarding your design and selections must be made before the works starts as order time can vary and your contractor may move faster than your decisions making, creating a delay. Changing your mind will create the same effect and may cost you lots of money and time if the items were already ordered or installed.

Working without contingency funds

Always have a backup plan and funds! As I said earlier, older homes and even some of the new construction can surprise you. If the work that you plan to do will cost more money than you can afford, you should reconsider the project. Make sure to setup realistic budget expectations with your designer and contractor. Make sure to leave at least 10 percent of your total budget toward the unexpected. So if the plumbing behind the sink needs to be updated in order to avoid future leaks, you will avoid the stress of coming up with additional finds. And if you don’t use the funds, you can now shop for furniture for your new space.

Cutting corners

When thinking about materials and design layout options make sure to invest in the best quality materials and workmanship you can afford. A shoddy job or not what you really wanted will have to be redone sooner, creating more waste and costing you more in the end. Choose materials that will stand up to kids, clean freaks, dogs — whatever’s “real” in your world. Listen to the experts. Kitchen designers, architects, and experienced contractors all know things you need to learn — the sooner, the better.

Last week’s poll results. Where do you feed your pets?

According to our latest poll, 70 percent of our readers feed their dogs in the kitchen. Keeping the pooch part of the family and the food on protected ground is key for most people. Just remember to give them a quit spot to rest and keep plenty of water available all day.