Reno of the Month: What Not To Do In Your Remodel

By Nicola Caul Shelley, Synergy Design & Construction

At Synergy Design & Construction, we are firm believers in helping homeowners become more informed by providing insights and advice on all things home remodeling.

There are many factors that can result in a ‘renovation nightmare,’ so here are our top 3 things not to do to help you avoid the common pitfalls!

1. Hire the Wrong Type of Contractor

Just figuring out where to get started often leads to many homeowners feeling quickly overwhelmed and giving up at the first hurdle. It doesn’t have to be that way. If you don’t know the difference between a General Contractor and a Design-Build firm, that’s a great place to begin! Knowing who you need from the start is a huge time — and cost — saver.

2. Have Unrealistic Budget Expectations

Having a clear investment goal and communicating it to your contractor at the outset is essential. With so many TV shows setting unrealistic expectations about the time and cost involved in a home remodel, it’s difficult to know if you are being realistic or not. The annual Cost vs. Value Report is a great place to start.

3. Move Forward Without a Clearly Defined Scope of Work and Timeline

Assume nothing! A detailed scope of work ensures you and your contractor are on the same page when it comes to your project. If you are provided with material allowances, do your homework to ensure they are realistic with the level of finish you are expecting. An allowance for low-grade granite when what you really want is gorgeous Carrara marble isn’t going to cut it.

Your chosen contractor should also have a timeline or project plan prepared that clearly shows when they are going to begin and when they’ll be finished with construction. The last thing you want is to be ringing in the New Year with a partially completed kitchen when they said work would be complete by Thanksgiving.

Looking for more insights on “what not to do?” Read 5 Things Not To Do in Your Kitchen Remodel and 5 Things Not To Do in Your Bathroom Remodel.

This month, our featured remodel is a kitchen remodel in Vienna. After almost 10 years in their home and with 2 college-aged kids, our clients were ready to make their space their own. They wanted to create a more open feeling with better flow on the main level with the priority focused on creating a larger kitchen. By expanding into the existing dining room, we were able to do just that.

Although drawn to a casual, warm look and soft textures, they were not afraid of bold color on the island with matching tile accents and other design elements to really make this kitchen shine!

May is National Remodeling month, so if you’ve been thinking about a remodel for a while, now’s the time to finally get around to doing something about it!

We’re always happy to chat!