The thought of renovating your home can be very exciting, but also overwhelming for the majority of us. Sometimes we get too caught up with our end vision that we neglect the actual renovation process that gets us there. In doing so, we miss out on important steps or considerations that can be challenging to reverse much later. So before you embark on renovating your space, let us share some top renovation mistakes that many of us are often guilty of.

#1 Failure to budget

You do not always need a sky-high budget to craft your perfect home. As much as design is about aesthetics, it is also about working within confined perimeters and within budget. In fact, a tight budget often coerces us to be more creative when we are designing or renovating a space.

#2 Leaving decisions entirely to the designer or contractor

A professional designer or contractor will respect and seek your opinion about your space. He or she will take in your design visions and ideas and refine them to ensure that everything comes together to create the best effect. The last thing you should do is to leave all decisions in their hands. What you should expect is a designer or contractor who engages you in an on-going dialogue.

#3 Follow design trends mindlessly

Design trends out of a magazine sure look fancy, but it is more important for you to tailor a look that best suits your personality and lifestyle. Also consider the transitions your family will be going through. If you are planning for a baby in the near future, you might want to settle for a look that is easier to upkeep in the long run.

#4 Inadequate planning

The importance of proper and thorough planning cannot be overemphasised. If you are the sort who cooks up a storm every weekend, you might want to steer clear from an open-concept kitchen. If you plan on growing your family, you might need to keep that extra bedroom instead of hacking a wall to create a larger master suite. Again, it is all about understanding your lifestyle and your requirements.

#5 Failure to consider lighting and electrical outlets

This adds to the previous point on planning. The way you plan to use each room has an impact on where lightings and electrical outlets should be placed. Since lighting changes the mood in a space, failure to plan for the positioning of ambient or task lightings can affect the appeal and function of the room. And if you have custom carpentry, you might want to install your electrical outlets on them to free up wall space for a clutter-free look. All these require you to plan in advance.

Cove lighting underneath a bed creates a sense of weightlessness. Consider the impact of lighting in space during the planning stage.  (Design: Sky Creation)

#6 Engaging the wrong renovation company

Do you know that there are accreditations that set substandard renovation companies from the reliable ones? For instance, renovation companies that are awarded ISO certifications abide by strict conducts of quality management standards to ensure outcomes that meet homeowners’ expectations.

Introduced in 2014, CaseTrust-RCMA Joint Accreditation scheme for renovation businesses is another scheme that serves a consumer’s best interest. Under this scheme, an accredited business is to protect a homeowner’s deposit payment through the purchase of a deposit performance bond. This bond will safeguard a homeowner’s deposits against company closure, winding up or liquidation. On top of that, with a CaseTrust Standard Renovation Contract, businesses have to ensure cost transparency and accountability for all listed deliverables in a renovation project.