I’m sure you have watched one of those home improvement shows and thought to yourself: “wow…..that was really easy!” Well, there are a lot of behind the scenes drama and problems that are not shown. The truth is that while they might show a kitchen renovation budget of $5,000, what they don’t tell you is that most of that budget is the material cost. A lot of the labor you see on TV has been traded for “TV exposure” for the company providing the labor. Any type of home improvement project is going to take quite of bit of planning in the very beginning. This design stage plays a major role in the home renovation’s success and is only shown for a couple minutes on Television. The truth is that it could takes weeks, even months to design and estimate any type of room addition or home improvement project. All kinds of decisions have to me made before you take a sledge hammer and start tearing into walls. Permits will need to be pulled, a realistic construction budget will need to put together, finding a qualified and licensed contractor to complete the work will need done, material selection and color coordination will also be very important, and the list goes on. You should be aware that having a contingency budget of around 3-5% of you total construction budget for unforeseen problems that come up during the coarse of construction. Trust me, there will be some things that come up that were not planned for.
Another thing that you don’t see on television is the stress a family goes through will living in the home while the construction is being done. Just imagine if you are renovating a kitchen…..there will be a period of time where you will be without a kitchen sink, disposal, dishwasher, microwave, stove, and oven. Not to mention the constant noise and dust that comes with any home improvement project. I am not trying to scare you here, but the reality is that this won’t be the most pleasant experience.–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.
On the bright side, sacrificing a few weeks of discomfort will allow you a lifetime to enjoy your newly remodeled home. Talk to friends, family member, neighbors, or co-workers that have been through a home renovation project. They will be able to tell you their experience and how they dealt with their home renovation.