8 Common Remodeling Mistakes (And How We Solve Them)
A home remodel comes with a lot of decisions—and a lot of second-guessing yourself. We’re here to help. By helping you avoid these common home remodeling mistakes, we give you peace of mind during the process and a whole lot of satisfaction with the end result: the home you’ve always dreamed of.
Number 1: Starting Without a Solid Plan
Do you really need to spend time coming up with a detailed, comprehensive plan before starting your home remodel? Yes, you definitely do. A home remodel contains a lot of moving parts, from layout to materials to electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, and so much more. If you don’t plan each detail before the hammers start swinging, you risk a more expensive and less satisfying product.
How We Solve This:
We spend time on the front end talking with you in-depth about what you want out of your home remodel.
This ensures that your wants, needs, and personal style all come through in your design, and also that the final cost fits within your budget.
Your project is ready to begin when you have all your design documents, a scope of work, and all your financial materials in order.
Starting before these pieces are in place can lead to expensive change orders and dissatisfaction with the final product.
Number 2: Hiring the Cheapest Contractor
We get it. Remodeling a home is an investment, and the initial sticker shock might make you want to cut corners where you can. But low quotes often leave out essentials that you will eventually pay for, like demolition, permits, and clean-up. These quotes look better on paper, but in reality, they might cost you more. In addition, you may find that you get what you pay for with a contractor who is hard to reach, too busy for your questions, or doesn’t have a dedicated project manager for your remodel.
How We Solve This:
We believe that the best way to handle money questions is with clear, honest conversations.
We make sure you know everything that is included in the price we give you.
Our final price includes demo, permits, clean-up, and everything else related to your project. No surprises.
Number 3: Skipping Professional Design Help
It might be tempting to just talk to your contractor about the basics of what you want and trust that he can pull it off. But just as you wouldn’t take a long road trip without directions, you shouldn’t start a remodel on your Tacoma home without a clear design.
A good design will take your wants and needs and translate them into a beautiful, functional home remodel that you love. Design brings all the pieces—layout, style, colors, materials, and flow—together and ensures that your final product fulfills your vision.
How We Solve This:
Our team of professional designers meets with you extensively, and together, you plan the perfect remodel for your Tacoma home.
They will provide 3D renderings, floor plans, mood boards, and more to bring your vision to life.
Then they’ll help you make selections and choose finishes from a curated list.
Your home will perfectly reflect your story, with every detail thoughtfully chosen. Read more about our process here.
Number 4: Ignoring Behind-the-Scene Elements
While they’re not as fun to think about, the foundational and hidden elements of your home (think: electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing, etc) are vitally important to the safety and functionality of your home. When you remodel your Tacoma home, you may need to bring these systems up to code or change them to support more square footage or a new layout. Ignoring these components will lead to trouble down the road.
How We Solve This:
During the planning period, we take into account all the behind-the-scenes elements of your home.
We walk you through exactly what needs to happen with each one, so you can be confident that the parts of your home that you can’t see are as perfect as the parts you can.
Number 5: Changing Your Mind Mid-Project
It happens. As you see your remodel taking shape before your eyes, you realize you don’t love the tile pattern as much as you thought you would, or the flooring isn’t exactly the right shade to complement the countertops. Changing your mind mid-project can cause delays, costly change orders, and frustration. Ordering new materials, changing the layout mid-project, or redoing work that has already been done is expensive in terms of both time and money.
How We Solve This:
By starting with design and making sure that every element of the remodel is chosen before work starts, we ensure that your vision is in place.
3D models and floor plans help you visualize the space beforehand, so you can make any changes you need to make.
Our designers offer you expert guidance in planning your remodel so you can rest assured that the layout and design the team comes up with is the absolute best for your space.
We believe that design-build is the best method of home remodeling available, and this is why: when your designers and contractors work together, they can come up with innovative plans that elevate your home.
When a team knows how to problem-solve creatively, potential limitations or issues can turn into features that are personal to your home.
Number 6: Choosing Trendy Over Timeless
We love trends. But we also know that while trendy finishes and designs look great now, they can make your home appear dated over time. And sometimes, they can be difficult or expensive to redo. Timeless designs, on the other hand, never go out of style. They look sophisticated and classic through the years.
How We Solve This:
We believe the best-designed homes blend timelessness and trendiness in a way that fits the homeowners’ personalities and styles.
Generally speaking, you should use classic materials in the permanent, hard-to-change, or larger areas of the home, like the flooring, countertops, and kitchen cabinets.
Then you can be free to choose bold or trendy materials in easier-to-replace areas like your backsplash, paint color, wallpaper, and accessories.
Number 7: Hiring Without Doing Your Research
Your Pierce or South King County home is probably your largest investment. So deciding who to entrust it to is important. Do your research, read lots of reviews, and interview contractors you’re considering. And in the end, make sure you choose a company you feel comfortable with.
How We Solve This:
We are proud of our reputation in the local Tacoma community and surrounding areas because it reflects the trust our clients place in us. We don’t take this trust lightly. Choose a contractor who cares about you and your home and treats you with respect.
Make sure you ask for references, read reviews on multiple platforms, and ask all your questions to any home remodeling company you’re considering.
Read this article for more information on how to choose the right Tacoma remodeling contractor.
Number 8: Trying to Budget Without A Solid Price Quote
Many homeowners, in trying to make good financial plans, treat an estimate like it’s a final number. But often they are a rough guideline, and don’t include things like design costs, specific finishes you want, site prep, and a margin for contingencies. Make sure you and your team are communicating clearly on this issue, and ask all your questions.
How We Solve This:
Instead of an estimate, we provide a clear, thorough fixed-price contract that includes all elements specific to your project. You work with a designer to choose your finishes, and those are listed in the final document.
This means that instead of your quote saying “plumbing fixtures for bathroom” with an estimated price, yours will list the specific fixtures you’ve chosen and an accurate price.
You’ll know your total before work starts, giving you peace of mind and the ability to plan.
Summary
While starting a home remodel in Pierce or South King County can feel overwhelming, we’re here to help. When you trust your team, begin with a great design, know what to expect, and have guidance through every step of the process, you will not only end up with a home you love, you may just enjoy the process. If you’d like to schedule time to meet with us and discuss your plans for your Tacoma home remodel, contact us today. We can’t wait to help you turn your home into the home of your dreams.