5 Unexpected Costs During Renovation
Unexpected costs during a renovation.
Demo day arrived with all the excitement and build up that Christmas usually holds for our family. Once all the wrapping (or in this case roof tile & drywall) is stripped off there can be some not-so-great gifts hidden inside. Termite damage. Wood rot. Sigh.
When demo day reveals a renovation with hidden problems you either live with the problem(s) or more than likely you pay to fix them. I have read countless renovation blog posts where this reoccurring theme of hidden problems or on the job mess-ups create painful budget increases. And as bad as those cost increases can get, I would bet that most homeowners cost themselves far more in change orders. A solid plan, a good team (architect, designer & GC) still cannot prevent enemies of the budget. Here are some hidden costs:
#1 Your mortgage: I cannot say this loud enough… don’t move out of your house until you have permits in hand! This seems like a no brainer, but if you can't live in the property while renovating then you are at the mercy of the city where your plans are likely growing roots. If your city is like most, there is probably only one structural engineer plan checker for the entire city's residential remodels. One! And they probably have a mountain of plans to check. While we can’t control the permit process, we can say no thanks to paying rent and a mortgage on a home that’s not under construction. If you are staying in your home for the remodel do consider the increased cost of eating out if your kitchen is the renovation focus.
#2 Anything hidden inside of walls: termites, wood rot, old electrical, cracked plumbing (pay to have your house scoped with a plumbing camera during your inspection period- and for the love of goodness please tell me you got a home inspection). These little sneaks are bound to be somewhere under the roof or in the walls or in the ground of a remodel. Prepare for them becuas they will be waiting for you.
#3 Change orders: now this little doozy can literally crush your budget, but changes are going to happen once you have walls open. Changes do not have to be extreme and your plans should be very thorough from the start to prevent most changes. However, you would be wise to leave room in the budget ahead of time. In the case of the #AZResidence how could we go back to 8' ceilings when we admired 11' rafters exposed for the first time in over 50 years. How!? There will surely be changes you want made along the way. Give yourself grace and a contingency amount in your budget.
#4 Being human: This is code for mistakes. Like when you are assembling a closet system and you or someone else puts a screw into a water line instead of a stud. Mistakes will happen. Things will break, Someone will mess up an order. The more eyes that check
#5 Design wows: I would be doing every designer a disservice if we didn't mention those lovely (yet slightly more expensive) finish options floating out in the Pinterest, Houzz & Instagram atmosphere. These lovelies just hover into your air space at just the perfect moment where you have to get IT! Whatever the IT is, you will know when you see IT. These are the items that add up: slab upgrades, appliance upgrades, cabinetry changes, lighting, faucets, tile (labor to set said tile), wall treatments & of course I think I can hear LuAnn Nigara of Window Works shouting... SAVE ROOM IN THE BUDGET FOR WINDOW COVERINGS!!!