3 Mistakes to Avoid during Renovation

Mangalesri Chandrasekaran2 Aug 2016

 

It is easy to get overly excited when you are getting your new house. However, do be careful about getting in over your head and making unnecessary mistakes! To help you on your new housing journey, we have identified 3 pitfalls that you should avoid!

 

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Interior Designer: Team BJ @ Damansara

 

1. Setting Your Budget A Little Too Low

The thing with some contractors is that they don’t want to lose your business, so if you come in asking for too much on an ultra-low budget, your contractor might just think of ways to get “creative”.

This means he could use cheaper labour, low-end materials, and pretty much apply cost-cutting measures across the board to give you what you want. But the end result might not be exactly what you envisioned; instead it may severely lack quality and compromise on safety.

On the other hand, good contractors will advise accordingly and tell you when your requests simply won’t work and how you can scale back your plans to fit your budget.

 

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Interior Designer: Green Apple Design @ 9 Bukit Utama Show Unit (Block B)

 

2. No Emergency Fund

Expecting the estimate to be the same as the final invoice is a classic rookie mistake. After all, that’s why they call it an estimate, right? What you need to do is prepare spare cash, around 10 to 15 percent of the budget to cover these extras if they come up (and they usually do).

With a good interior designer and contractor, you can expect that pop-up costs will not be excessive. This is because experienced consultants are better at drafting estimates, and are more likely to be honest with the numbers.

 

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Interior Designer: Kiwi Interior @ Kelly’s Residence

 

But how do you find a trustworthy design and construction team? Simple, just ask for recommendations from your contacts or look through Qanvast for user reviews. You’ll find straightforward feedback on architects and interior designers to help you gauge their level of expertise and professionalism.

Check out the Spotlight page on Qanvast to find the shining stars of the design world.

 

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Interior Designer: La Conception Hauz @ Platinum Victory 16

 

3. No Research, Big Problem!

You wouldn’t even buy a phone without first conducting a quick internet search, so why not do the same for your renovation project? Get online or on the phone (or on Qanvast) and explore your options in terms of price, design, completion period as well as the right team for your project.

If you need more support for your home renovation projects, head on over to Qanvast and check out these real stories from homeowners just like you.

 

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Interior Designer: JGiConcept Design @ 1-Sky Condo

 

With a bit of sleuthing you’ll be clear on what your money can buy and what it can’t. To make things a lot easier, just request a quote on Qanvast, it’s free!

Furthermore, Qanvast has an extensive collection of original projects (with costing) to spark your very own creative engine. Check out our Qanvast app for more inspiration! Download it for free from the App Store or Google Play now!

 

This article is contributed by Qanvast

Gursharan Singh
Aug 02, 2016
Another major cause of escalation of renovation costs which I have observed during my audit days is that Clients' changes of 'WANTS' for new products which may have come into the market after the initial choices were made. Also in some cases the husbands fail to discuss with their spouses their 'WANTS' which may come in only after the costs have been finalized or in some cases after the initially agreed items have been installed. Final cause may be the long delay between the earlier negotiated specifications or choices being replaced current products. While the rise in prices in the case of individuals or private owners may be seldom it is generally more common in the case of renovations done with public-charities-religious-NGOs funds and may be more due to 'wishes' of the spouses.
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