4 tips to avoid common renovation mistakes

There are so many details to keep track of when renovating your home. Not only do you need to find the right tradespeople, you need to coordinate who does what when, keep track of your budget and make all the fun decisions like paint colours, material finishes and more. With all this to think about, it’s no wonder mistakes can be made. To ensure you don’t end up with a renovation you regret, it pays to think about a few things at the very beginning of the planning phase. 

Here, tradie and Witzer founder James Robinson shares four tips that will help you avoid four costly renovation mistakes.

1. Find the right fit

For both parties, sourcing the right building partner is crucial. As a homeowner, be sure to interview a couple of different builders or contractors before deciding on your preferred choice. Sense check how comfortable they are answering your queries, and if you’re happy with their responses.

• What projects have you completed that are similar to my brief, and can you show me some examples?
• Do you have any client references?
• What would you quote for this type of project, including contingencies?
• What items would offer the most cost savings, or be the highest cost contributors?
• How do you prefer to communicate?

Questions to ask before hiring a tradie

2. Build the best foundation

A brief is so important, and the more detailed you can be with your plan, vision and objectives, the fewer surprises there will be along the way. Discuss priorities clearly, and agree to solutions in writing, to ensure nothing gets lost in translation. Consider creating a Pinterest board or collating some inspo pics. If you’re using a handy project management tool like the Witzer app, these can be uploaded directly into the interface for both you and your tradie to see.

Make sure you consider not only functional aspects, like size and cost, but also how you want to feel in the space. Colour, materials, light and air flow all play a huge part in this. Make sure you have a clear scope of work that you and your trade partner have agreed to. This should include contingencies for cost and time. If anything changes, update all contractors, so when the quotes come in they are all apples for apples.

3. Don’t forget to plan for the little things

Often smaller details can be left to the last minute, and the costs can blow out.

• The most logical place for power points and light switches.
• Fixtures and fittings – did you know that if you buy these direct, you avoid paying your builder a commission on them? The builder also knows what to allow for installation – not all fittings go together the same way.
• What furniture will fill the space? Ensure you’ve planned for the right size of items in the space.
• How will your day-to-day experience work? Try mapping out how you will flow through the space with some masking tape on the floor, to ensure your plans meet your needs.

Details to think about ahead of time:

4. Cement trust and avoid awkward payment conversations

Often smaller details can be left to the last minute, and the costs and time spent on these can blow out. The Witzer app is designed to empower you to manage your renovation and budget in a stress-free way. The helpful tool guides you from planning, through to managing progress and making payments.

The easy fund-management tool allows you to build trust with your tradie by showing you have committed the funds to the project. It also gives you the comfort of knowing your money won’t be released until the job has hit the required and agreed-to milestones. Win-win!

Here at Better Homes and Gardens, we tip our hats to the tradies of Australia. Watch this space for an exciting announcement next year that will be all about celebrating these unsung heroes. They make many a dream home renovation come true.

Watch this space…