5 Things That Will Instantly Increase Your Home Renovation Budget

Remodeling your home is an exciting process. But often times homeowners can get swept up in the dreaming stage of the design and forget to factor in unexpected remodeling expenses that could add substantial time and money to the project. If you’re planning a remodel anytime soon, here are 5 things you’ll want to consider that could accidentally send your renovation budget through the roof.

Moving pipes When you’re renovating your kitchen and you want to move appliances such as a dishwasher or sink, you can’t forget to take into account the cost of moving pipes. While moving something as small as a sink might not seem like a big task, for example, your contractor will have to go under your floor to extend pipes to your new appliance, and in doing this, you will be sure to add a significant cost to your budget.

Reconfiguring load-bearing walls Open floor plans are extremely popular in many homes nowadays, but if you’re considering renovating your home and expanding your kitchen or living room to open up the space, be sure that it doesn't involve moving load-bearing walls if you want to keep your budget under control. While non load-bearing walls are costly to move, when you are planning on removing load-bearing walls you not only have to factor in the cost of knocking down the wall, but also the cost of maintaining the structural integrity of your home. In order to keep the integrity intact, a contractor usually needs to replace the load-bearing wall with a beam. This will not only be costly, but it might also impact your original design, since often times the beams protrude lower than the height of the original ceiling.

Hiring a separate architect, contractor, and design team Hiring a separate architect, contractor, and design team is another sure-fire way to increase your home renovation budget. Working with multiple teams on the design, architecture, and construction can be a headache in terms of communication and staying within your budget, so save yourself the extra effort and hire an all-in-one design build firm. A design build firm manages all aspects of the project, and the design and construction teams work together to make decisions quickly and within your set budget, so you’ll be able to get the renovations you want without all of the hassle of going back and forth.

Getting custom cabinetry and finishes It’s no secret that the cabinets in your kitchen are the centerpiece of the room. Because it’s often your first impression when you walk into the kitchen, homeowners will want to renovate the cabinets before tackling any other kitchen projects. In doing this many homeowners often opt out of stock cabinets, and instead customize their cabinets to create custom sizes, finishes, and details that will stand out. While custom cabinetry is unmatched in terms of looks, and getting the layout you want from your kitchen, beware, as it will add thousands of dollars on to your budget. Customized cabinets are almost always more expensive than the stock versions, and if your kitchen is relatively large in size, make sure to account for this expense in your budget.

Dated wiring If you’re planning on renovating an older home, take into account the electrical needs of the room. Almost any room you add will require electricity, and oftentimes, when you start your renovation project, you will discover dated wiring and older electrical units that can’t support your renovation plan or new light fixture ideas.