So you’ve finally decided to tackle that renovation you have been dreaming of and saving up for for years. Congratulations, we are so excited for you! If you’ve read our previous blog (06.02- The Actual Cost of a Reno) you may know a bit about what to expect in reality versus how they make it look on TV. Don’t get us wrong, we work in the industry and we still love watching those shows, but we watch it more for inspiration as we know the reality of the situation. A lot of things are out of our control as designers, out of your control as homeowners and out of the contractor’s control.

1 - budget

It’s important to set a budget before you begin as costs can easily get out of hand. On that note, it is even more important to add a contingency fund to your budget as things can often take an unexpected turn. Another easy way to drive up that budget is by picking higher end finishes that, yes look gorgeous, but may not be within your realm of options. We encourage our clients to be as realistic with their budgets as possible and to be flexible if more cost effective choices need to be made.

2 - Time

The number one reason the anticipated finish date can start moving further and further away are changes made on the fly. Maybe you started with just wanting a basic bathroom facelift, but now you want to change the location of the vanity lighting. Well now you need an electrician to re-route the wiring and, possibly, a drywaller to patch the area where the lights were placed originally. Patience truly is a virtue as we have to wait for finishes, tradespeople and the coordination of everyone’s schedule.

3 - What’s Behind Those Walls

If you are considering doing more of a “cosmetic” upgrade (such as paint and switching out hardware), you don’t have to worry about this as much. As soon as you decide to change the footprint of your space, a contractor can assume and predict what is behind a wall, but won’t fully know until a sledgehammer has been taken to it and at that point, there’s really no turning back. If the wall is considered to be load bearing, it may even require an engineer to come in and assess if it’s possible to eliminate and if so, how the load will get transferred to other areas to ensure the structure stays safe. Other issues that you could come across are rot, or things not up to code such as plumbing and electrical. Just be prepared for whatever could be lurking behind those walls!

4 - Order Delays

Unfortunately Covid didn’t just wreak havoc on societies mental health and personal relationships, it has also impacted the world’s supply chains immensely. Delays are completely out of most peoples control along the “order chain” and more common than the last name Smith. When picking items it is important to ensure the amount needed is currently in stock. If you have to have it, some items may make sense to order when in stock and store (example a bathroom vanity mirror). Otherwise, you may have to reselect or wait for the item to arrive which will for sure cause delays in the project.

5 - Expectations VS Reality

We all love to watch HGTV and browse for ideas on Pinterest and think to ourselves “I gotta have this in my home”. Well unfortunately sometimes it just can’t happen. Or at least not in the same way as you saw on TV/ Internet. If you are a very visual person and have a hard time imagining how things would look based on a black and white floor plan, consider having the project mocked up in 3D.This way you won’t have any surprises and your reality will be what your expectations are. Another dampener on expectation vs reality is budget. We too love those gorgeous handmade, custom tiles that some designers use but we also know we may need to look elsewhere for a comparable alternative. Again, in your mind you know it won’t look the same but it’s possible that on the final reveal you still have that image in your head and can’t help but be surprised by the end result.

Of course all these issues are intertwined and if one happens, another can follow closely behind. But enough with all this negative talk, the experience can still be 100% worth it. All we’re saying is it is important to have all your ducks in a row before taking on something this monumental and not to mention stressful. Of course we are human and you may change your mind part way through on a finish or want to add to the original scope of work. Just be prepared mentally for the above five points. We hope we didn’t scare you off! It’s just very important to educate yourself in regards to what you want, what you can afford and finding a trustworthy team to help you achieve this goal. Have further questions or concerns? We’d love to discuss them with you!

Happy Thursday!