WOW!!! I JUST MADE A MISTAKE !! AVOID RENOVATION MISTAKES

Renovating an old property can be a great way to get your dream home and climb the housing ladder, but it can also be a minefield for the unwary.

Taking on the Wrong Project

No matter how organised or experienced you are, renovating is a stressful and time consuming process, so unless a project is guaranteed to give you either your dream home, or make you money, you are taking on the wrong property.
Whether you are thinking of renovating your own home, or are looking to buy a place to renovate, assess the property’s potential and have a clear idea of your goals: are you looking to create a long-term home, to climb the housing ladder, or just to get as much space as you can afford? Unless you plan to live in the property for the foreseeable future, you should make sure that you will be able to resell it should you need to, and at least break even.

Buying Without a Survey

Don’t wait to discover damp, rot, subsidence or other major structural defects until it is too late. Find out as much about a property as possible before you buy, or before you start any work. A building survey, undertaken by  CURTIS CONSTRUCTION NIGERIA will provide information on the type of construction and materials used, and will give details of any defects found, their remedy and an indication of the likely cost .It is also worth commissioning a measured survey of the building, providing you with a detailed set of floor plans and elevations upon which to base your proposed design alterations.

Hiring Cowboy Builders

Renovation can turn into a nightmare if your builders or subcontractors fail to do a good job. Always be suspicious of an estimate or quote that is considerably cheaper than all the others, or someone who is available for work immediately. Ask for references, and speak to their previous clients.

Make Sure Your Builder

Is confident of undertaking the required work.
Understands the job and what is involved.
Has undertaken similar work before.
Will provide details of previous clients.
Seems to understand what you are trying to achieve.

Ask Their Previous Clients

What was the builder like to work with?
Was the work of a satisfactory standard?
Was the project completed on time?
Was the project completed on budget?
Were they neat, tidy and reasonably quiet?
Would they use them again?

Underestimating Costs
Renovation work always costs more than you expect. This is because some problems are not revealed until you start work and uncover them, but mostly because items are forgotten from the budget, or because you change your mind and alter the design or specification. Professional renovators always leave a contingency of between 10-20% to cover these costs and fully expect to have to spend it. Before you can start to predict costs, you need to have a good idea of your proposed plans, your specification for fixtures and fittings, and have decided who is doing what. To estimate costs, look at other people’s projects and expect to spend a similar amount, taking into account how much work they did themselves, when the project was completed, and the variation in labour costs.
Alternatively, get a builder’s estimate. This is a builder’s best guess of what your renovation project is going to cost, based on what they can see and the information you have provided them with. This is not a quote and the builder cannot be held to it, but an experienced builder should be able to give a fairly accurate guess.