10 Common Renovation Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

3. Ignoring Structural Defects

There is no point in prioritising interior fixtures and fittings over the home’s physical structure. It’s easy to start shopping for the perfect timber floors and a freestanding tub, but these things are all nice-to-haves and not essentials.

Location is king, so picking a project in a desirable area is the best option. Think about the vicinity and the proximity to transport, schools, hospitals and local amenities. Be careful though: look at the ceiling price of houses in the street and try to ensure your project isn’t pushing the budget way over the predicted resale value. Photo: istock.com/Kauka Jarvi

If you cut corners when improving the building fabric, it’s a mistake you’ll regret in the long term. Make sure that you take care of insulating the home, replacing an inefficient heating system, fixing or replacing windows and making good any weak spots – commonly drainage and guttering – by installing new roof felt and reparing/repointing any damaged areas of brickwork. If you ignore this, you’ll pay for it in the future.

4. Not Knowing Your DIY Limits

Many people take on a home improvement project or renovation because they are excited about getting their hands dirty. You can save money and gain an incredible sense of fulfilment, but equally, you can delay your entire project and have to shell out for repair work. Bad DIY wastes time and money.

Taking on DIY jobs on a renovation might sound appealing – but you must know your limits. Leave specialist jobs, such as plastering, to the professionals or you may end up having to pay an expert to redo your mistakes. Photo: istock.com/ Ramaboin

Electrics and plumbing are not for novices because of safety, and elements like plastering can look shockingly bad if not done properly. Think carefully about what your skills are, how much time you can dedicate to the job at hand, and whether your investment in the training and tools are worthwhile. Financially, you’ll often make more money sticking to your day job and paying for professionals.

EXPERT VIEW How to be a good neighbour when renovating Emma Perkin Emma Perkin from Emil Eve Architects shares the ins and outs of undertaking a renovation and how to be a good neighbour throughout the process. REMEMBER PARTY WALL AGREEMENTS if you are looking to carry out any building work near or on your shared property boundary or party wall. This might include works to shared supporting steel beams between the houses when removing structural walls. You should serve a Party Wall Notice to your neighbours between two months and a year before building work commences. You can serve the notice yourself following specific requirements, or appoint a surveyor to do this. You’ll need to include drawings and details of the works. I’d also advise undertaking a photographic condition survey of your neighbour’s home. This will help to avoid any uncertainty, for example, about whether a crack was there before or whether it’s a result of your renovation works. COMMUNICATION IS KEY when planning any renovation, and your neighbours will appreciate you being open and considerate early on. If any part of your project will impact their home or garden – for example a new wall to an extension which may be against the boundary of their garden – be open to discussing materials and finishes, such as brick or render. Explain when the building works are likely to start and how long they will continue for. Opening a clear line of communication will minimise any hostility, which is very important when you need to remain living next door! FIND GOOD CONTRACTORS who will work within respectable hours, and make it clear that you expect them to stick to any timings set by your local authority. You could also ask your trades to take care not to disturb neighbours unnecessarily by, for example, shouting or playing loud music while working outside. Remember it’s not just noise that can disturb your neighbours, it can also be mess on the street outside, so ensure they keep things in check (see below). Introduce your neighbours to your builders so they can approach them comfortably if any issues arise. MAINTAIN A TIDY SITE and think about how the mess you’re going to be creating will impact your neighbours. If you are undertaking any sort of demolition there’ll be a lot of waste and you need to agree with your builder where it is stored and how often it’s collected from site. Think about the location of your skip, too – do you have a front garden or will this be on the roadside? You’ll need a skip license from your council if it’s the latter. If there is scaffolding going up, you should consider how this will this impact your neighbours both in terms of privacy and any dust from the works. You may want to offer to clean your neighbour’s windows once the project is complete. INSURE YOUR PROJECT You need to ensure that your home is protected and that both you and your builder have appropriate cover in place for the works, their employees and the public. Talk to your home insurance provider about the renovation works you are undertaking, as they will want to know what these consist of, the estimated start and finish dates, the costs and the form of contract or agreement you have with the builder. If the project’s above their threshold for complexity or cost, you’ll need to take out specialist renovation cover and should talk to a broker to obtain quotes.

5. Updating the Wrong Aspects

We know that renovation projects add value, but not all improvements are equal and have the same investment to outcome value ratio. For example, re-rendering your facade and improving the home’s kerb appeal will add more value than a built-in music system.

It’s important to focus your renovation investment on aspects of the property that will increase its value. Kitchens, bathrooms and useable outdoor space are always top of the list. Photo: istock.com/Paul Maguire

Inside, key areas to upkeep are the kitchen and bathrooms. Keep layouts simple and fuss-free, and invest in quality functional items that future buyers will take note of. Well kept, landscaped gardens and outdoor seating areas are also important, so don’t overlook this. It doesn’t mean you need to build-in a pizza oven and install a water feature, but having a clean patio and a healthy lawn is hugely attractive.

6. Overlooking the Importance of Design

It’s true that undertaking a house renovation project is expensive. So, spend your hard earned cash on something you’re confident will come out looking good. Just because you have an eye for detail and a strong aesthetic opinion doesn’t mean you have the technical skills to match – and you could end up creating an uncomfortable home that lacks light and has poor proportions.

A good architect or design professional will take your ideas and craft them into a workable project that fits your lifestyle and budget. Go and meet a number of prospective companies to ensure they are a good fit for you, that you communicate well and have the same priorities.

7. Employing Bad Tradespeople

More often than not, the key to a successful renovation is finding the right tradespeople and having them board. But finding them can be a minefield. Before hiring someone, make sure you have references – talk to previous clients and discuss their experiences, and try to go and see their work.

Don’t pick someone just because they offer you the best price, especially if it is significantly lower than other quotes – also, if timescales sound too good to be true, they probably are. Good professionals are worth the money, and you’ll probably have to wait for them to be free for your job (a good contractor is a busy contractor).

Before you start planning your interior scheme, furnishings and fittings, it’s essential that you improve the core of your home first. Look at the structure as well as insulation and other aspects of energy efficiency as a priority. Photo: istock.com/Natalia Kokhanova

8. Not Having a Contract in Place

Make sure you have a good building contract in place; it will protect you and your professional, helping with any disputes and offering clarity if issues arise during the project. It’s good practise to put a contract in place with anybody that you employ – from designers through to builders and decorators.

Get things in writing and make sure your document sets out a schedule of how much the work will cost, the expected dates of delivery, exactly what the professional is responsible for and when payments are due.

9. Project Management Woes

If you are super organised and have time, taking on the role of project manager can save you money and be hugely enjoyable. But, if you are a novice, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a simple task. You could end up doing some of the job yourself, like hiring trades, but not accounting for the follow up.

Ask yourself, do you have the time to visit the site everyday? Do you have the tenacity to hire and fire people? Can you spot someone cutting corners? If the answer is no, then getting in a professional project manager who oversees every stage of construction can be a godsend.

10. Forgetting Snagging

It’s annoying, but looking over works at the end of the building work and identifying any snags is part of the process, and irritating elements that arise after you feel the project has finished could drive you to distraction. So, be organised! Keep hold of all your documentation, contacts, emails, invoices and receipts.

If something has gone wrong, or you aren’t happy with something, then let the relevant professional know as soon as possible. Make sure you have all the documentation ready to show them should they need it. Don’t try and resolve the issue yourself – you could make it worse and then you can’t fall back on the professional to fix it within their contract.

According to the Local Authority Building Control (Feb 2023), the six most common areas for defects (and where your focus for snagging should be) are: