What NOT to do with your home renovation.

All you can do is laugh and learn. We all enter our home remodeling projects with such high hopes, pouring through home design magazines and binge watching home improvement shows. But somewhere along the way, most of us have experienced a home renovation fail. Some remodeling mistakes you can easily fix and some you may need to hire a professional to step in.

Here are a few simple tips to avoid cringe-worthy failures as you consider taking on your next home renovation project.

Home Remodeling Tip #1: Measure once. Cut twice. Or maybe three times. 

How can it go so wrong so fast? Well, maybe it’s that “fast” aspect that’s the clue. The old adage of any DIY project, “Measure twice, cut once,” starts with a measuring tape, a pencil, and the patience to double-check your measurements. 

Never trust your memory. Why? Home remodeling materials are expensive. Flooring, tile, wood trim, and upholstery fabric all require a precision fit.

Take time to measure and check your measurements more than once. Eyeballing is never the way to determine the width or height of an entry door. The precision of entry door measurements is critical and getting one wrong can cost you and your project time and money.

Home Remodeling Tip #2: Overestimate the paint you’ll need.

Painting projects are one of the most impactful and affordable remodeling tasks you can do. But don’t scrimp on buying the proper amount of paint. Once you find the perfect shade, it may be difficult to match later. A good rule for any home renovation project involving paint is to overbuy; that way, you can ensure that you'll have extra on hand for any touch-ups you may need to do in the future. The good news is that most paint manufacturers offer coverage guides for their product formulas and your homes wall texture.

Home Remodeling Tip #3: Exactly how will that door open?

It happens. A kitchen cabinet door that can’t be opened in the direction you had planned or a bathroom door that bumps into a toilet.

If you're planning to install a new interior or exterior door in your home, be sure to plan for the full sweep of the door and the direction it opens. If things are tight, consider using a space-efficient sliding door that simply slides into the wall to save space on either side of the door opening. Bi-fold corner kitchen cabinet doors can eliminate corner clogs.

Home Remodeling Tip #4: Low clearance is gonna be a headache.

Unless “Watch your head!” signs are your idea of décor, plan for enough head clearance when it comes to any renovation project that involves additions to the ceiling and floors. Sure, it’s great to use an attic space and dormer space for a kids’ play area, but banging your head against the ceiling or doorframe gets old.

Low clearance is also often a problem with basement stairways. So, plan for how your space will be used and give at least enough clearance for average height. FYI: The standard ceiling height is 9 feet in living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms.

Home Remodeling Tip #5: Well, it looked good from the inside.

Remember, there are always two sides to every door and window. Bear in mind how they blend not only with your home’s interior but also with your home’s exterior. Adding a bay window to a room or closet may look very unnatural from your front lawn. An eclectic use of window styles can look stylish on the interior but look unplanned from the exterior.

Home Remodeling Tip #6: Your home addition was an afterthought. And it looks it.

Your home screams, “We need more room!” so you decided to tackle a larger remodeling project and create an addition to add space to your home. Just as any addition to a house should blend with the original flow of the floorplan inside, it also needs to blend with the home’s exterior. If your addition looks incohesive and lacks curb appeal, this may be the time to update the siding and roofing on your entire house so it looks like one happy home.

Home Remodeling Tip #7: Where’s the light switch?

No fumbling! Have you ever walked into a dark room and had to feel around for a light switch? While overhead canned lighting can make a huge difference in your home décor, if you must travel through the dark to find it on the other side of a door opening, you’re an accident waiting to happen. When planning the layout of a room, always imagine where it makes sense for the light switch to be. It should always allow easy access as you enter the room – you don’t want to be fumbling around in the dark for the light switch! 

No joking. Remodeling work can be complicated and discouraging. But it can also be satisfying, increase your home’s value, and make all the difference in how you love your home. Leave your next home exterior remodeling project to the experts at Window World and know from the start the job will be done right. Energy-efficient windows, entry doors, and siding are just the beginning. We’re here to discuss your ideas with a free consultation and quote. Find a Window World store near you.