It’s important to know the various aspects about your home improvement project before the work gets underway. That includes the fact that many home improvement projects take longer than expected and end up going over budget. However, if you know what the potential issues are ahead of time, you’ll know exactly what to expect from both a time frame and financial perspective. Most homeowners are not aware of, or completely overlook the following items that can negatively affect the prices when planning the budget for the project costs.
So, without further ado, here are four (4) home improvement oversights that can lead to going over budget. First and foremost, poor communication is the number one oversight that causes home improvement projects to cost more than initially expected. Accurate and timely communication needs to be present during all phases of your home improvement project. That means the project manager must express exactly what is needed in the clearest manner possible with crew members, contractors, the management team, and of course the homeowner.
The individual crew members also need to communicate with each other. The bottom line is that when misunderstandings occur during both the planning and construction phases, certain steps and tasks fail to be performed correctly. Inexperienced project leaders also cause oversights that lead to going over budget. In essence, managers who are new to the position will encounter more problems than managers who are experienced. The bottom line is that inexperienced project leads require guidance.
If they don’t receive that guidance, they’re bound to make mistakes that end up costing the homeowner. Vendor relationship problems also have a negative impact on your home improvement budget. For example, issues with subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors will negatively affect your project and your budget. That’s why you should only work with contractors who have great working relationships with their vendors. In essence, you need to ensure that the vendors have a solid reputation for being reliable.
Last but certainly not least, there are environmental based factors that can negatively affect your budget. However, there isn’t much that can be done about natural disasters and inclement weather. That means your project may be unexpectedly delayed based on the fact that there are certain conditions that prevent the construction crew from arriving at your property in a timely manner. In addition, the supplies delivery may be delayed, or the products may arrive damaged.
Unfortunately, recovering from these types of setbacks certainly isn’t an easy task. That’s why you should always plan for overages during the initial planning phase. For example, some home improvement contractors will suggest planning a minimum of a ten-percent overage during the initial budget planning stages. That way you’ll have some cushion in place just in case the project goes over budget.
For more information about home improvement oversights that can lead to going over budget, or questions about our design and build services, or to schedule an initial consultation in Connecticut or Massachusetts please contact us today at 860-341-6373. DBC Solutions takes great pride in providing the highest quality custom carpentry and contracting services in the home improvement industry. Our business model has been the same for 17 years. Doing things the right way the first time every time is the only way to do it.
