In this article we take on the common myths about home remodeling and dispel them. We hope that doing so will be a helpful step in your journey towards making your dream of home renovation come true.
Home remodeling is a daunting task that will take months to complete.
For those who are unfamiliar with what “savings” are: they are earned when you aren’t spending money on something you don’t really need or want (say if you have emergency expenses).
The whole idea is not necessarily bad: if you save enough money towards your goal, then you end up with something else (a house or retirement) instead of just having nothing or being worse off than before. You can also accumulate some capital for future needs like building a business or saving for retirement if you save enough. But besides that, there isn’t really much use in having savings if you don’t have anything else to spend it on (unless you need money immediately).
All home remodeling projects are the same.
Many people think home remodeling is just a matter of tiling and painting. They believe that all home remodeling jobs are the same, so they can apply the same tips and techniques to all of them. While it’s true that most projects will follow a similar path, there are some differences between them.
Another myth claims that all professional contractors use identical techniques regardless of their particular industry. This seems impossible on several levels (not only do contractors have different requirements and methods but also different skills). For example, there is no universal method for installing drywall or brickwork, making doors or windows or even for cutting a molding strip instead of ripping off another piece of wallboard.
You have to be a contractor to remodel your home.
You all know the “home remodeling is too expensive” myth. You hear it every time a friend or family member suggests they are considering starting their own home remodeling business.
Home remodelers are not contractors, though they may call themselves that. It is true that some of the skills and practices people who do home remodels share with contractors (like blueprints, permits, inspections and so on) are common to all contractors.
However, you don’t need to be a contractor to do a home remodeling job — painting, for example, is just as DIY as installing new cabinets. And many of the tasks that can be completed by a contractor are also DIY-friendly (like plumbing).
You can also choose not to be a contractor if you prefer to take your time and do things yourself — that’s fine! Just because someone else does something doesn’t mean you have to do it too.
Remodeling will add value to your home.
Remodeling is a big deal. It may be the biggest deal you have ever had. Remodeling your house is the equivalent of the most important thing you have done in your life, and it’s an epic undertaking.
So, do you actually need to do this? Yes? No? Maybe? Maybe not? And what exactly does it cost? If you are looking for a quote, I would highly recommend doing some research on the topic before committing to anything.
Remodeling isn’t just about how much you spend; it’s also about what value you get out of the process (and what comes with it). You have probably heard that remodeling will improve your home’s resale value, but that could be a myth. The truth is that remodeling is not an exact science, and there is no way to guarantee that a home will sell at a higher price than one that doesn’t have any significant changes. And if we assume that the market will follow with demand, then remodeling may actually hurt your resale value because people are more likely to pay more for houses where they’ve seen improvements first hand than those where they have not seen any improvements at all.
