Overbudget on a remodeling project. Sound familiar? I am sure a majority of people have experienced this situation, myself included on personal projects. You can work on your budget, price your materials and layout on your plan but inevitably there will be a cost overrun.
How does it happen? My theory is that its human nature that is at fault. You go from modest to majestic in the blink of an eye. And its never one big ticket item that pushes you over. Rather its a combination of little items here and there that add up and place you in the red. Whenever you plan on using an item and than you see something better in the showroom/store, you figure you can absorb that small increase.
But that starts a chain reaction that leads to you justifying other items that will really make the place look fantastic and yet only cost a fraction more than what you budgeted. The only problem is when you do that on a few items (tile, counters, cabinets, floors, lighting, etc) they add up to a rather large overall increase. It is not uncommon for people to say they went 20% over their budget (on average, since some people hit the 50-60% mark).
One way to avoid this pitfall is to stick with your budget and resist the tempation to really splurge on your project. Take all of the upgrade options and list them out and choose which one gives you the most return for the cost. Nicer porcelain tiles versus the low end ceramic or a marble or granite slab versus tiles for the countertop, wood versus veneer cabinets.
Ultimately its the overall effect of your design, colors and the materials assembled that will determine the results of your project. Besides, most people won't notice that you used the porcelain tile versus the real limestone or travertine if everything compliments and flows together well.
For ideas on remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, visit our web site at www.jrgidesign.com.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
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