If you are one of those prospective home buyers that is already thinking about the upgrades on your new home, you may need to pump the brakes. Don’t forget that until you have the keys in your hand and you are the official owner of the residence, you cannot go and take out a permit. Any project you have in mind will need a permit, and that could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to acquire. Contractors are as excited as you are to bring your dream home to life, but make sure you consider these 5 things first before getting too far ahead of yourself.
Get an Estimate First to See If the Cost Is Manageable
No matter how big or small the project is, figuring out a budget should be step one. Get the contractor in there and detail what exactly you have in mind. From there, the contractor can give you some ballpark estimates depending on your options. You may learn it may be more expensive than you think, or even cheaper, allowing you to keep that extra cushion for anything else that needs to be worked on later down the road.
Knocking Down a Few Walls May Require a Lot More Work
Say you want to open up a certain area to give it more space or light. There is one wall that you wish wasn’t there. A few sledgehammers shouldn’t have any problem taking care of that, right? Wrong.
Many people don’t consider the structural design of their home. That one wall could very well be a simple knockdown, but it could also provide structural support. This can take the project from being a $1,000 to $10,000. If it is structural, you will need to have a professional come in and design a new means of support if you want to take away that wall.
Take Stock of the Trees on Your Property
If there are any large trees on the property, you may want to consider removing them. Roots from a tree can damage plumbing and even the foundation of a house. These two things are some of the most expensive things to fix. While the shade provided by the trees may be a welcome relief during those hot summer months, in the long run, it will probably not be worth it.
How Old Is the Electrical?
Many people like having freezers and refrigerators in their garages. Maybe you want to put in a kegerator or operate tools that require adequate power. You should consider how old the electrical is in your home to ensure that it can handle all of the things you want to power. Some of things you should check include:
- All switches and receptacles
- Ground fault circuit interrupters
- Outside outlets with weatherproofing covers
Lay Your Worries to Rest with a Home Inspection
Spending extra $300 or so is not ideal. However, many of the things that we have mentioned that you should consider can be looked at more closely with a home inspection. At the very least, it will put any worries or concerns to rest, so why not pay that extra for that peace of mind? And worst-case scenario, they may catch something early before it becomes an even greater problem financially.
