The House to Home blog series is sponsored by MKB Realtors.
Welcome to our home renovation blog series, where we dive into the process of buying and renovating a house in only a few weeks. This week’s post focuses on the products that go into your home to make it just right!
See the first post in the series post on buying the ideal home here.
Our second post on beginning renovations, including construction advice, can be found here.
The third post on selecting your perfect products can be read here.
A quick recap before diving into our fourth post of the House to Home series: The Whites have now found their perfect 1960s ranch house to convert into their jewel box home, thanks to help from Marguerite and Frank Saunders of MKB Realtors. After that came the contractor, which they found in Chris Yearsley, owner of Windfall Construction. Renovations are well under way, with only a few weeks left in the process.
With that in mind, now’s a good time to think about those unexpected expenses that crop up during the renovation process. You’ve established your overall budget – what happens when you realize there are additional products to purchase or that something needs to be updated before you can move on to the next step?
The Whites, for example, realized they needed new doors and windows once the rooms were completed. In the long run, not only will these things save them money (a tighter seal to keep your unit from working too hard, for example), but they’ll match well with the updated room.
“We never thought about changing out the doors or windows,” says Mr. White, “but now it needs to be done because of our new HVAC system. It was a cost I didn’t expect, but one that had to happen.”
There are also things like painting and patching walls, heating and cooling (in case you need a new system like the Whites did), and electrical and plumbing.
In many cases, new appliances also require upgrading your electrical wiring. Older houses need to update their electrical panels and this home was no exception. Did you know there’s a different wiring system if you have outlets with two prongs versus three prongs?
“And don’t forget the importance of a home warranty,” says Marguerite Saunders, MKB Realtor. “That can save you thousands in the long run.”
Along with a warranty (that could save you a lot of money in the long run if something pops up, for example a busted hot water heater or roof repair), there are other things to consider for your budget.
“We try to mitigate that kind of stuff in the contract but you never know what can crop up. That’s why it’s important to build in all those details in the beginning so there aren’t extra costs,” says Yearsley.
For more information on Windfall Construction or to contact Chris, email him at windfallconstructionllc@gmail.com or call 540-682-5341.
Interested in selling or buying your home? Give Frank and Marguerite Saunders a call at (540) 989-4555 or email them at fsaunders@mkbrealtors.com.
