Renovation Series
Invest in Quality | How to reduce future costs.
When building or renovating your home, it makes sense to try to save anywhere and everywhere you can. However, in this effort, like in many other things in life, make sure you avoid being penny wise and pound foolish! While cost cutting efforts are important and useful, make sure that by saving a small amount at the start of the renovation, you do not end up paying back with ongoing maintenance and subsequent renovations in the future. Before rejecting what may seem like high costs, consider the long term benefits of investing in quality. In this article, we share with you some thoughts to consider when choosing to invest in quality.
1. Quality Materials
High-Quality materials can sustain the passage of time much better than their cheap counterpart. That is not just due to regular use and normal tear and wear, natural Conditions (such as humidity that can cause mold) and unexpected incidents (such as flooding that can swell up the floor) will cause much more severe destruction to cheaper materials and cheaper domestic objects.
2. Trendy vs Timeless
When it comes to furniture and home accessories, selecting from commercial retail storesand based on the latest instagram trends, leads to an interior design that may seem trendy in the moment but quickly ends up being old fashioned and needing replacement. It is best to commit to a personal design that reflects your personality, your lifestyle and remains timeless. This is where an architect or an interior designer can help you translate who you are and what you need into a full interior design for your home.
3. Just Contractors (?)
Many people decide to work with contractors exclusively without consulting architects and interior designers. You may think that this saves you money but in reality, this increases the risk of a messy outcome and more costs down the line. Most people in this situation end up with long days of doing things by themselves and finally spending more money on the contractor going over budget, on fixing mistakes, and on suppliers and brands that are more expensive than needed, without necessarily a better quality. If you are considering this route of working with contractors directly, without an architect, be sure to read this article first!
To sum up, choosing quality is not a luxurious option but a safe-proofing decision that reduces future maintence and extra renovation costs. In other words, an early and smart investment. You can also check out our piece about renovation costs, to find out more about your options when it comes to economic decisions.
If you are planning on constructing or renovating your home and would like some help, get in touch with us. We would be happy to help with any questions you may have.
