Renovating your home in New Jersey is a truly amazing experience. A successful renovation can give you a lot of benefits in terms of life quality—be it renovating a historic colonial in Morris County or modernizing a split-level house in Passaic. However, New Jersey home renovation projects can pose some unique challenges for the residents of this state. For example, rigid zoning laws, old housing stock, and unpredictable weather can spoil your plans.
Keep your budget intact and your nerves calm with solid home renovation planning, and learn about these 7 common home renovation mistakes made by NJ homeowners during home renovations and how to avoid them.
1. Bypassing Building Permits and Zoning Laws from Municipality
While it is always appealing to sidestep town hall and expedite the process, bypassing local permits in New Jersey is one of the worst decisions a property owner can make. NJ has strict building codes, historic district laws, as well as zoning laws regarding setback and lot coverage.
Example:
One homeowner in Morris County built his back deck on a weekend without any permit. Two years later, he decided to sell his home and the buyer’s inspection pointed out an error. Since the deck exceeded the township’s setback line by three feet, the owner had to pay a significant amount of money and amend the structure in order to complete the sale.
How to Avoid This:
Always ensure that your remodeling contractor gets all necessary local permits before the demolition process begins. A professional contractor will take care of permits, inspections, and ensure compliance with New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
2. Not Being Prepared for the “Surprises” of an Old Home
Many homes in New Jersey are older than 1980, and some have even been around since the early 1900s. Old homes can be appealing because of their uniqueness and offer a lot of home renovation inspiration – but they often include hidden problems with their structure, plumbing, and wiring behind the walls.
Example from Real Life:
While performing demolition work on a kitchen in an 80-year-old house, they found knob-and-tube wiring that has been cut to join with newer wiring and decayed floor areas beneath the sink.
How to Avoid This:
Proper planning for home renovation means being realistic. Always set aside ‘contingency funds’ equal to between 15% and 20% of your total budget.
3. Employing An Unlicensed or Uninsured Contractor
In New Jersey, each residential remodeling contractor must be registered with NJ Division of Consumer Affairs and carry general liability insurance. But people take a huge risk by hiring cheaper and undocumented contractors from the internet.
Practical Example:
A person hired an uninsured handyman for remodeling the second floor bathroom of the house. During the process, he dropped a large bathtub, damaging the structural integrity of the sub-floor frame, and puncturing the main water pipe. Water damaged the living room downstairs, and the person became responsible for the cost of water damage repairs himself.
How to Avoid It:
Never sign a contract without verifying their credentials. Make sure that your contractor holds the following:
- NJ Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration Number.
- Certificates for General Liability and Workers’ Compensation Insurance.
- References and a portfolio of previous New Jersey home renovation projects.
4. Forgetting About New Jersey’s Seasonal Climate Differences
In New Jersey, your house is always in a battle with the weather—from bitterly cold winters with significant snowfalls to hot and humid summers. One of the most frequent home renovation mistakes is to forget about the changes in season and use improper construction materials and shift construction phases.
How to Avoid This:
Careful planning should be done to ensure that moisture sensitive work is done. This means that hardwood floors cannot be laid down on wet concrete in the basement in July while concrete cannot be poured when the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius. It is also prudent to consider working with a builder who understands how to deal with the climatic conditions.
5. Focusing On Finishes Over Functionality
It’s very tempting to follow current kitchen trends, explore popular home remodeling ideas, and invest in quartz countertops and designer tiles for the backsplash. But designing an expensive kitchen which ignores functionality like traffic flow, proper lighting or kitchen organization can create a pretty kitchen, but one that fails to work.
Example In Real Life:
A family decided to go for the large island kitchen trend and squeezed it into the small floor plan. And after installing it, the island ended up being only 20 inches from the handles of the refrigerator. It meant that only one person could be in the kitchen at the same time because the oven opening blocked the whole entrance.
How To Avoid This Mistake:
Start with a function, then add finishes. Make sure that your layout, location of the electrical outlets, lighting and storage are done in advance.
6. Constantly Changing Designs Mid-Project
While minor changes are normal, frequently changing designs after demolition commences is the best way to make costs rise and completion time increase. For example, adjusting the position of a sink even by as little as six inches creates the necessity to alter plumbing lines, move electrical boxes, buy new cabinets, and call professionals back to the project.
How to Avoid It:
Invest time before the construction stage. Keep all decisions about the design and hardware made before the construction starts to avoid extra costs and keep the project running smoothly.
7. Selecting a Contractor Based Only on the Low Bid Price
While comparing different estimates, an abnormally low bid price is usually the biggest warning signal rather than a good deal.
Real-life example:
A house owner selected a basement remodel estimate, which was $12,000 lower than others. During the course of the work, the contractor disclosed that he did not include in his bid many code required elements such as egress windows, frame insulation, and electrical permit. When everything that needed to be included was done via change orders, the total price exceeded other estimates.
How to Prevent It:
Follow standard home renovation tips and compare estimates “apples to apples.” Make sure that all bids have a description of project scope, labor, material specs, permitting, site cleanup, and warranties.
Are you prepared to start with your renovation plans?
Although home renovations are believed to be something good to do, they can become very tiring and exhausting in reality. Thanks to proper planning, getting information about local building regulations, and employing specialized construction professionals, the renovation will be painless and truly enjoyable.
Ameri Building Construction delivers honest project management services combined with good communication and professional skills.
Whether you want to build a perfect kitchen or make your bathroom more modern, Ameri Building Construction will provide you with advice and support.
• Call: (848) 219-2317 | (848) 260-7957
• Visit: AmeriBuildingConstruction.com