It was just a small job and ends something like: Why did it end up costing so much? Why did it take so long? Why did it become such a nightmare?
Unfortunately, in my world, there really is no such thing as a small job. Every renovation project you undertake in your house has the potential to grow and become more complicated, more expensive and take longer than you expect. That's not always the case, but there is always the possibility. And if you have the expectation that it will be an easy job or a quick fix, you might be disappointed.
There are a couple of reasons for that, and they go hand in hand. One is the way magazines and TV shows and big-box stores will set expectations. People have the idea that you can just choose your new fixtures or hardwood or cabinets, pay some installer a set price -- like three times the cost of materials -- and there you go. Your renovation is complete.
But the truth is there is no set price for a job -- or there shouldn't be. Every situation is unique. Every house is different, and with an older house or one that's had previous renovations, you do not know what you will find when you get started.
What if you want to just replace a window or a door? No big deal, right? You expect to be able to accurately measure the opening, buy what you want and have a pro install it in a day or less.
But what if the door or window has been leaking for years? What if the frame is rotted and needs to be replaced? That will cost more money, take more time and involve more interior and exterior repair and finishing.
Let's say you want to replace the tile in your kitchen but the original floor tile goes under the cabinets. Do you just lay the new tile over the old? Do you remove just what shows and leave the rest?
If you decided to do it right, you would need to take the cabinets out, at least the base cabinets. That involves taking out the counter, the sink and the dishwasher, if you have one. You'll need a plumber. Did you factor that time and expense in?
Empty the room. Then you remove all the tile and take a look at the subfloor. What shape is it in? Do you patch it? Do you go over it with new plywood? Or maybe you've had a leak for years and the subfloor is rotted and it's so bad you need to remove it down to the joists and start again.
That's not likely, but you get my point. Even what seems like a small job, such as changing the tile in a 20' x 15' kitchen, can turn into something much bigger. The only real cost of materials is tile, underlay and subfloor, so you might not budget accurately. But the time and work involved is much more, and your contractor will be charging for that, so the formula of materials times three doesn't work. And, for sure, that small job of replacing the tile in your kitchen will take more than a day.
What about your roof? Let's say you've had a leak and now realize you need to replace your shingles. That's not such a big job, right? But if you've noticed a leak inside, odds are your roof has been leaking for awhile -- maybe for years, a little at a time -- until finally you noticed it. Damage will have been done, such as rotting sheathing and damage to structure. There may have even been leakage running within walls down to the basement. That will cost more money, take more time and could involve a lot more of your home than just a few bundles of shingles.
Which brings me to the other reason homeowners find their small jobs becoming big ones: People think the job is simple, so they don't hire a professional.
You've got to make sure you hire a pro to do your renovations and home repairs. An inexperienced contractor might be well-intentioned. He might be a great guy and honest, but in the end, he's not qualified to do the job.
He may have the ability, assuming everything is perfect and he doesn't encounter any surprises. But he probably doesn't have enough experience to anticipate potential problems. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
A pro will always tell you about the possibility of the small job becoming something bigger -- before he starts. An amateur will be just as surprised as you are.
-- Postmedia News
Catch Mike in his new series, Holmes Inspection, airing Thursdays at 8 ET/PT on HGTV. For more information, visit www.hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.
