Home Renovation Ideas & Mistakes to Avoid | HGTV

Buying Cheap Materials Inaccurate Measurements

Nancy Soriano, former editor in chief of Country Living magazine says, "I can't emphasize enough how an inch or even sometimes a half an inch can make a difference. And if your dimensions are off and it's not equal and symmetrical, you're not going to get the full impact and effect that you want. If you're not sure about how to measure or you can't follow the directions, don't hesitate at all to call somebody. Ask them to come over and take the measurement for you."

"Make sure you're looking at the entire floor plan of your home when you're planning your doorways. Look for, and make sure that every room has multiple exits. Or, if those doorways are in high-traffic areas, make sure they're wide enough to let multiple people pass through," Carey says.

"I think it's really important to anticipate the time and the pacing of your renovation," notes Nancy. "You probably want to do that up front, get it over with and then you can slowly start to piece your life and your home back together."

"When you're renovating, bigger is always better when it comes to hallways and stairs," Jim says.

"I think people sometimes forget about electric when they've been renovating because it's costly and it's hidden," Nancy says. "You want to walk through the house with the electrician before you start to talk about outlets, where they are, where you want new outlets, three-prong outlets. You want to make sure everything's up to code."

"You bought that Spanish home or that Craftsman home for a reason, because you liked that style. So keep your new design, your new build projects within that style," Steve insists.

The bottom line is "if you do perform work without a permit and something serious happens, your homeowner's insurance will not cover it," says Marc.

"The biggest mistake people make when they're trying to figure what the payback is going to be is they overbuild for their neighborhood," says Jimmy. "They have a $100,000 house and they put a $100,000 addition on it, so now they have a $200,000 house in a $100,000 neighborhood."

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Home Renovation Ideas & Mistakes to Avoid | HGTV