The biggest renovation mistake I ever made was jumping straight to buying materials. I saw sales, imagined how great everything would look, and ignored the most important phase: planning.
A friend who works in construction finally sat me down. “Homes don’t fail because of colors,” he said. “They fail because nobody planned the order.”
We walked through the project step by step: electrical changes before drywall, drywall before paint, cabinets before countertops, flooring after the messy trades. Once laid out, it felt obvious but I hadn’t seen it before.
Creating a simple plan saved money and stress. We avoided rework, fewer deliveries overlapped, and contractors stopped tripping over each other literally and figuratively.
Now I keep a notebook for every project. I list measurements, contractor quotes, product choices, and most important the sequence. It’s not fancy, but it keeps everything grounded.
Conclusion: A renovation that begins on paper usually ends with fewer regrets. Planning isn’t exciting, but it makes every improvement smoother and smarter.
