4 rules for success when building or renovating your home
I started House Confident because I was sick to death of seeing homeowners frustrated and overwhelmed by the construction process — and how unprepared they were for it.
I’ve seen far too many projects go sideways due poor planning (or no planning at all), communication failures, and lack of attention or sheer incompetence on the part of the industry professionals who should have known better.
These rules are really about the mindset you need to have as a homeowner going into a major construction project. If you follow them, they’ll help you avoid the pitfalls so many other homeowners face.
And while they might make you feel uncomfortable — especially if you were hoping you could just hire your project out and be done with it — they’re designed to keep you prepared and in the driver’s seat all the way through the process.
Rule #1: Ask questions. Lots of questions.
Homeowners often feel like they lack the knowledge or information to make good decisions — so they leave it to the pros they’ve hired to make those decisions for them. This is a big mistake.
You can't possibly have all the answers, but you can have all the questions — and questions lead to answers.
Construction projects involve lots of people and moving parts — and that creates major gaps in the process that get ignored or overlooked because no one asked the right questions. Too often designers, contractors, and other industry pros make decisions (and spend your money!) without thinking about major considerations like:
How does this affect the budget?
How does this affect the timeline?
This design may be beautiful on paper, but can it actually be built? (You’d be shocked how often the answer to this question is either “no” or “yes but it’ll cost the moon”.)
This design may be beautiful on paper, but can I afford it?
As the homeowner, you can help narrow those gaps by asking lots of questions right from the start. Your questions will uncover assumptions that might be wrong, or expose issues that might not otherwise be addressed.
Our free Home Building Checklist includes questions you should be asking yourself and your team at each step of the process. Don’t be afraid to ask — and don’t stop asking until you get a satisfactory answer.
Rule #2: Plan ahead.
If you take one thing away from this post (and everything we write!) we hope it’s this: Don't rush the planning process.
In construction, everything has a domino effect. When one thing gets changed or held up, everything else has to get delayed or rescheduled — and that gets expensive fast.
A construction process that doesn’t front-load the planning is going to see way more last-minute changes or decisions. That means your odds of last-minute charges and extra costs will skyrocket… not to mention the impact on your stress, mental capacity, and family life.
A fully planned out process ensures a smoother construction process. We created House Confident to help you do that — but it’s up to you to take the time to do it right.
Rule #3: It’s all about the numbers.
Budget, budget, budget! You can dream all you like, but if you can't afford it, you're wasting time.
Too many designers and architects are more interested in designing something pretty with no concept of how much it costs or how functional it actually is. Magazines, HGTV, and Pinterest don’t help.
But it’s not just the industry professionals. As a homeowner, it can be very easy to get swept up by the process and “just add one little thing” without understanding the impact it has on your budget.
Keeping your budget under control comes down to a few things:
Know your numbers early and revisit them often.
Know what things cost in your area — not just for materials, but for labour. Do the research, price things out, and get multiple quotes from qualified professionals.
Make a plan for the project early, and make as many decisions as you can in advance.
Decide on your scope (what the project will cover and what you’re not touching) and know where to stop. This is especially important for renovations.
Insist that any pros you hire (especially architects and designers) price out all drawings and designs and align them with your budget.
Rule #4: You’re the CEO. Own it.
Never give up ownership to a professional that you have hired. It’s your home, your budget, and your investment. You must remain the CEO of your own project. That means knowing where you fit into the process, and where your professionals fit.
Every pro you hire has an important role to play but they also have their limitations. They provide the advice, vision, and skill to make your home look and function the way you want it to. Knowing where they fit in the process — and where their role ends — will help you give them the information they need to succeed, while also holding them accountable and keeping the process moving smoothly.
You have two jobs in your role as the CEO:
Create and follow a plan for your project (the free Home Building Checklist can help with this).
Manage the professionals you hire to execute on that project.
By following the other rules we’ve discussed here — asking questions, planning ahead, and keeping budget as the top priority — you’ll be well on your way.
Key takeaways
Be prepared to ask lots of questions throughout the construction process. This is the best way to catch mistakes, assumptions, and gaps in the process before they become an issue.
Plan ahead! The more you can make decisions in advance, the smoother the construction process will be. You’ll also avoid stress, overwhelm, and feeling rushed or pressured into making choices you’re unprepared for.
Keeping budget front and centre is a joint responsibility between you and your industry pros. Doing your research, sticking to your project scope, and reviewing the budget regularly to adjust as needed will help keep things on track.
While your industry pros have an important role to play in creating the space you’re dreaming of, don’t forget your role as the homeowner and CEO of the project. Taking ownership keeps everyone accountable and ensures things run smoothly.
