Home Improvement Project
No one wants to spend their money frivolously. It is always good and necessary for homeowners to be aware of the costs for their projects. Budgeting is an important part of a buyer’s decision. However, it is also important for homeowners to be informed about the long term issues or benefits of certain aspects of those projects, whether materials or warranty. While getting the cheapest materials and installation might save money in the short term—or may even sound like a great deal—it can cause issues down the road. This post discusses important parts of projects for buyers to consider, such as maintenance, warranty, installation quality, and aesthetic.
Maintenance is what work will be required to keep up the effectiveness, usability, safety, or appearance of the project once completed. Sometimes maintenance will be needed on a window or deck years to a decade later. One important factor to this is materials used in a particular project. For an example of how materials come into play, a buyer comes to us and is looking to get a new deck. Wood is the cheapest option for their deck. However, for wood decks, they require maintenance every two to five years, such as restaining, repainting, or replacing boards that have rotten or splintered. On the other hand, although they cost more initially, PVC and composite decking requires little to no maintenance and a twenty-to-thirty-year lifespan.
The life span and warranty of the project comes down to how long one expects the project to last. Low quality shingles, a ten-year warranty, and no labor warranty is a rather cheap option if a buyer wants to get their roof done. The lower quality, only ten-year warranty, and lack of labor warranty could be a huge problem for those homeowners twenty years later. Instead of the cheapest option, it might be worth investing a bit more into the materials and warranties for a better long-term outcome.
Quality of installation is another aspect that can affect projects long term. Some companies will work for less, but their work can reflect that lower price due to cut corners. Those cut corners can cost homeowners down the line in time and money. It is worthwhile to make sure that the company hired to do the work of installation will make sure everything is done well and up to code.
Aesthetic and looks is something less tangible than the others on the list, yet still worthwhile to contemplate. A good project is a project that does what a homeowner needs and stays looking good for a long time. Good quality materials and installation will affect the appearance of the finished project. An example of why this is important would be porch enclosures. Some companies when adding screens to create a porch will simply attach the screen by screwing it directly to posts. In the long run, the post will splinter. This creates an unappealing look and maintenance issues. Other companies will employ a snap and wrap around the post, which will help the integrity of the posts and the aesthetic of the screened porch.
Recent Comments