How to Keep Your Dream Home from Turning Into a Nightmare

Few things are more exciting than buying your dream home. Or do we mean nerve-wracking? While finding your new home entailed a lot of work, it wasn’t really your problem until the papers were signed. Now it’s your house – and your responsibility. How can you ensure that your dream home doesn’t turn in to your worst nightmare? Will Your Dream Home Give You Headaches? Your new house can give you headaches – literally, both stress-induced and from other issues. Use these six points to keep your bank balance stable, your health optimal, and your sleep sound. 1. Get An Inspection. Usually, passing an inspection is a regular part of the home-buying process. But if you’re tempted to skip this step, remember why it’s done: to spot potential problems that can cost you time and money – and maybe even endanger your family’s health. 2. Over-Budget. You’ve done your homework, and you figure that renovations for your future castle will lighten your treasury to the tune of $50,000. Does this mean you should budget $50,000 and call it good? Nope. Leave wiggle room in your budget for unexpected expenses, especially if you’re redoing an older house. Staying in the black has never caused sleepless nights. 3. Think Ahead. While redoing the house, be on the lookout for potential health hazards, such as mold growth and poor air quality. Preventing these now will literally save you headaches in the future. 4. Give Yourself Time. Refer to Point Two.Just as you don’t want to run out of money during a reno, you surely don’t want to run out of time. So plan extra time. This comes with a caveat: don’t assume that, with all your extra time and money, you can keep adding on to your project; you’ve built yourself a cushion, not an all-access pass. 5. And Give Yourself Space. If possible, try not to live in the house as it is being redone. If you have to do so, try to stay in an area of the house that isn’t being renovated, and make sure that proper precautions are taken to avoid the spread of dust and debris. 6. Hire a Reputable Renovation Company. Ultimate way to go from dream house to nightmare? Have your contractor walk out before the job is done, taking your money with him. Runner up? Having shoddy work ruin your house. Avoid it by checking out a company thoroughly before you hire.