Here are some home improvement surprises you should beef up your budget for.
Also possiblyhiding within those wallsand floors: mold, termites, and other pests or issues.
These all typically require the work of experts.
When you dig into a wall or floor, you just dont know what youre going to find there.
There was mold hiding behind drywall, which cost another $3,000 to eliminate.
Solution:Dont open up walls or floors…just kidding.
The best rule of thumb is to assume that somethingwillgo wrong.
A structural engineer needs to answer that question, and explain whether you might work around it.
This is one of those cases where you shouldhire a pro rather than DIY.
Solution:If you dont have room in your budget for big changes, have an alternate plan.
You might find they put pipes throughout your house willy nilly.
It might be a quick fix, or you might have to run entirely new plumbing.
You wont know until you open it up and look.
Andvet your contractor thoroughlyto check that you wont run into similar problems.
Photos byFeng Yu(Shutterstock),danja,emmajanehw,okchomeseller,secretlondon123.
Illustration by Tara Jacoby.
