What The Property Brothers Say You Should Never Do While Renovating A Home

Property Brothers stars Jonathan and Drew Scott have made a career out of advising eager homeowners how to renovate without breaking the bank. Given their impressive standing as HGTV stalwarts and renovation experts, it makes sense everybody wants some advice from the Canadian twins. To that end, CNBC questioned them on when to stay and renovate and when to leave and start fresh somewhere new.  

According to the bros, there are a few key questions to consider before doing anything. As Jonathan helpfully laid out, "Am I in the right location? Can this home make my life easier? Is there enough space for all of our family as it grows?" There's also, obviously, a financial aspect to consider as well as how much the home actually means to you — are there lots of memories there? Do you feel like it's your forever home? And so on.

What should you avoid when preparing to tackle a renovation?

Regardless of how you feel, renovation is always the first port of call, as, according to Drew, "There are so many things that we can change in their current house. And it could be more cost-effective than trying to hunt for something that's already done the way they want it." 

If you are considering renovating, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is failing to plan everything out. It's vital to make sure you're organized and ready to take as much time as required to get it right. 

"So many people, they just jump into wanting to renovate right away, or they start buying products to put in their house, but they haven't organized," Drew warned. His brother compared it to going grocery shopping while hungry, which tends to lead to purchasing a bunch of bad stuff we don't even want or need. "You don't want to just jump in and start renovating your house because you know that there's a need," he said. "You've got to plan."

The Scotts also helpfully pointed out the three biggest mistakes people make when renovating for CNBC, advising to first and foremost you should avoid going over budget. If you do, you'll struggle to afford the property on a long-term basis. On the opposite side of the spectrum, don't use subpar materials, as something like cheap flooring will wear away over time (and end up costing more as a result). Finally, don't overlook the space you have. Work with what you've got and don't panic about making everything perfect. "Function and flow is the big thing that people forget all the time, especially a lot of first-time home-buyers," Drew opined. 

The brothers previously told Fox News, also, that you shouldn't renovate while your kids are still small. Basically, those aiming to renovate with children in the house should wait until they're old enough to leave well enough alone. "When kids are really little, they destroy everything," argued Drew. If you wait until they're not, say, mini-typhoons waddling around knocking everything over, you'll be better off. And, if you'd rather go to the Scotts directly, and let them handle the renovations, here's how you can get your house on Property Brothers.