Video: Prevent a home improvement disaster

The easiest way to avoid a home improvement disaster is not to have one in the first place. Since that’s often unavoidable—and no one’s fault—the best possible Plan B: Expect it.

This video shows a few ways to be smart from the start.

One thing homeowners often don’t realize when they’re thinking about a dream bathroom or open floor plan is that everything in a house is connected to everything else.

This can be the beginning of the home improvement disaster. Moving a toilet means doing something to the drains, vents, supply lines and everything they touch. A stove requires fuel, power and ventilation—none of which are ever in the middle of a room. Moving the wall for that open floor plan almost always means moving HVAC, electric and plumbing. Not cheap.

It might look like magic on TV. But in real life its dusty, expensive and real. And takes more than a single episode.

Not just any schmo can do it either.

Because let’s say the wall comes down only to reveal termites or a fire hazard. If you’re doing the work yourself, being prepared means you won’t get whiplash (too badly anyway) from the shock, surprise and WTF?!

If a pro is doing the work for you, this is one place where the good ones shine. And the bad ones become headaches and horror stories.

If you choose a contractor carefully, you can short circuit the severity of the home improvement disaster. A pro worth his weight can handle the problem, communicate the solution, and be someone you can trust to do it right and fairly and keep your family safe.

Absent that, you may find yourself up a really crappy creek.

So to be smart from the start and minimize the home improvement disaster: Expect that it’ll happen and build a relationship with someone who can handle the project plus what lies hidden in the walls and floors.

To find pros you can trust visit HomeAdvisor.