How many times have you sat around watching all of the home renovation shows and making a list of all of the things that you would do differently? Most people have done it at least once, and with the number of home improvement shows on TV now, it’s not difficult to form those opinions. The thing is, these are just opinions until you start renovating your home yourself – and it becomes a completely different ball game by then!
It’s not as straightforward as you think to renovate a house. For example, did you know that you might need help from companies like ATI Electrical or a plumber before you rip a wall or replace an outlet? Did you know that you might not have the expertise to replaster a wall if you haven’t ever done it before? See, it’s not as easy as you thought it could be. You need to be on the ball with your home renovation, and that means getting through the ten tips that we have for you below. Once you get through them, you can start your renovation with confidence it’ll go well!
1. It’ll Be Expensive
It’s the biggest mistake that people make about home renovation: they underestimate their costs from the get-go. You need to make sure that you write your budget down properly before you get started, so that you know exactly what you have to spend and on what materials and furniture, etc. Costs will crop up seemingly out of nowhere, so you need to have your main renovation budget, and then you need to make a contingency budget to protect you and back you up if you may need it. There’s nothing more stressful than trying to find the cash for extras you didn’t expect.
2. Get Permission
Did you know that you might have to get planning permission for certain renovations? Most people aren’t aware of it, but the local govt may need to give you permission to extend the house or add floors and rooms. It’s a basic thing, but if you don’t ask permission, you could end up having to revise all of the work you’ve just done because of the lack of permission!
3. Take Your Time
It is going to be so tempting to rush the work and get it all finished as quickly as possible, but you need to make a list and take your time. If you rush, you make mistakes and those mistakes can lead to things going wrong – with very expensive fixes required. If you want to get some of it done now and the rest later, it’s a good way to do things, but you need to make that choice earlier than later!
4. Get Drawings Done
If you are planning an extension, have someone help you out by getting plans and drawings done. If you have scaled drawings done before you start work, you’ll be better equipped to follow a plan. They’re the best thing that you can do to visualise your new renovations, and while these are a cost, you won’t regret investing in something you can see come to life.
5. Shop Around For Builders
If you are planning to change the rooms dramatically, you should consider shopping around for builders. You need to speak to people and get quotes so that you’re not paying over the odds for the work you want done. There’s also every chance that you shouldn’t be doing the building entirely yourself! There will be jobs that you shouldn’t do alone and the right building company could make a massive difference to the renovations you want to achieve.
6. The Future
The one thing that you should focus on when you are renovating your home is the future. Are you doing this for the money one day, or are you planning to live there forever in a newly-refreshed house? The resale value of your home should be considered when you are doing renovations on the house, especially if you plan to sell up. The future of your home has to be considered if you want to do something amazing with your renovation, as you could do it up and sell it one day – even if it’s not a consideration for right this second.
7. How Much Work Do You Want To Do?
Most people tend to hire experts before they renovate their homes. The thing is, there are others who want to do a lot of the work themselves, too. You need to decide how much of the renovations you want to complete without help before you call in the experts. You may not have enough spare time to do it on your own, but there could be smaller things that you can do! You may not be able to rip up the floors, but you could paint the walls or add some paint to the floorboards. The smaller jobs are often easier to do, but you have to decide how much of them you want to do before you get started.
8. Shop Around
If you’re buying supplies, furniture, hiring experts – you name it, if you’re putting money down, get some quotes! You cannot just choose the first person you ask or buy the first set of furniture for a room. If you do that, you’re going to end up paying way over the odds when you really don’t have to. The more quotes you have, the more decisions you can make about what you save money on. Be savvy with what you buy, too, and haggle where you can. If you can get some services cheaper than others, do it. Invest in the things that are worth investing in, too, like high-quality furniture and good paint!
9. Be Unique With Your Choices
Renovations give you the chance to create exactly what’s in your head and bring it to life. It’s your opportunity to really put your mind to something and have creative reign over your house. If there are certain features you’ve always wanted or certain colors you’ve envisioned for the different rooms of the home, now is the time to make those happen. You get to be unique with your choices when you renovate, and if you want to do something for your house, do it. This is your home and you don’t have to create a house you think other people would want, this is your home to do with what you want!
10. Be Courteous – It’s A Must
Prior to renovation, speak to the neighbors. There is every chance that a big job is going to annoy them – especially if you are going to be banging around throughout the day for some time. You need to ask them to have some patience with you while you are getting it all sorted, and promise that you’re not going to disturb them for too long. The last thing that you want to do is upset people local to you if you can help it. Politeness and manners can take you a long way with the neighbors, and you have to know that before your renovations start you will be happier if you don’t annoy anyone!
These are only ten renovation tips you need but it’s enough to get you started. Renovation isn’t a linear thing, and you should consider that you may find other things crop up along the way. It’s going to be one big learning curve and a process for the whole family – are you ready to get started?
