Renovating a house – whether it’s tiny or huge – is one of the most exciting things you can do! It’s your opportunity to put your mark on a place and realise your vision. It is, however, also a challenge and might throw up some curveballs. So, to make sure you’re ready for the project ahead (and to make sure it’s as rewarding as it can be) read these tips and tricks, and enjoy the experience!
Set a budget
Before you plan your dream home, hire contractors or spend hours searching Pinterest for bathroom inspo, you need to set a realistic budget. Crucially, you can’t overestimate your budget – by underestimating it, you will put yourself in a safer position moving forwards. It will allow you to find a balance between your vision of a dream home, and what is actually affordable for you. It can be useful to have a contractor give your budget a second opinion, to make sure they think it’s realistic!
Research, research, research
You can never do enough research when you’re renovating a house. By being savvy with a search engine, you can find yourself some great deals that will help you stick within your budget. Checking out other people who have undertaken projects similar to yours is really useful – if you’re feeling brave enough, you could even try reaching out to people whose homes you admire to see if they can give you some advice.
Preparation is key
It can be tempting to focus on the really exciting stuff – the fittings, furnishings and paint colours – but you’ll need to make sure the foundations of the project are taken care of first. Making sure that the plasterwork is up to scratch, ensuring the roof is watertight and checking for any damp. Mold mitigation is a great option to ensure you don’t get any nasty surprises a few months down the line, with peeling wallpaper and musty-smelling rooms.
Plan carefully
This may sound like stating the obvious, but there are often so many things to think about that creating a waterproof plan is your weapon against delays and rising expenses. By taking the time to carefully map out precisely what you’re looking for and where you want things to go. This stage is so crucial that it can be useful to hire an architect to do the hard work for you. After all, it’s their job, and they’ll be much quicker than you. Another top tip is to put the plan down for a few days and then go back to it – this will allow you time to think and bring up anything that may have been missed.
Stay positive
Renovations are a marathon, not a sprint. Keeping a positive mindset – and perhaps incorporating some meditation into your routines to help – will make a world of difference. No home renovation runs totally smoothly, but it will all be worth it in the end when you see (and live in) the finished product.
Leave a Reply