Here are seven home renovation tips to help you approach your project with a renewed energy and enthusiasm.
With a buyer’s market, falling house prices and houses sitting on the market for months not weeks, it may not be a good time to sell your house and receive a good return. Instead, more people are choosing to renovate their existing homes and love the house they are in. But home renovations do not always run as smoothly as it does on lifestyle shows – here are seven home renovation tips to help your project run seamlessly.
Work out a schedule to follow
Whether you’re doing major renovations or a small refurbishment of your home, one of the best home renovation tips to work out a schedule of what works need to be done and in what order. For example, if you’re painting your walls and ceiling, changing the cabling and laying down flooring, it’s advisable to change the cabling first in case there are any patching that needs to be done, then paint the walls and put down the flooring.
Call in the experts
Save as much money as you can doing DIY jobs but if there is something that is beyond your expertise, call in the professionals. You may spend more money calling in an expert who spends hours trying to fix a job that you have attempted yourself. Ask friends and family for recommendations but do not rely solely on that. Make sure that you see examples of the tradesmen’s work and always get three quotes.
Watch out for pests
Tearing out walls or floorboards is exactly when you find out you have a real cockroach problem you never noticed. It’s not uncommon, they are very good at hiding till it is dark. For small problems spray it yourself, if it looks like an infestation get a professional.
Keep an eye on tradesmen
Going on a long extended holiday is probably not the best thing to do when you have a full scale reno planned. While it may be tempting to escape the dust, dirt and constant noise of tradesmen, you need to keep a watchful eye on them. Anything that can go wrong will such as the incorrect paint going on the walls or the wrong tiles being laid. You also need to be on hand for them to ask any questions to avoid delays on your renovation or build.
Don’t skimp on tools
You know what they say, you’re only as good as the tools you use. You will guarantee a better job is done if you buy the right tools for the job such as the best quality paint brushes and paint that you can afford. There are many good DIY suppliers offering decent quality equipment competitive prices. Sometimes it’s more about looking after the tools you have such as making sure brushes are rinsed properly. Basic tools you may need are:
- hammer
- tape measure
- spirit level
- screwdriver set
- hammer
- paint roller and tray
- Stanley knife
- saw
- ladder.
The devil is in the detail
If you’re going to spend a lot of money renovating your kitchen or bathroom, go for quality fixtures and fittings. If your budget won’t stretch, then stick to the mid-range, never choose the cheapest taps, benches or handles. There are small touches you can make to your house or apartment such as adding chrome power point plates, buying stainless steel accessories and adding quality curtains that cost little but add so much.
Stick to your budget
First of all, once you have got all your quotes together, put together a budget of how much the whole project will cost plus a 10% contingency fund. You need to write down every single item you require from cabling to light fittings to furniture. Make sure you include the cost of labour and freight. You need to keep a close eye on your budget during the build so you can avoid costs escalating out of control.
Bring in natural light
When you’re planning your renovations, think how you can introduce more natural light into your home and brighten up dark spaces. You can do this by simply painting the walls a lighter colour or replacing dark furniture with lighter shades. You may also want to make structural changes such as installing a skylight or bifold doors, knocking down walls or adding windows. This can make a huge difference to the ambiance of your home.
With good planning, your renovation does not have to turn into a nightmare or go over budget. Sometimes it can be false economy to try and renovate yourself and it may be better to hire someone to help you. Experts can be anyone from a colour consultant to help you find the right paint to a project manager who can give you home renovation tips, oversee the project and help keep spiralling costs under control.