A Simple Guide to Renovating Your Home
Whether you’ve recently purchased a property or you’ve been living in your house for several years, it’s natural to want to renovate your home at some point. Perhaps your bedroom needs refreshing as the décor is dated and tired. Maybe your bathroom requires a fresh theme and new facilities to bring it into the modern-day. No matter what your renovation needs are, the below guide will highlight key areas to take note of, and how to avoid common mistakes homeowners make.
Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More
When seeking to breathe new life into your property, you may find yourself full of ideas of how to transform the entire house and change it into something even more amazing than it already is. While this is admirable, and of course you shouldn’t dismiss your dreams, you also need to plan each aspect of your renovation carefully. Not only do you need to keep in mind a budget, as it’s incredibly easy to overspend, but you also need to plan and prepare for any disruption to your daily life. This is even more crucial to take into account if you have children living with you. Children require routine, and ripping out your kitchen to start anew is going to have a significant impact on their happiness at home.
To plan effectively, start from scratch. Discuss your ideas and set a strict budget. Create blueprints for the rooms if you are drastically altering their appearance, such as knocking down walls to extend a room or create an open plan living space. Research, where you will find the supplies from, is there a local tradesperson who can help source the material you need? Only by doing so will you have a concrete idea in place to stick to. Research the furniture or appliances you will want and where to find them for the best price. For example, Catalogues247 have compiled a list of finance catalogs where you will find the best interest-free deals for new appliances, including dishwashers, fridges, and cookers.
Avoid Common Mistakes
If you are a new homeowner wishing to renovate your first property, there are several common mistakes you’d be wise to avoid. These range from underestimating how much the work will cost to complete and ending up wildly overbudget to expecting every aspect to run according to plan. Unfortunately, with any renovation task, there will be unexpected issues which arise, and which you need to be prepared for. A wall you plan to knock down for an open plan living area may house crucial pipes and wires, meaning that large living space may not be possible.
Additionally, homeowners need to ensure they ask the right questions, and enough questions when consulting with designers and contractors. As it’s your money you are spending, you need to be 100% confident and comfortable with the plans in place. If you’re not, or you don’t understand how something will work or look, don’t be afraid to ask.
Assess Each Room Individually
Another common mistake is homeowners attack renovations with a broad view; they try to do it all at once and end up with multiple rooms in various stages of disarray. Instead, you need to assess each room and what each one needs as a separate entity.
- Kitchen: Is your current kitchen lacking space or the right appliances? Does it require a new paint job to freshen it up, or are brand new cabinets and counters required?
- Bedroom: Your bedroom should be a haven to retreat to, if it’s not currently, how can you change it? This is one room you should focus on solely before attempting to change any others because you will need somewhere calming and relaxing amid renovation work.
- Bathroom: Bathrooms can look tired and worn out very quickly, especially in a busy family home. However, this is also a room which needs to be focused on solely at one time. Perhaps you wish to update the theme of the room; for example, an underwater theme if you love all things ocean-inspired, such as the calming colors and unique shapes of sea urchins and seahorses.
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