Eight things to think about before you renovate.
Renovating is an exciting and enjoyable experience, but for a lot of people, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. To help you out, we’ve put together eight simple things to consider before you get started. Before you start planning your new room, check out this renovation checklist.
1. Your budget
Whether you are planning to do the work yourself or looking to bring someone in, renovating will impact you financially. Before you do anything else, your first step should be outlining your budget — specifically, what would you like to spend and what your maximum spend is. Don’t forget to budget for the management of your project — this will be one of the more time-consuming parts as there is generally a lot to organise.
2. Your style
With your budget outlined, consider your style. What aesthetics, colours, and finishes are you drawn to? Classic, modern, coastal, country, Hamptons? Gathering some images of rooms you admire will really help your Designer. This way, your Designer can make more precise choices, offer tailored advice, and point you in the right direction. If you genuinely don’t know your style, that’s okay too — a good Designer will help you find it!
3. What you want from your new room
Often when we dream of renovating, we think about the finished look, but functionality is just as important. If you’re considering a renovation, list out all the things that are not currently working for you in that room. Do you need better storage? Brighter lights? A bigger benchtop? A renovation is the perfect opportunity to fix these areas. And, you can raise these early on in the process — even when asking for a quote.
4. How involved you’d like to be
Think about how involved you’d like to be at each stage. Some people prefer a hands-on approach and love to organise everything themselves, others are happy to sit back and relax. Knowing this beforehand helps when it comes to selecting the right company for your project. For example, a company that offers full Project Management (like us!) will take care of the scheduling of trades, everyday management, ordering goods, and more. This is great if you’d like to sit back and watch your renovation unfold, while still being kept in the loop.
5. Understanding quotes
Well, this one could be a whole blog on its own! Understanding and comparing quotes is a vital part of your decision-making process, and a crucial step in any renovation checklist. If you’re not clear about the work that will be undertaken for the price and works listed, ask to have this clarified before you proceed. Ask lots of questions, show friends and family who have renovated before, and make sure you know what you’re agreeing too.
6. Your timeline
Do you need your renovation done as soon as possible, or is your renovation something you can take your time with? If you have time restrictions, discuss these early-on with your renovator and make sure your timeframes align. For example, if you have family coming to visit and need renovations completed before a particular day. Just remember that some timeframes for design and manufacture cannot be hurried.
7. Your home
While we take the greatest care to reduce the impact of active renovations on your everyday life, the reality is, renovations are messy and loud at times. As such, it’s a good idea to remove valuables from any rooms that share a wall with the space you are renovating, so they won’t be damaged. It is also helpful to think about how trades will access your space during the renovation and get a better understanding of how this could impact your daily routine.
8. How you prefer to communicate
Throughout the project, there are occasions where your renovator will need to chat with you. To streamline communications, make sure you prioritise these conversations so the project isn’t held up. This will make the renovation a lot smoother and quicker, and it means you’re able to stay better informed.
