Home renovations in Australia are a constant, but people still fall for typical caveats. From over or underestimating or failing to do market research, homeowners forget that planning is half the battle. Taking the time to sit down and make a plan of action is how you will make your home renovation plan a reality. No one wants to waste their time and money, so the sooner you check all the items on the list, the sooner you can start!
1. Set and abide by the budget
The most common mistake renovators make is overspending and breaking their budget. There is no universal or correct answer here because an optimal home renovation budget differentiates from person to person. You know your finance best and like the back of your hand. Realistically assessing and evaluating your financial situation lets you know how much you can spend on your home renovation. Setting up a budget is still not the end because you must abide by it and stick to the plan. Whatever budget you set, be prepared to spend around 10% more than planned. That emergency fund is yours to keep if all goes smoothly.
2. Measure your space
Measure thrice, and cut once. Home decorations involve moving walls, getting new furniture and doing remodelling. Whatever you do in your home, the changes should be final, or at least made to last a long time. What is the point of remodelling in the first place? The budget can be entirely gone if you make a mistake in this step because fixing something too big or small is costly. Whatever you measure, always write it down first and then move on to the next part. You can even use free planning apps to help you out. The app can set up your virtual home redecoration environment. Use all the tools at your disposal to get the best results.
3. Time your home renovation
Contractors are not available at your every whim. During the year, there are on and off seasons for house contractors. Doing research will let you know when there’s a busy period, and when there’s downtime. Good contractors will even let you know themselves. Why is this important info to know? Because during peak season, they charge higher prices, have little flexibility in their schedule, and are more likely to refuse a contract. But if you reach out to them during downtime, they are more likely to charge less and be more open to negotiation as they struggle to find deals. Timing your home renovations during the downtime gives you a bargaining chip and can tip the scales in your favour.
Photo by RDNE Stock project
4. Get helping hands
Home renovations are demanding projects, regardless of scale. For some general work, you can always call for favours from your friends, but specialised and quality work requires experts in their respective fields. Always try to find the optimal architects, builders, plumbers, experienced and pro painters from Sydney, landscapers, roofers and electricians with a good Google review score. Whenever you find anyone, look at their company page and online reviews.
Then you will know who you are hiring. You can also reach out to your contact to see if they’ve done any home renovations, and check if they recommend anyone. Word-of-mouth recommendation is golden, and chances are that if someone has done good work for them, they will do a perfect job for you too!
5. Survey the project
Measuring is important, as is following your budget. But getting to know the price of your home renovation before you even start can be of vital knowledge. You can request a home renovation survey and get some initial facts. Home renovations carry a lot of decisions for you to make, and each puts further strain on your budget. By requesting a survey, you are one step ahead of any potential problems. It’s good to know how much a project can cost before you even start and if it’s even feasible.
Ideas run wild and unchecked. But the reality is harsh and needs rains, or surveys to keep it in check. Surveys can also happen mid-project, where you evaluate what’s done and if you can continue. Some tasks will require less money, and some will turn out expensive. Taking a small break and accessing your situation will let you know if you should continue or not.
6. Organise waste removal
Your home renovation may be done, but the project is far from over. Debree, wasted mats, discarded tools, industrial rubble and tons of dirt will happen as a by-product. Such is the nature of the business, and it’s inevitable. But what’s required from you is to take care of waste and organise a home renovation junk removal. You can’t dump concrete, drywall, paste, tools, metal, brick and other similar materials in the bin and check in into a truck. You need to call specialised services which can dispose of them. Planning for this expense is all part of the project. Once the dust settles, you will need to clean up. After that, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
7. Check whether you are eligible for any grants
We’ve mentioned the importance of budgeting several times. There is something you can do to help it out, and that’s reach out to grants. If you are adapting your home to be more energy-conservative, applying insulation, replacing old windows or doing any remodelling work that falls under government grants, then you should use them. This may seem like a tedious activity, as you have to browse thru government sites and fill in applications, but the payoff is well worth it.
Remodelling your home is always exciting! Change is in the area, and anything is possible. Your dreams and visions are coming to life before your eyes. The best part about renovations is that you are adding value to your home. We all want to live in nice, comfy homes that look like they came from our dreams. Sticking to your plan, doing a thorough research and finding the best people for the job will make that dream a reality!
Top photo by Anete Lusina.
