Renovating or Redecorating? Avoid these costly mistakes.
Renovating or redecorating your home can be an expensive experience even for the most skilled designer or builder.
There’s no denying it, houses are expensive!
However if you are planning a renovation or doing some redecorating, starting with these tips will ensure you can avoid some costly mistakes.
Plan, Plan, Plan and Plan again.
Your project actually starts long before you knock down your first wall or buy your first piece of furniture. Mapping out what you want to achieve is the absolute key in saving costs when you are renovating or redecorating. There are some really key questions to ask yourself before starting:
How do I want my home to feel?
Who lives here now and who will live here in the next 5, 10, 15+ years?
How do we use the home?
What are my priorities for this project?
Don’t Rush Any Decisions.
Yes you will be working with timelines, especially if you are renovating, but making a decision on the run because the builder “needs it now” is no way to get a clear decision. This is your home and you will be living in it for years to come. Having regular conversations with your trades team and mapping out when they will need answers is a great way to stay ahead of everything and will allow you the time to make considered decisions.
Try Before You Buy
So many things look beautiful in a curated showroom, but can look totally different in your home. Try before you buy is a must for so many decisions when it comes to renovating or redecorating. Paint samples on your walls is a non-negotiable. Look at the colour in morning, afternoon and night lighting. Ask for fabric or leather samples to take home before committing to a sofa. If you have a pet, take the sample and run their claws over it, does their fur stick to it? Answering all these questions before making a big decision can save you a lot of regret down the track.
Make Sure It Will Fit
This may seem like a given, but I have seen it happen many times before. Please make sure the sofa/dining table/bedhead you buy will actually fit in the doorway/up the stairs/around the tight corner.
Found a dining chair or barstool you love? Test it to make sure that it will fit under your dining table let you comfortably sit at your bench. These seem like simple things to remember, but when you are making a tonne of decisions at once, it is the little things that can be overlooked!
Renovating or redecorating your home is a huge undertaking, but it can also be full of fun and very rewarding. Buy following a few simple tips, taking your time and thinking each element through you can achieve a beautiful result that you will be very proud of for years to come.
