For the first-time renovators, you’re likely a little anxious about making some big changes to the home this year, and a lot excited.
If you’ve not renovated a home before and aren’t too sure where to start, we have a great few tips for you below. As you’d agree, it’s always good to prepare early and reduce your chances of making costly mistakes later in the reno, so be sure to take a few notes.
Whether you’re looking to transform the home into an oasis, or getting it ready for a value-adding auction, we’re here to help you out. Take a look at how to prepare for a renovation below.
Always Start With a Plan
Even though this tip is somewhat of a given, it’s still crucial to mention.
You’ll always want to start any home-related endeavor with a plan, especially if it is as invasive as a renovation. With a solid plan in place, you’ll know where to turn if things go wrong, or when you’re a little stuck with what the next step in your custom process is.
We suggest by starting with an outline about what the use case for the home will be after the renovation. Determine whether you need extra rooms, a new bathroom, a smaller study space or anything else.
For the for-profit or sales-focused renovations, draft up your plan in accordance with what’s on trend at the moment, but also what will add the most life space to your home.
And remember to be as ‘typical’ as possible. If your renovation is too niche, you might turn away buyers who don’t want your rather unique home layout, for example.
Get Approval
Once your plan is out of the way, your next step is to get approval for all the changes you’re looking to make.
Depending on what you’re looking to renovate and add to the home, you may not need council approval, however, if you’re adding an extension or altering the entire layout of your home, you’ll need to apply for DA or a Development Application.
This generally doesn’t take too long, and getting approval before you begin could save you tens of thousands if your original plan is not approved and you’ve already started your renovation.
Understand Your Budget and Plan for Emergencies
A common problem for many newbie renovators is the over-estimate of what they can afford for the renovation.
A general rule of thumb is to plan for spending below what you can afford and to integrate an emergency fund into the renovation budget for when things go wrong. Always be on top of this fund as it’ll be imperative to keeping your renovation alive if there’s a structural issue down the line, for example.
When it comes to the cost of labour, materials and a renovation team, your budget will need to be roughly 50 per cent for materials and upwards of 30 per cent on labour costs and lastly around about 20 per cent for fees and taxes.
The Renovation Itself
Once you have your planning, approval and budgeting out of the way, it’s time to go forward with the renovation.
A few of the most important things to get out of the way first include removing any rubbish or junk. Providers like 1300 Rubbish will do all the hard work for you, and can even clean up after the renovation, helping you to remove things like doors, plasterboard and other materials during the renovation.
Have a designer tie all of your renovated materials together in a single style, or do it on your own.
When working out your renovation style and plan, work to instill a sense of cohesion in the home and match as many of your materials together. All bath, kitchen and mudroom taps should match, for example.
To keep things running smoothly, it’s a good idea to have a project manager on site to ensure everything is moving on time.
If you’re going to be working during the renovation, it’ll be imperative to have someone at your home to stay on top of supplier’s, labourers and other team members. That said, reach out to a project manager early in the plan so you’re able to rely on them to be present as soon as the project begins.
In all, it’s important to remember that poor preparation for a renovation causes slowdowns and delays which can be incredibly costly and blow out your budget quite quickly.
