Dawn Matthews | Mar 12, 2024
Tips For Surviving A Home Renovation
15 Minute Read
A home renovation project always seems like a great idea, and completely manageable… until you find yourself in the middle of the chaos and seriously considering putting the house back on the market! Whether you’re thinking about handling it yourself, or you’re going to be working with building contractors, make sure you read our tips for surviving a home renovation project before you get started.
The Key To Surviving Your Home Renovation Is Solid Planning
Whether you’re doing a complete makeover of your entire home, or you’re doing a small project in one room, getting your planning right is going to make everything a lot easier, and with a more successful outcome. Let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll want to consider before engaging a contractor or getting your tools out.
Set Your Budget
Knowing how much roughly you want to spend is good, but there are countless renovation projects that go over budget. While you’re setting your budget, do your research. Check the prices of everything from the paint, wallpaper, and any extras you’ll need, such as tools, as well as any tradespeople you need to pay. Then, make sure that you have extra aside as a contingency. Accidents happen, especially if you’re doing DIY, and should something not go quite to plan, then you’ll have the ability to carry out repairs. Even if you don’t need your contingency money, it can then be used for your next project, or for something really special for the area you’ve been renovating.
Let Furniture Lead Your Design Choices
There’s a good chance that you already own furniture that you want to include in your renovation project, and if you’re planning to buy new, then you’ve probably already spotted several pieces that you want. Keep this in mind when you’re planning your décor. But as we always recommend, pick décor that you love. On-trend, totally Instagram-able décor is fantastic, but if you – or the people you share your home with – don’t love it right now, then consider a different style.
Choose The Right Tradespeople
Get quotes from tradespeople that you’re going to need to work with, and when they come to quote for the job, decide whether you’re going to be able to get along with them in your home for a while. If you can get recommendations from others who have used them in the past, that’s always better, and make sure you check reviews on social media and Checkatrade before you commit.
Take Your Time Making Final Decisions
Making a house a home is an investment, and you don’t want to end up needing to change your décor sooner than you’d like because you hate an aspect of your renovation. If you’ve just moved into the property, it is worth taking a few months to get used to how you and your family behave in the space before making any major changes.
Be Prepared For The Mess
When you’re tackling a renovation, things ALWAYS get worse before they get better. There will be dust, debris, and people coming and going while the project is going on, and the clean-up will likely feel endless too. While you’re preparing for the project, make sure you move anything that is breakable, and where possible, get furniture out of the way. Depending on the size of the project, you might want to consider using a storage unit for the duration – an empty space makes it easier to get renovation work finished.
Choosing Your Room Décor
There are some rules to home décor that come and go over time, but since your home is exactly that – YOUR home, that YOU will be living in – as we’ve already said, make sure that whatever you choose is right for you. If you love a simpler style, consider Japandi décor, Nordic styling, or maybe even industrial décor. For more relaxed spaces, consider rustic designs – a cosy country bedroom always feels relaxing, and will never go out of style.
You might think – like we did – that feature walls had finally gone out of style, but this year we’ve realised that this is a trend that never really goes away. A great feature wall can provide depth to a space, but as trends change, the way they look changes slightly. Rather than being plastered with gaudy wallpaper, in 2024 and beyond, feature walls make use of sustainable materials, as well as making the most of what is already there. Think painted brickwork, wooden slats or panelling, beautiful hand painted murals, and so on. While you absolutely can do feature walls how they used to be – with bold wallpaper with large designs – if you completely love the design, and can see yourself doing so for years to come, then go for it.
Pick Sustainable Materials
You knew we’d get onto this point, didn’t you? Choosing sustainable materials for the building work, as well as for your furniture, just makes sense. Not only because it is the right thing to do for the planet in the longer term, but also because those materials are much more likely to trend in the longer term too. Not only that, natural building materials are less likely to trigger allergies, or be harmful for children or pets. On top of that, using natural, sustainably sourced woods, bamboo, and materials such as jute and sisal in your home make it feel cosier and more calming too.
Choose Accessories When Work Is Almost Complete
While you might buy furniture and bits and pieces as the project progresses, it is a good idea to wait until the job is near completion to purchase elements such as kitchen shelves, tables, fireplace mantels, and so on. That’s because you might make changes that mean the shelf you bought before the project started doesn’t quite fit, or the fireplace isn’t the exact size you thought it would be, and if the project has gone on for longer than you expected, then you’re going to be out of pocket unnecessarily.
It might not be a case of the piece being the wrong size though. Maybe, the wood effect that you chose before the paint was on the wall isn’t quite right, and it would be better if it was Shabby Chic, rather than the deep walnut that you envisaged.
By choosing these pieces when work is almost complete, you can make better informed decisions, and if you need to order a custom size, or change your mind about colours, you won’t have wasted any money.
Consider Buying Custom Sized Furniture
If you’re carrying out a home renovation project, you might end up with non-standard sized spaces, especially if you’re removing walls or changing the layout of your home. If that’s the case, when you’re looking for those final pieces to finish off your space perfectly, then you’ll almost certainly want to browse our range. Whether you favour dark and luxurious walnut finishes, or the palest pine for a Scandi style space, our furniture is hand made to order, which means that if you need a shelf, table, or bench to fit a specific size, we can make it for you. Just place your order, and add your size specifications in the notes.
Try Not To Stress!
We know, this is easier said than done. You might be living in chaos for a while, but the end result will certainly be worth it. Whether you’re working with tradespeople or not, delays may be unavoidable, especially if you’re working in the winter, but keep your eyes on the prize – it will be finished eventually, and you’ll love it when it is done.
Remember, once you have all the work carried out, and the main fixtures and fittings in place, it all gets easier – we promise! – apart from the seemingly never-ending dusting and hoovering that has to happen! The next part, which is the choosing of, and placing your soft furnishings and accessories like curtains, cushions, rugs, and lamps really is the easy bit, and will turn your finished renovation project into a home that you can enjoy, and be really proud of.
Final Thoughts
As we started out by saying, home renovation projects are hard to manage, hard to endure, and there’s no doubt that you’ll have days that you will end up being fed up with it, lose your patience, or feel like it is going on forever. But if you conduct proper planning before you start, and tackle each step of the project carefully (keeping one eye firmly on the budget, of course!) you’ll get there eventually – and you’ll absolutely adore the way your home looks after the work is completed.
If you’re conducting a home renovation that will feature one or more of our products, and you’ve entirely fallen in love with it, tag us in your before and after Instagram posts, so we can share the gorgeous new look of your home with our followers too. Good luck!
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