Here are a few of our ‘Top Renovation Tips’ to help you get started! Use these to plan and think about your project carefully before rushing to begin.

 

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Planning

There should be no excuses, and I cannot stress this enough! Planning may be one of the most important parts of taking on a renovation project and, from my experience, it’s the first thing that people try and shortcut (often with a rushed timeline in mind). However, if you do have a tight timeline or budget, and particularly for those of you who are thinking about designing and managing the project yourselves, it is vital that you have a proper plan in place. Know your limitations and understand exactly what you are getting yourself into.

Design Intention: What Is It You Are Hoping To Get Out Of The Work?

Do you just want a fresh look, or do things not function as well as you would like them to? Why not call a ‘family meeting’ and make sure everyone agrees with the initial intentions. Then take this time to have a think about what works well in your home as it already is. Following this, I think it’s always helpful (and often part of the fun) to start flicking through design magazines and create a new like/don’t like pile of ideas. This should help inspire you, spark new thoughts and enable everyone involved to start properly understanding your vision.

Clarifying these things at the start will really help you later on and should mean that less time is wasted having to rework design ideas.

Budget: Be Realistic And Understand That You Will Always Get What You Pay For

No matter how you look at it, cheaper materials and cheaper labor are just not going to be as good or last as long. If you are going to do it, then my advice is to do it properly! Work with people who know what they are doing and who will help advise you. They will also be much more equipped to help you understand where you can make the extra cuts, if needed! So, if you can’t afford it yet, then wait or just focus on one room or space at a time.

Be reasonable and do not underestimate the cost of labor: this will be a big part of your budget. Also allow for a sensible buffer; clients often end up spending 10 – 20% more than they originally accounted for. So it’s worth being covered for anything that may go wrong from the offset. That way, if the unexpected does happen, you miss something that you needed, or you simply end up wanting to spoil yourself with that extra touch of luxury, it won’t cause you too much pain.

Finally, in celebration of the New Year, and to help get you started this January and February, Aym Design is offering a FREE site review!

_{This post was first published on Aym Design blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.} 

_{Edited by Nedda Chaplin}

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