Recently bought a new home but it’s not designed the way you wanted? Or tired of your current home’s appearance and want to make some changes? Well, doing a home renovation might be the solution! Here are a few tips and tricks on how to do a home renovation:
1) Create a checklist of what you would like to achieve
Especially when you have recently bought a new home, it is good to create a checklist on what needs to be updated and whatever faults there are in the home. You can check on the small cracks or the squeaky doors. But you can also write what your family really needs – more/dining kitchen space to host a grander Christmas Dinner? An extra bedroom in the loft so extended family can visit? Write these ideas down! It makes a great starting point to where you want your project to go.
As long as it is listed down, it can help keep you grounded on what the renovation is all about. The process can be quite complicated and confusing, but with a list it would be hard to get lost. The list can be sorted into different rooms in the house or categorized into the type of job such as electrics, painting and decorating so it all can be done at once.
2) Get permission from the neighbours
Communication is key! Before starting on any major work, you are required to inform your neighbours about your home renovation. Especially if you live in a semi-detached house or a terraced house and share the same wall, it would be hard for your neighbours to carry on with their daily lives without any disruptions. A party wall agreement can be raised in order to avoid any disputes during the construction of the build, this is something Gogo Studio can provide as part of the package deal.
3) Budget, budget, budget
Making structural changes to your home costs money and it can be very easy to lose control. Especially when you get excited about all the cool new features you want to include. What you can do is plan out what you want to do to your home and check how much each element would cost you through online shopping websites and calculators.
It’s a good idea to add about 10% of the whole cost to your budget. Just in case there are other hidden costs or like the look of that fancy oven you’ve had your eye on. It would be best if you state your ideas to an architectural designer so they can estimate a cost for you but for a more accurate construction cost, it is best to go through the design phase first.
4) Find a REALLY good architectural designer
Home renovations can be daunting, so why not enlist some expert help? They would help you throughout your whole home renovation process from initial site visits to constructions and even your budget. They know the planning system well and can input new ideas to your home renovation. Your architectural designer will help take the ideas you have noted down, and make them possible or even better.
If you want to read more on the role of an architectural designer, click here
5) Think about what you can and cannot do yourself
Sometimes it is nice to add that homemade flair to your home and so it’s a good idea to add some DIY elements into your build. Not only does this help give that personal feel to your renovation, but could help your wallet as well. If you are going with an architectural designer, don’t be afraid to send them lots of ideas of what you want to achieve, so they can help integrate it in your build.
6) What is the re-sale value?
If this property isn’t going to be your forever home, it would be a good idea to see if your renovations will help increase the resale value. For example, on average any type of extension will add 20% to the value of the house. However, this is much higher in London, where residents believe the average extension will add 35% to the value of their house.
These are only a few of the many tips and tricks when you are thinking of doing a home renovation. if you have any questions on home renovations, feel free to comment below or contact us directly.
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