According to our analysis, house renovations are more likely to keep Brits up at night than anything else, with more people searching for home improvement advice than money or career worries in the middle of the night.
At Origin, we believe upgrading a property should be an exciting time, not something that causes homeowners’ to lose sleep. So, we’ve put together our top five tips for taking the stress out of a renovation project.
1. Prepare your home before work starts
We know how tempting it is to dive straight into renovation work, but preparation beforehand is key to keeping stress levels low throughout the project. This includes getting your home ready for what’s about to come.
Start by decluttering. When the work has begun, it’s likely you’ll need to move things around the house, so the last thing you want to be doing is lugging unnecessary items that could have been sold, donated, or recycled previously. It will also ensure your new space is clean, tidy, and uncluttered when you come to move into it.
Also consider how you will be using your home during the renovation. It’s possible that you will be living in fewer rooms whilst the work is being completed, so think about what items you will need during the process and store these somewhere safe so they are easy to access when needed. This could be anything from planning documents through to essentials like your microwave and freezer.
2. Consider the bigger picture
It’s crucial to consider all aspects of a project during the initial budgeting stage, with the likes of fixtures, fittings, accessories, and even doors and windows commonly overlooked or underbudgeted during the planning stages.
To avoid this pitfall, use Pinterest, Houzz, or magazines to find some images of rooms and properties that inspire youand jot down everything you can see. This will help you map out your build and ensure crucial elements aren’t forgotten in your initial budget.
3. Make smart compromises
When it comes to choosing the materials, products, and finishes for your project,budget limitations may force compromises in some areas.If this is the case, consider the elements of the build that offer the biggest return on investment and prioritise these.
Doors and windows, for example, vary significantly in quality and longevity depending on the design and materials used. High quality aluminium bifold doors can be slightly more expensive than the likes of uPVC but will have a much longer lifespan, offering better value for money in the long term. In addition, opting for doors with strong thermal performance will be effective in keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, reducing energy bills for years to come.
It will always be possible to update and upgrade the interior of a room but making changes to the structure or exterior, including doors and windows, once a project is complete is more difficult. With this in mind, we usually recommend allocating at least 60% of the total project spend to labour, bricks and mortar, and fenestration. The remaining budget can go towards fixtures, fittings, furnishings and décor.
4. Set aside a contingency
No matter how well you plan, it’s likely that some surprises will crop up during the course of your renovation. We know how stressful this can be. In fact, our analysis shows that Google searches for ‘house renovation cost’, ‘bathroom renovation cost’, and ‘kitchen cost’ all peak at 3am, suggesting budgets are keeping renovators up at night.
So, it’s essential to set aside a contingency fund for these unforeseen costs to avoid unnecessary stress later down the line. We’d recommend putting away around 10-15% of the total project budgetfor unexpected costs. However, if you own an older property, it’s worth upping this to around 20%, as you’re more likely to stumble across issues in a period home.
Whilst it’s only natural to want to squeeze your budget as hard as possible, don’t be tempted to scrimp on your contingency, or you could be facing avoidable stress later down the line.
5. Work with suppliers you can trust
One of the simplest ways to minimise the stress of a renovation project is to outsource work to people you can trust. If you don’t currently have connections to any tradespeople, there are other ways to check their credibility.
Firstly, check out their previous work. Established tradespeople should have examples of their work on their website or social media channels. This will help you gauge the quality of their work and whether they have experience working on projects like yours. You should also check for reviews from past customers on websites like Which?,TrustATrader, Checkatrade, Trustpilot and reviews.co.uk.
Always work with tradespeople who have up-to-date certifications from independent industry bodies. For example, quality doors and window installers should be certified by the likes of FENSA, which oversees the fenestration industry, or Certass which offers installer certifications for building refurbishment work.
For more renovation advice, read ourtop tips for transforming your home into your dream family property.