Home renovations… the phrase might trigger images of skips, dust and debris turning your home into the remnants of a war zone. Perhaps you might also feel a lump of anxiety setting like concrete as your brain calculates mortgage repayments, builder’s fees and unforeseen costs. But, renovating doesn’t have to be quite this traumatic! Done right, revamping and renewing your home can save you money – if not earn you money – and give you a real sense of achievement. Here’s how the experts recommend going about it…
Tip #1: Plan carefully
Before you launch into renovation work, be very clear about the direction you’re headed in and how you’re going to get there. Kevin McCloud (designer, writer and television presenter of Grand Designs) offers an essential piece of advice for any home improver to heed. ‘Spend three years on planning, and six months on the really expensive bit – the building,’ he recommends. That way, you know exactly what you’re aiming to achieve, how you’re going to achieve it, in what time frame, and to what budget.
Tip #2: Know when to pay for a professional
If you’ve splashed the cash on a reclaimed oak floor, or a set of top hung Velux windows, don’t risk your investment by doing a botched DIY job. Instead, hand over your expensive fixtures to the professionals (unless you truly have the skill and toolkit to tackle the work yourself, of course). This tip is true for the design process too, so consider calling in a professional architect to help you out. “Hiring an architect means you can have a home designed especially around your specific requirements, which makes the most of the available space, light, outlook and setting” says Stephen Fletcher.
Tip #3: Hold some money back
George Clarke (architect, lecturer, writer and presenter) suggests to renovators reading the Telegraph that they should, ‘draw up a written agreement regarding how long the project will take and what it will cost’. However, he urges that you should ‘keep back five per cent… and hold that money… for six months’. Why? Simple. ‘Unprofessional builders will hassle you for the money at this point… [but] at the end of this six-month period… at their cost and not yours, they are obliged to fix any problems.’
Tip #4: Focus your efforts
If you’re renovating with an intention to sell, know which rooms make the most profit. Sarah Beeny (property developer and presenter) talking to athomemagazine suggests that you, ‘give zest to a tired kitchen with new tiles… You can spend thousands on a new kitchen but if you look around you can also pick one up for £1,500-£2,000. An updated, modern kitchen can add up to 10% to the value of a home – it’s a worthy investment.’
Tip #5: Don’t give up!
Renovation can be hard work. There will be times when you wish more than anything that you bought a house ready to move into – demanding not even a lick of paint! But, remember that it’s worth it the long run, particularly if you’re renovating to increase your square footage. Phil Spencer (presenter and journalist) talking to housetohome says that ‘it’s cheaper to build space rather than buy it’. So, keep going – your hard work is going to pay off.
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