I want to renovate my house – where do I start?
If you’re thinking of renovating your home, chances are, your mind is flooding with ideas. You’re most likely getting advice from family and friends, as well as the many different home renovation blogs online.
The biggest obstacle to home renovations is not knowing where to begin. It is kind of like a great unknown especially if it’s your first time.
Here’s what you can do, take a step back and get your thoughts in order. A home renovation project requires objectivity, here are some things that you can do.
Determine your intent
Are you renovating to fix issues that plague your home or to increase its resale value? Think specifically of what your issues are in terms of space, light, and storage.
Exploiting each of these elements to its fullest is key to creating a home that fits your needs like a glove. Whatever your space and budget, there’s an optimal solution for each part of this home-design trinity.
Examine your home
Before anything, take a look at what could benefit from changes in your home. You can go from one room to another to work out systematically what needs upgrading or renovating. Check the flooring, the walls, the ceilings, and lighting and air flow.
From there you should get a good idea as to the extent of the work required. Write down the possible solutions and items that need purchasing.
Identify issues
This is tied closely to determining your intent. By finding out what needs fixing in your home, you can work with the designer to create a home design that meets your needs.
An experienced and reputable design and build team will help you find solutions and work with the available space and your budget.
They will also build you a home that will grow with your family, meaning, you will not need another home renovation the moment your kids reach high school, or when your parents decide to move in, or when you have another baby.
Find out your budget
Find out how much money you have for a home renovation project that you would meet your needs.
Are you taking out a loan? How much are you allowed to take out and how much are you going to supplement?
Search for a designer and builder for your home renovation project
The next step is to find the most appropriate designer and builder for your home renovation project. If you can get a design and build team, it’s much better.
What makes a design and build company better than separate service providers is that they are more open to working with fixed price contracts.
They offer the advantage of being able to give you a firm price quotation. Quite unlike the having a separate home designer and builder – which usually results in surprise charges and unexpected work later on.
Lastly, bringing together all elements of your project under one contract and one unified workflow means a seamless delivery from initial concept through to completion.
Home renovation need not be a stressful undertaking with a design-build team that will take care of applying for CDCs or DAs, obtaining structural certifications, advising on materials and fittings, site preparation and rubbish removal, organisation of trades and final handover.
Add-Style is a full-service design-build company operating for over 30 years
For home renovations big or small, it is important to seek professional advice. Only professionals can help allay your fears and handle a home renovation project with expertise.
Our team has been helping families renovate their homes for over 3 decades now. We are in the rare situation of being a company in the northern beaches to have held the same building licence since 1987.
The earlier you involve us in your project even if it’s just for a one-off consultation, the better. We can then give you the best advice on how to budget your money and help you avoid costly mistakes.