Whether you’re buying a home with plans for renovating or just wanting to do a few things around your home to make it more comfortable or up to date, your budget often plays a big role in your plans.
So how do you get the most “bang for your buck” when it comes to renovating? These are my tips, based on my personal experience and what I’ve learnt from friends:
- Plan it out. What do you want to change? What’s working and what’s not? What do you love, what do you hate? What’s your budget? What’s your timeframe? Think it through before you leap in.
- If you think it’s beyond your skill level, get a professional in – otherwise there’s a good chance you’ll have to do it twice and it could cost more to fix than getting it done right in the first place.
- Spend time on the prep. Painting rough walls, not taping up properly, skipping drop sheets and all those other shortcuts we love to take, usually ends up in double the work – so put some time in to get it right in the beginning.
- Shop around for bargains. Don’t skimp and buy the cheap stuff because it often doesn’t last, but you might be able to get some beautiful scatter cushions in a sale, or a lounge that was floor stock that might have a tiny mark on it, or take advantage of end of financial year or Boxing Day sales.
- If you have no clue about design, hire a designer to walk through your home, tell them what you want, tell them your budget and ask for their advice. They will often see things that you don’t or suggest things that you hadn’t thought of. Be up front with your budget though so they know what they’re working with. If your budget can’t stretch to a designer, get onto Pinterest and all the social for design magazines, furniture stores and other pages that will give you inspiration. Make sure you take into account your own situation – like aspect, light, lifestyle, future plans, etc.
- If you want to do more than you can afford but it makes sense to get it all done together, consider finance. We can help you with a construction loan or refinancing your mortgage so that your reno doesn’t become a never ending story.
We’re here to help you achieve your home ownership dreams, so let’s chat if you have plans to buy, invest, build or renovate.
