A successful home renovation takes planning!
I love talking to people who have made the decision to renovate their home, but I understand for many people renovating your home is a big step. Whatever the reason for renovating you want to make sure you love your new home at the end of the renovation.
In this blog I want to give you some tips to help make your home renovation easier and a success. We’ll look at what it means to renovate a home, reasons to renovate a home, the renovating process and most importantly six things you must consider before you renovate your home.
Ready to find out more?
What does it mean to renovate a home?
It is easy to confuse the terms remodelling and renovation. Renovation means to restore to a good state of repair and remodel means to change the structure or form of something. I can imagine most of you are reading that explanation and feeling no better informed.
Put simply, if you renovate your kitchen you repair or update it whereas if you remodel the kitchen then you change the appearance. Maybe it’s easier to just say “We’re putting in a new kitchen”.
Many renovation projects in Australia include some changes to the walls be it an Alteration or Addition and so for the purpose of this blog we’ll stick to the term ‘Renovate’.
Renovating your home can help to improve your lifestyle and when done right it will add value to your property.
5 Reasons to Renovate Your Home
There are so many reasons for you to be thinking about renovating your home.
1. Comfort
The most important reason – for you. To make your home more comfortable. Don’t renovate with a future price tag in mind. You don’t want to end up feeling out of place living in a show home.
2. Safety
There are times when you must renovate to fix issues that could lead to issues that would put your family at risk.
3. Value
Updating your home with a possible future sale in mind, making it more appealing for buyers.
4. Function
You may need more space due to a growing family or changing needs. You may want to add a rumpus room or outdoor living area. You may find the kitchen is too small or you want to open a living space more.
5. Eco-friendly
There are a whole range of improvements that can reduce your home’s eco-footprint. Some are easy and cheap but other may cost more initially.
For instance, energy efficient appliances may cost more to buy but the savings over time could compensate for the initial expense.
There are many reasons to renovate. Certainly, this was the case with our Award-winning home renovation. Whatever your reason, think about what you want to achieve with your renovation.
How do you renovate a house?
There is no right order to renovate your home, planning your renovations will help you decide where to start. In my experience most renovations are completed top to bottom so once you have a plan and builder or trades then follow my checklist below to get started.
1. Secure approvals and order materials
Check with your council on any legal requirements, building permits etc. It can save time, money and heartache later. Once you have the council approvals, you can then start ordering supplies such as timber, plaster, new windows and doors, etc.
2. Start demolition
With supplies arriving (check them before use to make sure they are correct) it’s demolition time. If space is being added, then framing generally takes place. If walls within are being moved, it may be a good time to potentially install any new windows and doors.
3. Hidden work
This is the time for work behind walls, below floors, and above ceilings — plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning rough-ins, subfloors, and insulation. Once this is done walls can be installed.
4. Paint and install flooring
There is no correct order on this. You will find some trades want to finish flooring first, while others prefer to prime and paint before working on the floor (to help prevent spills from getting on new flooring). The order may also depend upon your contractors’ schedules.
5. Install cabinetry
With walls and floors in, you can see your renovation starting to take shape. Cabinets are typically installed next, with upper cabinets going in before lower ones.
5. Add finishing touches
This is the time for details and decoration. Final painting, splashbacks, floor sealing, light fixtures, hardware and any other touch-ups.
How long does it take to renovate a home?
Unlike on many home renovation television shows, it does not take a week to renovate a home! The reality is quite different with the average home renovation takes between 4 to 8 months. If a project is small or larger then that may impact the timeframe.
Be prepared that a full renovation of your house could take up to 6-8 months or even more, especially if you are adding large spaces with architectural detail. If it is something smaller such as renovating a kitchen and bathroom with some minor cosmetic changes then it could be a just matter of weeks or months.
How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom?
You can expect to spend anywhere between $10,000 for a makeover to upwards of $30,000 or more for a bathroom renovation.
The cost will depend on the size of your bathroom, the level of renovation you require and the cost of materials, fittings and labour. Each project is individual and costs vary depending on your location.
Planning a new Bathroom or renovation project? See my blog on how to create a functional and beautiful new bathroom for tips and a checklist to get you started.
How much should you spend on a kitchen renovation?
The cost of a new kitchen will depend on a range of factors, including your kitchen’s size, condition, design complexity, the materials you want to use and your vision for the space.
The 2017/18 Housing Industry Association (HIA) Kitchens and Bathrooms survey found the average cost to renovate a kitchen in Australia was $21,132. However, my experience is a kitchen makeover can be a low as 10,000 and generally go upwards of $25,000 for a full renovation depending on the scope of work and design required.
You will need to consider the materials you use as they will influence your budget significantly. You also need to budget for the type of kitchen appliances you want, they too range from basic to top of the range European brands. The size of the job, the type of tradespeople you hire, and your location will impact the cost. A small kitchen is going to cost less to redesign and refit than a big one.
You want to make sure that your kitchen renovation is going to work for you and will add value to your home.
Planning a new Kitchen or renovation project? Get started by reading all the tips on how to create a functional and beautiful new kitchen.
Getting Ready for a New Design or Renovation Project?
A new home design or renovation is not something you do on a whim, it requires planning.
Whether you are renovating a bedroom or a whole house there’s a few essential steps that will help as you embark on this exciting and sometimes daunting journey.
My 6 Top Tips for Planning Your Home Renovation
- Do your Homework & Define your Scope
- Know your Budget
- Know your Limitations
- Hire Experts
- Have a Plan Open & Honest Communication
Resources to Help You Get Started
Need More Information?
If you have any questions or would like help with your bulding or renovation projects, feel free to contact us for a no obligation discussion.
We help busy families and individuals achieve their ideal version of luxury living, blending it seamlessly with practicality to suit their lifestyle perfectly.
If you are building or renovating, we’d love to hear from you to discuss creating a beautiful interior that fits your dream of luxury living.
As a professional house painter i cant emphasise how important it is to 1 – carefully choose the right colours and shades to repaint your house and 2 – Get someone who knows what they’re doing. If you dont make sure you do these 2 most often you end up with a very average looking result and you’re stuck with it for a long time.
– Joe
Very true Joe. It’s a bit like using an Interior Designer to up-level your home renovation or decoration.
Glad you found the info useful. Good luck with the renovating!
Glad you found the content useful. Thanks for letting us know.