This year we have spent more time inside our homes than ever before, and we needed a hobby (or two) to help the at-home boredom. Some turned to baking, painting, puzzles, others focused on at-home workouts and who could forget the infamous dances and videos from TikTok. All this time spent inside, however, got us looking at the four walls around us.
Australia is in the midst of a home-improvement frenzy, with the number of people undertaking major home renovations hitting an all-time high. There are some mistakes to learn from however to make sure your next reno project is successful.
Don’t take your eye off the pre-renovation value
One of the biggest regrets any homeowner can have after a renovation is realising you’ve put more money into it than you’ll make back when it comes to selling. So be sure to get a realistic figure by monitoring the value of your local market. That way you can create a realistic budget for your renovation and be sure you’re not spending too much.
Don’t underestimate power points
This can trip up even the best of reno-pro’s. It’s not until you don’t have enough power points in a space that you realise just how many plug-in items you really use.
Avoid delaying window coverings
Anyone in the process of costing up window coverings for the first time is probably quickly discovering just how expensive they can be. It’s not because they come with an inflated mark-up. It’s simply the cost of time, labour and materials but for some reason, we tend not to give these things the value they deserve.
It’s not something you want to have to fork out for at the end of a renovation when you’ve already spent more than you budgeted for, so the best thing you can do is build the cost of curtains or blinds into the cost of the build.
Never underestimate the value of a lighting plan
More often than not, a lot of thought goes into what lights will look like, but little thought goes into the lighting plan. What that means you end up with too much overhead lighting and not enough mood lighting. You can give yourself more options just by making sure your electrician cables for options at rough-in even if you choose not to take them up at fit-off.
Also, a red hot tip – make sure your lights are dimmable so that you can adjust your lighting to your needs and desires.
