Have you been binge-watching ‘The Block’ for the past few seasons? Is your MySky constantly set to HGTV? Reckon you’d have what it takes to be a renovation star on the big screen? You’re not the only one!
It’s no surprise that these home renovation shows have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years — us Kiwis have always had an affinity for DIY-style home renovations.
If you’re thinking about having a crack at one yourself, it’s important to understand a few key points about how this process works before you get stuck in. Here are our seven tips and tricks for renovating your home.
1. You can never be too prepared
Before you’re even close to picking up a paintbrush or recruiting your friends to help you out, it’s important that you understand what you want done and how you want to do it. Beginning a renovation without a clear plan is a recipe for frustration, delays, and stress — something that many people with DIY experience will happily tell you.
Why are you renovating your home? Do you want to make it more comfortable? Do you want to improve the value of your property, and then sell it? Understanding your goal is a crucial step to making your dream renovation a reality.
Measure the scope of your job – consider the materials that you’re going to need and carefully plot out your timeframe and your budget.
2. Expect the unexpected every step of the way
Unexpected costs and delays are one of the major difficulties that people commonly experience during a renovation. The experts advise that it normally takes double the time and budget that you initially plan for.
We recommend building a 15-20% contingency in to your budget for unanticipated costs that pop up along the way. It also pays to be flexible with your desired timeframe – sometimes the simplest tasks in the renovation process can end up taking longer than you’d ever imagined.
3. Be realistic about what you can and can’t do
You might think it’s a piece of cake to tackle bathroom or kitchen renovations by yourself, or even to have a go at laying some new tiles. But the truth is that these things are harder than they seem, in fact they’re a lot harder.
Before you try and do these kind of things yourself, look in to getting help for the more challenging aspects of your renovation — whether it be from knowledgeable family, friends or professionals.
Use the resources at your disposal and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Investing in professional services can save you time and peace of mind in the long run.
4. Understand your legal requirements
Depending on the magnitude of your renovation you may need to apply for a building or resource consent?
- What requires a building consent?
- Alterations, additions and many structural repairs to existing buildings
- Demolition of existing buildings and structures
- The removal or relocation of buildings
- Site work, for example, earthworks for a new extension
- Fences over two metres high
- Putting in a swimming pool or spa pool
For full information about the potential legal requirements you’ll face while renovating, click here to view a handy guide put together by the Auckland Council.
5. Start small and work your way up
Working your way up from small cosmetic improvements to bigger chunks of work will help you to balance out the look and feel of your home during this time.
Any large-scale improvements you make to your property will often accentuate and highlight the older, outdated elements of your home — this can be off-putting and derail your motivation during the process
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6. Save space with storage
Depending on the size of your renovation, you may need to temporarily relocate some of your household items to free up space – you don’t want to hold up any handy work by having cluttered living areas or bedrooms.
Whether it’s short term or long term, check out how Crown Relocations can help you with storage during this time.
7. Patience is a virtue
TV shows can often make renovations look easy and fun, and some of them are! But there’s also a lot of potential for frustration and stress along the way.
Renovations are always going to take longer than you expect, so don’t be scared to slow things down if you need to – many DIY efforts have been ruined by rushed decisions and half-completing tasks. Staying patient throughout this journey is the best way to ensure you arrive at your final destination in one piece, with a smile on your face.
For information on how Crown can help you during your renovation visit our Moving within New Zealand section of our website to see the many services we can assist with or give us a call on: 0508 227 696.
