Top 10 Tips for Renovating Your Home
By Eunice Aubert
02 April 2025
Planning a home renovation can be exciting but also overwhelming. It is so important to consider what your goals are, what is realistically achievable, for example can I do both an extention and renovate my kitchen with a budget of £150 000 or how do I light my bedroom effectively so I have enough light to read, but also feel cozy?
Here are 10 essential tips to help you navigate the process smoothly:
1. Set a Clear Goal
Decide what you want to achieve—more space, modern design, a growing family, a new era in your life, etc.
Take in consideration where you are in your life now and where you see yourself being in the next 5 years. What matters to you and what do you want for this renovation?
How will your renovation change or improve your life? How do you want your renovated spaces to make you feel? We have very emotional responses to our environments, so this is an important consideration.
2. Establish a Realistic Budget
Have you considered a budget for your renovation?
Additional funds are something that must be taken into account when renovating, as there are always unexpected expenses. We have found that an extra 10-20% is a very realistic amount for unforseen costs like; a new boiler you didn’t budget for or rewiring of a room you didn’t think was necessary, etc.
Have you considered what you want to spend in certain areas? Do you know what that luxury bathroom will cost you or the kitchen extention? An Interior Designer would be able to help you with this, as this is what we do all the time. Instead of spending days/weeks trying to find the best specialist for the job, we have our little black book of specialist at hand and can recommend any specialist you may need.
Have you considereded financing options? Looking into what finacing options are available to you, can help you achieve the dream home you’ve always wanted.
Having a clear budget helps us to create a bespoke design solution for your interiors. It also takes out allot of stress and decisions when it comes to making your dream home a reality.
3. Prioritise Key Projects
We've found that our clients typically let us know which areas are must-haves for them. We always start with these areas that they need and end with those things that are nice-to-have. It is a great place to start when prioritising the overall design outcome for them and helps us allocate the design budget according to their desired needs.
To help you get started on what’s important to you, ask yourself questions like these— Do we want that magazine cover kitchen? Or do we want that extra bathroom or en-suite we’ve always dreamed of? Wouldn’t it be great to give our kids that gameroom they always wanted? How about an outdoor entertainment area? Asking yourself questions like these will help you decide what you really want and need.
4. Select Materials
Consider where you are at in your life and where you will be in a couple of years— do you have dogs, small children, gandchildren or do you host people often? You want your materials to stand not only the test of time, but be durable and robust if it needs to be.
Ask yourself how you would use the space that you are renovating and how you want it to feel. Will you be entertaining there or is it more for reading and working? What type of lighting do you need and how will this light affect the materials that you choose to use? Do you need extra storage or built-in furniture?
All these questions can easily be answered by your Interior Designer.
5. Secure Necessary Building Approval
Do you know if your renovation would need building approval?
Avoid legal issues by checking and obtaining the right approval before starting work. Your Interior Designer and/or Contractor can help you with advice on local building codes and necessary building approval. So do ask them this, if they have not already told you!
6. What We Can Provide For You
Setting a realistic schedule and factoring in delays due to weather, approvals, or supply chain issues is what we do. We guide you through the renovation process step-by-step. We also tell you what you need to do and make you part of the process without overwhelming you.
We have found that each project is unique to each person. It all depends on what you want and need, and how you want to feel when you are in your new space. Therefore it is difficult to say exactly how long a renovation will take, but being prepared and knowing what will happen next, makes the whole renovation process so much more manageable, and dare I say it, enjoyable!
Being prepared means that when unforseen disruptions do come, we can handle it quickly without having to worry about where the money would come from as we have budgeted for this already.
7. Prepare for Disruptions
Expect dust, noise, and limited access to certain rooms, if you are going to stay in your house while renovating.
Plan alternative living arrangements if needed. This is so important for your mental wellbeing, as well as seeing the renovation project through to the end. If this cannot be done for the whole renovation, do consider moving out for the most messy and noisiest parts.
If you have health issues, young children or pets, it may actually not be safe for you to be on site, no matter what your grandparents said they did back in the day!
8. Consider Resale Value
If you plan to sell in the future, opt for renovations that boost home value.
The temptation is often to go with a cheaper option in finishes, when it is your aim to sell; however you still need to live there until you sell your home, so you want to enjoy it and not deal with something that break after 3 years of use.
Quality is obvious and it will set your home apart from the rest of the homes on the market at the time of you selling. So invest wisely!
9. Hire A Professional
Do you know who you need to achieve your dream home? Renovating your home is a big expense and an investment, so get professionals to help you.
Have you spoken to an Interior Designer yet? Getting an interior designer on board from the beginning is so important when it comes to designing your home. We do this for a living and know all the in’s and out’s of renovation a home.
It is always best to get everyone you need onboard as soon as possible, so you get the best possible outcome for your dream home.
We consult specialists on each project we work on, so we can achieve the desired outcome for our clients. Our” little black book” of specialist trades and craftsmen come highly recommended, as we have been working with them on many a project and we take pride in sharing their expertise and craftmanship with our clients.
10. Communicate Clearly & Regularly
Staying in constant communication with our clients are so important to us, because it ensures everything stays on track and aligns with your vision. This also avoids delays on your project and guarantees your desired outcome. So if you do work with us, we will make sure we keep you informed on everthing you need to know, every step of the way.
Remember, we are very good at what we do and can figure out what you are telling us between the lines, but unfortunately we are not good at reading minds! If you don’t tell us, we couldn’t possibly know what it is you want. Say it even if you think it’s not important. It may be the very thing we needed to make your dream a reality.
If renovating your home is all too overwhelming for you or you have any questions regarding a successful home renovation, do get in contact with us as soon as possible. We are here to help and guide you through the process. We have connections with excellent trades, contractors and suppliers which we can recommend to get your renovation project done to a very high standard, and without the stress of not knowing what to do next!
