Renovating Part 1

I have been thinking a lot about DIY renovating, and also doing a lot of research. I love all of the renovation shows and I read anything I can get my hands on that is to do with renovations. Some of my passion derives from my personal experience of renovating my own home, and yet more comes from this business, and sharing my love of renovating with you.

I recently started on a quest to discover how to DIY renovate your home if you are living in it. Whilst there is a lot of information out there about how to renovate a property to sell       (Selling Houses) or even to rent out, there’s not a lot written about renovating your own home because it is your ‘forever house’ ’ (Three Birds Renovations).

I certainly do not consider myself an expert in this field, but I am passionate about this subject and have had a great time putting this blog together with a few tips & tricks that I have picked up along the way.

When you’re thinking about renovating your home there are a lot of factors to take into account. Below I have listed some of the fundamental questions you need to consider when renovating your ‘forever home’.

1. What should your home ‘be’ and what should it ‘have’?
   The answer to this question for me is that it should be well built, solid, have spaces that are easy to use / live in, & ergonomic, functional & have something of a heart to, & bring happiness!
2. What are your ‘needs’ vs what are your ‘wants’.
   Unfortunately, finances nearly always play a part in your decisions when DIY renovating. Consider how much space you actually need to live the life you want. It would be nice to be able to have a mansion, but would you effectively use all that space in comparison to the cost? If you are considering enlarging your house, where is it best to add to - an extension or even build up or down?
3. How do you live? (Shaynna Blaze)
   This is a very important question, how do you live in each space? For example do you love cooking? In this case, the kitchen will be a very important space in your home and you will need to ensure you plan the kitchen renovation to make your time there productive and enjoyable. This can be achieved by consideration of layout, materials, appliances and the decor / ambience created by all these things in combination.
4. What are other considerations in the grand plan?
   You may also consider renovations in order to fix specific problems in your home such as extreme temperatures, lack of storage space or inconvenient layouts. These considerations will allow you to decide what needs to be renovated, and what you are happy to leave alone.

Once you have considered what you want to do, the next step is to create a plan of how to proceed. The easiest place to start is with a floor plan as it’s important each space is well planned to fit everything that is needed and wanted while maintaining a nice sense of space. This will help when thinking about dimensions and installation requirements as well as choosing fittings, appliances, etc. Take your time when making your plan, think carefully about things such as:

• The size of rooms and their form & function
• Furniture placement
• How many people will be using each space, both now and in the future
• All the little details matter, do your research and don’t rush in 

Looking at your plan, you can make further decisions based on timeframe and budget. For some people, the appeal of saving enough to do all your renovations at once is that inconvenience is minimised (Domain) and it does not ‘drag on’. On the other hand, choosing to complete your renovations bit-by-bit or in stages may make better financial sense as each stage can be completed as the funds become available. Similarly, this plan can also allow you to make budget decisions and compromises.

Good renovation design & flow generally only happens when the modernising of your whole home is considered and planned right at the beginning. Pre-planning your renovation is also a great way to stick to your budget, and preventing an assortment of incompatible design styles. By thinking about your DIY renovations carefully before you start doing things, you will ensure that your ‘forever home’ is perfect for you, forever.