Here are my top 5 tips for the first stage – planning and thinking ahead
1. When planning your renovation it’s easy to focus on the short term, ‘what can I afford now?’ But when you think about it, features that enhance resale value, improve comfort and reduce bills are probably worth paying a little bit more for now.
Choose modern, longer lasting materials and consider features that will help you live comfortably in later life if you are planning on staying in this one for a long time.
These days you should probably even consider making savings on energy and water bills to pay off your mortgage faster.
2. Good planning is such an important part of ensuring value for money. Most renovation budget overruns occur as a result of poor planning-changing the design half way through, trying to fix problems you did not see coming, or simply failing to make the most of the opportunities presented.
Write a wish list of everything that you want from your project. This can include qualities such as ‘light and airy’ as well as more specific outcomes such as extra living space, an efficient hot water system or a more functional kitchen.
3. If your project is a renovation, make an assessment of your home will identify the most cost effective opportunities for big improvements. It will also identify potential hazards so you can deal with them in the most cost effective way.
Do you really need to extend out or up, or do you just need to re-design your interiors for better use of space.
If you plan to demolish sections of the house, are there building materials like windows, doors, floorboards or interior fittings that you can reuse elsewhere, sell or even give away.
Look for opportunities to lock in ongoing cost savings too! To save on energy and water bills, find out where you’re using more than you need to-check your current bills.
4. Make a note of rooms that are too hot or too cold at different times. A few simple design improvements could make the world of difference to your comfort. If you use a lot of heating or cooling to stay comfortable, your renovation project is a chance to ensure a lifetime saving on bills.
Take the opportunity to insulate walls and double or triple glaze windows. There are many new and interesting ways to achieve this nowadays and pay back periods are relatively easy to calculate. Passive design techniques are now becoming mainstream in their implementation and the ability to save money is a no-brainer!
5. While you are considering the above, if you are renovating check and see any warning signs that may indicate structural problems or other hazards,seek professional advice from an architect, engineer or builder.
If it is a new build project that you are planning,then collect photo’s magazines and web sites of the style of design that you like. Check out architectural styles in the area you are intending to build in and get a feel for what the local Planners would be responsive to. All this will be important in briefing your own designer or architect when you come to developing your project ‘brief’ with them.
