Thinking of renovating? Five Questions to ask before taking the leap

When renovating is so prevalent on TV, it’s very easy to get caught up in the romance of it all. They make it look so quick and easy but rarely go into the details of the pre-planning required for a successful outcome.

Thinking on and planning towards your intended outcome is by far the best way to get the renovation result you’ve been dreaming about.

Renovating successfully is as much about meeting the practical needs of the dwellers in the house (whether that is you, a buyer or a renter) as it is about aesthetic improvement, which is why ALL of the following questions are important.

1. Why do you want to renovate?

Are you intending to live in the home long term and just want to enjoy it more? Are you selling? Are you looking to add value so you can use the increased equity as the deposit on another property? Different answers will dictate a slightly different renovation and this is a critical factor in deciding what you’ll do to the property. For instance when you’re selling, you might focus your efforts more on the exterior of the house. Or if living in the house long term, then specific interior areas could be your priority.

2. What rooms or areas will you update?

Are you planning to renovate the kitchen, a bathroom, the laundry, an outdoor entertaining area? The worst rooms in the house might not necessarily be where you should spend the majority of your budget. Just because the laundry is the worst one you’ve ever seen, doesn’t mean you need to completely overhaul it. And just because the kitchen is pretty good, doesn’t mean it should be ignored either. Knowing why you’re renovating will help you prioritise.

3. What will you do to your property?

Think about who is going to be living in the house and what your intended outcome for the renovation is.

Make a list of their/your needs and wants in order of priority. I’m an advocate of articulating every aspect of your renovation before you start: knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it is key. That means being able to justify every choice, and also knowing what every wall, door handle, tile, light fitting, vanity, mirror, and appliance looks like and costs to buy and install – before the first hammer is lifted.

4. What look do you love?

This is especially important when you are renovating your own home. I often send my clients to Houzz to create an Ideabook of their personal style prior to our appointment. When renovating for someone other than you and your own family, then I always suggest ‘neutral with a splash of contemporary and cool’.

The trick is to get a modern look within the home you’re renovating, in way that suits the existing style of the house, but totally opposes it at the same time. In my business we help people put together a detailed plan (which we call a Renovation Action Plan) of exactly how to renovate their property taking into account their practical and aesthetic preferences. Knowing these practical and aesthetic preferences will be a guiding light for you when deciding on the details of your renovation.

5. How much money do you want to spend?

Over-capitalising on your property (spending more on your renovation than the value it will increase by) is something to be avoided at all costs. Unless you are 150% sure you are staying in your home for the foreseeable future then do everything in your power not to over-capitalise. That means articulating clearly everything you are going to do – and then working out accurately how much those things are going to cost to implement. You can only have a rock solid budget (always with a contingency for the unexpected) when you have rock solid plan of what you’re going to do. There will always be swings and roundabouts, but the more you know, the more you can plan not to blow your budget.

For inspiration and dozens of before and after photos, check out my website.

Jane Eyles-Bennett is renovation mad and has been a professional designer for 23 years. She was a renovation designer on the TV series Property Climbers, winner of several interior design awards and design consultant to over 600 property owners in the past nine years.

Have a renovation or design question? Contact Jane at jane@hotspaceconsultants.com or via her website.