Renovating a home is exciting, but it’s also complicated, expensive, and occasionally chaotic, something I know first-hand after several years of doing exactly that to our own house.
In this category, I share practical, honest advice covering every stage of a renovation project, from budgeting and finding the right tradespeople to the details of plumbing, electrics and structural work. My aim is to help you avoid the costly mistakes we’ve made along the way, so you can get through your renovation with your sanity (and your budget) intact.
Renovations rarely go entirely to plan, and mine certainly haven’t, but with the right preparation, you can avoid a lot of the common pitfalls. I’ve covered everything from kitchen and bathroom renovations to protecting your home during building work and choosing the right contractors, and I’ll keep adding to this category as our own renovation journey continues.
If you’re just starting to plan a project, it’s worth reading through a few posts on budgeting and contractors first, as they’ll save you time (and probably money) before you get stuck into the more hands-on posts.
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Contents It’s a Christmas miracle. Are we finally doing something exciting on our house after living here for six years? Yes, yes we are. We’re planning a pretty big home improvement project next year after living with our house and its impractical layout since 2020. We’ve done what we can in that time to make…
When it comes to renovations, I’ve been there, done that and will be there again in the near future (hello, utility room plans). I like to think I’ve experienced my fair share of renovation disasters that skyrocket your original budget, which is why I’m a little obsessed with saving money wherever possible. Renovations are EXPENSIVE…
I’m sure you already know, procurement can make or break a renovation project. Sourcing the items you need, finding the right supplier, negotiating the price and then acquiring the goods is a tricky process to manage, and when handled incorrectly, could set any project back by weeks or even months. This will just annoy your…
It’s kind of assumed that if you renovate a property before you sell, you’ll always make money. This is why so many people are trying to work out the renovations that give the best return. But honestly, it’s a lot more complicated than that. The right answer depends on factors that standard advice tends to…
When you’re renovating your home (or even just clearing out your garage or demolishing part of your garden), you’ll probably find that you have so much stuff, you need a skip. I know we’ve been there. How does this stuff even accumulate? Sometimes, it feels like it appears out of thin air, but there always…
I get it, home renos are pricey. Especially with the ever-increasing costs of both trade and materials. Hardly anyone has a never-ending budget, unless you’re Kim K, so it’s likely that you’re thinking about the ways you can claw back some of the cost on your home renovation. But the most effective way isn’t about…
If you’ve ever renovated a home (or you’re in the middle of one right now), you’ll know that while the end result is exciting, the in-between can feel…a lot. Dust everywhere. Half-packed rooms. Furniture piled into corners. And that constant feeling that your home is no longer working the way it should. One thing I’ve…
Underfloor heating is a super efficient and modern way to heat your home. It offers a more consistent source of warmth, lower operating costs, and even fewer unsightly radiators. But if you’re thinking about having underfloor heating installed, there may be one main question on your mind: how disruptive is it to install? Will it…
This post was written with the help of Jeremy Davidson from Mortgage Adviser Directory. He has a strong interest in UK mortgages and property finance and works closely with remortgage advisers nationwide Home renovations can transform how a property looks, feels, and functions, but they can also be expensive. From extensions and loft conversions to…
I’ve written many times before about conservatories. They’re lovely, and can be really useful spaces as they’re flooded with natural light, but they aren’t really that useable when they’re 30 degrees in summer and -10 in winter. This makes them costly to heat or cool, and they can quickly become a storage room. So what…
In Britain, we love our histoy. We tend to shout loud and proud about it, and we admire old buildings that contain plenty of secrets within their walls. You might have bought a period property for its charm, for its history, for its character. But on a cold, grey morning, the wind snakes through the…
While homes with basements are few and far between in the UK, those that do have them can be prone to water damage. Has your basement turned into a pond after recent storms? Finding water where it shouldn’t be is always annoying and worrying, especially if it’s in your home’s foundation. For one, water in…